Bread-and-Butter Pickles

Updated July 14, 2025

Bread-and-Butter Pickles
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 50 minutes plus 2 hours’ refrigeration
Rating
4(742)
Comments
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For these pickles, I spiced up classic, sweet bread-and-butter slices with allspice and coriander. Generally, the smaller the cucumbers, the more crisp the pickles will be. I used very small Kirby cucumbers, and a month later mine still crunch with each bite.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1 quart
  • 1pound Kirby cucumbers
  • 2tablespoons coarse kosher salt
  • 3large sprigs fresh dill
  • ¼cup light brown sugar
  • cup cider vinegar
  • 2teaspoons coriander seeds
  • ½teaspoon black peppercorns
  • ¼teaspoon allspice berries
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

40 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 223 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Trim ends from cucumbers and slice into ¼-inch-thick rounds. In a colander set over a plate, toss them with salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours. Drain and transfer cucumbers and dill to a bowl.

  2. Step 2

    In a small saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, coriander, peppercorns and allspice. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves. Pour hot liquid over cucumbers and toss well. Let stand, tossing every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

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742 user ratings
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Comments

These are best made by microwave: a layer of cucumber slices, covered with the spices, sugar and vinegar. Heat on high for 3 minutes - stir - repeat twice. Jar. Will keep practically forever.

Best alternative - bread and butter jalapenos. Slice jalapenos as for cumcumbers, proceed as shown. Cowboy Candy!

A long-overdue PS/question (easy as these are, I don't make 'em often): Why pour the hot pickling liquid over the cukes in a bowl to cool and then jar 'em? Simply put the sliced cukes in your jar of choice, pour on the liquid, and let cool, cover tightly, and into fridge.

I'd suggest upping the brine ingredients slightly, it wasn't quite enough for the 1 lb of cucumbers.

I always add an oak leaf when I make pickles. It adds tannic acid which keeps the cucumbers crunchy

So how long do they keep - one week in fridge (see step 2) or is it one month or more (see intro para to recipe)?

I make this every summer, and every summer I somehow think that this is the summer when it is going to be enough brine. And it never is! Even double was not enough and I packed the cucumbers as tight as I could. I trust Melissa, but something is off here.

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