Artificial Food Coloring Free Bread and Butter Pickles
That satisfying sweet-tangy crunch of a good bread and butter pickle is hard to beat — but store-bought versions often sneak in artificial dyes to achieve that signature golden hue. This homemade version gets its beautiful yellow-green color entirely from ground turmeric, a spice that does double duty as a natural colorant and a subtle flavor booster. English cucumbers and thinly sliced onion soak in a brine of white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and celery seeds, producing a pickle that's bright, complex, and completely free of synthetic additives. The salting step draws out excess moisture first, so the cucumbers stay pleasantly firm rather than turning soft and soggy once the brine goes in. Everything comes together in a saucepan and two mason jars — no special canning equipment required. Once they've had a little time to chill and absorb all that tangy sweetness, these pickles are ready to pile onto sandwiches, burgers, or a charcuterie board without a single questionable ingredient in sight.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 ½ lbs english cucumbers (about 2 medium), sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
For the brine
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp celery seeds
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sliced cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the kosher salt, toss to coat, and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature until the cucumbers have released their liquid and softened slightly.
- 2
Drain the cucumbers and onion in a colander, rinse briefly under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Pack them tightly into two clean pint-sized mason jars.
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