Barley Free Bread and Butter Pickles
Crisp, tangy, and just a little sweet, these homemade bread and butter pickles are the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste better — burgers, sandwiches, cheese boards, you name it. The brine is a simple combination of white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and warm spices like mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric, which gives the pickles that gorgeous golden hue and classic flavor. English cucumbers get salted and rested first, which draws out excess moisture and keeps the slices satisfyingly snappy even after the hot brine goes in. Store-bought pickle products can be surprisingly tricky to vet, since some brines and flavor additives sneak in grain-derived ingredients — making a batch from scratch with these straightforward pantry staples is a genuinely smart move. The whole process is low-effort and deeply satisfying, and you end up with two jars of something far better than anything off a grocery shelf. They're ready to eat after just an hour in the fridge, though the flavor deepens beautifully if you can hold out a little longer.
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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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