BHA & BHT Free Bread and Butter Pickles
Sweet, tangy, and just a little bit spicy if you want them to be, these homemade bread and butter pickles are the kind of condiment that makes everything taste better — from a pulled pork sandwich to a simple cheese board. Store-bought pickles are a surprisingly common source of synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT, which sneak into the brine or the jar lining without much fanfare on the label. Making them from scratch with cucumbers, onion, and a straightforward vinegar brine means you control every single ingredient, and there's nothing in here you can't pronounce. The brine gets its gorgeous golden color from ground turmeric and its complexity from mustard seeds and celery seeds, all simmered together until the sugar dissolves into something deeply aromatic. Salting the cucumbers first draws out excess moisture so they stay satisfyingly crisp even after soaking in all that tangy sweetness. The whole process is low-effort and deeply satisfying, and once you've got a jar chilling in the fridge, you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.
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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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