Citric Acid Free Bread and Butter Pickles
Sweet, tangy, and deeply satisfying, these homemade bread and butter pickles deliver that classic diner-jar flavor without any of the additives hiding in store-bought versions. Many commercial pickle brands rely on citric acid as a preservative or flavor enhancer, which makes the refrigerator case a frustrating place to shop if you need to avoid it — this brine skips it entirely and still gets the job done beautifully. The combination of white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar creates a bright, layered tang, while the sugar rounds everything out into that signature sweet-and-sour balance. Mustard seeds, celery seeds, and ground turmeric bring warmth and a gorgeous golden hue that makes these look just as good as they taste. Salting the cucumbers first draws out excess moisture so every slice stays crisp and soaks up the brine evenly. Once the jars hit the fridge, the pickles transform into something genuinely craveable — perfect piled onto sandwiches, burgers, or eaten straight from the jar with zero guilt.
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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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