I have a thing for pickles. I love them, but I never remember to buy them at the store. Fortunately, it’s super easy to make homemade pickles, and then I have a few “extra” jars! Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
When it comes to burgers, there’s nothing better than adding a good bread and butter pickle with some extra sharp cheddar and a little BBQ sauce. Oh, and toss some bacon on there, and I might not be able to talk to you until that burger is gone. And you’ll probably notice a few extra pickles on the side.
In summer, I get a taste for pickles all the time, and it’s so easy to make them that I tend to have a few jars on hand at all times. This time around, I made bread and butter pickles, but I also make dill pickles at home when I crave something a little different.
Need more ideas to use up cucumbers? Check my favorites at the bottom of this article.
This recipe is a little different from a traditional bread and butter pickle because I add garlic. Why? Because I love garlic.
I add it to just about anything. (And doesn’t garlic help keep mosquitoes away? I figure that’s a summer win.)
If you aren’t a huge garlic fan, make the recipe as stated, but leave out the smashed garlic.
No matter what, you’ll fall in love with these easy homemade pickles. The brine mixture tastes so good that I pull the onions out with the pickles and eat them on my burger or by themselves, just like I do with the pickles.
I gave a jar to my dad for Father’s Day, and let’s just say I have to give him another one because we ate it all that day. Fortunately, I still have a jar left, and these are quick and easy to make.
I love that I know exactly what’s in them, too. And because I do, I know they’re clean and gluten free, so I can share them with a friend whose kids adore pickles but rarely get to eat bread and butter or sweet pickles because commercial ones generally include corn syrup – another of their allergies.
How to Make Homemade Pickles (Bread and Butter Style)
To make your homemade pickles, choose firm cucumber pickles. You want them to retain their crunch and texture.
Wash and slice into quarter inch rounds. I use a regular knife, but get fancy and use a crinkle cut knife if you choose. Side note: Those are fantastic for making French fries, too!
Slice a cup of sweet onion as thinly as you can. I used a vidalia onion because I had them in my pantry, but traditionally you use a sweet yellow onion. I liked this with the vidalia personally.
Smash your garlic cloves well, enough so they break into two or three pieces each. Just place the flat of your knife against the clove with the blade facing slightly down, then smash it with your fist being careful to not cut yourself.
Add cucumbers, garlic, and onion to a large bowl with salt and toss to mix. Cover with ice and let sit for 2-3 hours on the counter.
Rinse the cucumbers and remove the ice, but keep the onions with the cucumbers. Let drain in a colander.
Make the brine while your cucumbers drain. Add your ciders to a saucepan with the sugar, pickling spices, and turmeric.
Bring to a bare boil (bubbles around the edge) then turn down and cook for a minute. Remove from the heat and let cool while you stuff your jars.
Take your drained cucumbers and onions and add them to three pint size mason jars. Pack them in as tightly as you can. If you have leftover, add it to a small jar.
Pour the slightly cooled bring over your cucumbers to the top of each jar. You may have a bit left over, and that’s fine. You’re better off having extra than not enough!
Seal the jars and let them sit for an hour to cool, then pop them in the fridge. Alternatively, you can process them in a water bath for 10 minutes and preserve them (or so I’ve been told – I don’t can anything!). Mine last only a week or two in the fridge before we eat them all, so I never bother adding that step!
Let them chill in the fridge for a day, and you can start enjoying them after 24 hours. They get better on day two, and they stay good for at least two weeks.
I’ve never had a jar last longer, no matter how many I make at once. This recipe doubles and triples easily, too!
Have you ever made homemade pickles?
More cucumber recipes to make:
- Summer cucumber salad
- Tomato quinoa salad
- Hearts of palm salad
- German cucumber salad
- Felafal salad
- Cucumber cups stuffed with spicy crab
- Cucumber noodles with fresh pesto

Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles
Ingredients
- 5-6 firm pickling cucumbers
- 1 cup sweet onion yellow or vidalia, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups ice
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pickling spices
- pinch turmeric
Instructions
- Wash and slice cucumbers into quarter inch rounds. Slice a cup of sweet onion as thinly as possible and smash your garlic cloves.
- Add cucumbers, garlic, and onion to a large bowl with salt and toss to mix. Cover with ice and let sit for 2-3 hours on the counter. Rinse the cucumbers and remove the ice, but keep the onions and garlic with the cucumbers. Let drain.5-6 firm pickling cucumbers, 1 cup sweet onion, 3 cloves garlic, 4 teaspoons salt, 3 cups ice
- To make the brine, add ciders to a saucepan with the sugar, pickling spices, and turmeric. Bring to a bare boil then turn down and cook for a minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon pickling spices, pinch turmeric, 3/4 cup cider vinegar
- Add drained cucumbers and onions to three pint size mason jars. Pack them in tightly.
- Pour the slightly cooled bring over cucumbers to the top of each jar. Seal the jars and let them sit for an hour to cool, then pop them in the fridge.
- Let them chill in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
Video
Notes
- Alternatively, you can process your pickles in a water bath for 10 minutes and preserve them. Mine last only a week or two in the fridge before we eat them all, so I never bother adding that step! The pickles stay good in the fridge without processing for at least two weeks. This recipe doubles and triples easily, too!
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.

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I can’t wait to try these! Is it possible to significantly decrease or omit the sugar? Have you ever tried this?
@Michelle, thx! I went ahead and used the sugar. I ran out of my brine though (😩) and had to top off my jars with straight cider vinegar. I hope they’re still going to be ok lol! They’re in the fridge now and we can’t wait to try them!
I have not tried it, BUT keep in mind that the solution (sugar, water, vinegar, etc) is what flavors the pickles and you do NOT drink or ingest all of it or anywhere near all of it when you eat the pickles. You would have to do a nutritional analysis on the pickle when it comes out of the solution to really know exactly how much sugar is in the pickles at that point, but they are not SWEET or sugary when you eat them. You could try it, but it really is about the balance of flavor when you pickle them in the end. I have not gone that route though.
How long will they keep In refridgerators. Thank you, Mary
They’ve lasted two weeks for me… but generally we eat them all even sooner!
Never had bread and butter pickles before.
Thanks for posting this.
You need to make these or find some somewhere. Sooo good!
I love your recipe. Its perfect. I have one problem .when i go to cann they turn out mushy. Am i processing to long? 20min n a pressure cooker?
This isn’t designed as a canning recipe. They pickle without processing and are designed to go in the fridge and be eaten relatively quickly rather than a shelf stable canning recipe. You could *try* to process them immediately after you put them in jars rather than waiting for them to pickle, but I am not a canner, so I can’t tell you how long to process them for either safety or texture purposes. They’re great without canning though – try them that way!
The secret is Amount of pressuring used….only 5# of pressure needed…. 15 min let stand in the pot for 10 min after pot is off… an electric pot should be on low as that is 5#… med is 10# and high is 15
Thanks so much for the information! I do not can *at all* so have no expertise in this area. Thanks for sharing!
pressure canner, pressure cooker, hot water bath are all different and used for different things Pickles only require the hot water bath…and yes 20 minutes can turn them mushy…they will over cook. If you are using a pressure anything…they will definitely be over cooked.
The recipe I shared doesn’t need a hot water bath even – hooray for refrigerator pickles! But if you want them shelf stable, that’s where this comes into play. I do NOT can, and I pretend no expertise in that area. Thanks for confirming that pressure cooking these – no matter the time – is a no no! The way I wrote the recipe works great for me. I stay away from canning anything for a reason 😉
[…] say this, and I’m afraid of “real” canning. A few weeks ago, I shared my favorite bread and butter pickles recipe, and I’ve had a ton of requests for dill pickles since then. You know I’m happy to […]
These look so delicious, and I love your pictures too! I also like that you included onions as well. I think most of all the good pickling experiences I’ve had have tasted absolutely stunning when onions have been included. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I can’t wait to try them at home.
Pickled onions are great. My daughter loves to pick out just the onions from the jar and eat them. They add a ton of flavor but also taste great when pickled.
I’m a dill pickle fan myself (so I’ll be watching for your recipe on that!) but my husband LOVES the bread and butter pickles and it’s so hard to find really good ones at the store. I’m definitely going to try this at home this summer!
Thanks! I actually have the dills brewing right now, so I should have a recipe up late this week or early next week!
This is awesome! I love pickles, too!
These are so EASY to make and taste wonderful. The garlic is a good choice. Thanks for the recipe, needed something for a small batch.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them. They’re perfect for a small batch, and yeah… I add garlic to everything 😉 Well almost everything!
Thanks – I always forget how easy they are to make until I’m making them. Soooo good!
These look so yummy! Perfect for the summer!
Thanks, Mary! I’m so making another batch to bring to 4th of July!
My mouth is watering!
I get it – these are so good!
OMG! I cannot wait to make these! Thank you for making it so simple! My sons LURVE bread and butter pickles, and I never even thought about making them myself!
Make them for sure – and if your kids are sensitive, leave out the extra bite of the garlic. I just love garlic anywhere I can get it 😉