Black Pepper Free Bread and Butter Pickles
Tangy, sweet, and deeply satisfying, these homemade bread and butter pickles deliver that classic diner-jar flavor without a single crack of black pepper in sight. So many store-bought pickle brands rely on black pepper as a background spice, making the pickle aisle a frustrating place for anyone who needs to avoid it — this brine skips it entirely while still delivering serious complexity. Mustard seeds, celery seeds, and a touch of turmeric do all the heavy lifting, giving the brine warmth, depth, and that gorgeous golden hue. A pinch of red pepper flakes is listed as optional, so you can dial the heat up or leave it out depending on your needs. The salting step draws out moisture from the cucumbers first, which means every jar comes out crisp and snappy rather than soggy. Once the hot brine goes in and the jars hit the fridge, you're just an hour away from pickles that taste like they've been sitting on a shelf for weeks. Stack them on a sandwich, serve them alongside a burger, or eat them straight from the jar — no judgment here.
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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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