Here is the recipe you always wanted – Homemade Bread and Butter pickles!

Ever since I can remember we always had pickles in the fridge just waiting for a sandwich or salad to come along! One of my favourites was the Bread & Butter Pickles (the other favourite a reall Dill Pickle).

I was told the pickles are called Bread and Butter pickles because they are so good you can eat them with just bread and butter!  I have also heard that during the American Depression people were very poor with little to eat but bread, butter and the cucumbers that were plentiful so quickly became a food favourite.

Years ago (early 1990s I had a small seasonal cafe where I made all of the cakes, jams, preserves and pickles myself.  My Bread & Butter pickles were so popular that they would sell out almost immediately.

I have always used the thin, long cucumbers to make my pickles however this year my allotment has been providing me with cucumbers faster than we can eat them so I decided to make a batch of my favourite pickles.  If you make them I hope you like them as much as I do.

How do your make them?

You need to set aside a couple of hours to make them even though they are really simple to do.  First of all thinly slice your cucumbers and onions and layer them in a bowl with the salt.

Leave this for about 3 hours before rinsing and draining.

Meanwhile, put all of the other ingredients in a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the cucumbers and onions and simmer for 2-3 minutes (do not let the liquid boil).

Finally put into sterilised jars and seal.  The pickles will last about 6 months however I bet they don’t last that long once you have tasted them!

Here is the recipe:-

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Bread & Butter Pickles

Servings: 4 jars

Author: Heidi Roberts

Ingredients

• 900 gm cucumbers cut into thin slices
• 350 gm onions sliced very thinly
• 50 gm salt
• 350 mil cider vinegar
• 350 gm caster sugar
• 30 ml mustart seeds (yellow or black)
• 30 ml celery seeds
• 1.25 ml turmeric powder
• 1.25 ml cayenne pepper or chilli pepper - depending how spicy you want them

Instructions

1. Place the sliced cucumbers and thinly sliced onions into a large bowl

2. Add the salt and mix well together

3. Allow to sit for 3 hours

4. Drain and rinse well under cold running water then drain again

5. Bring all of the other ingredients to the boil in a large pan

6. Add the cucumbers and onions

7. Reduce the heat to simmering and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

8. Do not allow the mixture to boil or the pickles may be too limp (a crunch when you bit into the pickle is part of the pleasure)

9. Pour into hot sterilised jars, top up with the liquid and seal with jam jar covers. Allow to cool before putting on the lids.

10. Enjoy!

I doubled all of the ingredients using 1.8kg of my allotment cucumbers! Friends are already asking for a jar – think I will be making a few more batches!

Please leave a comment below (so I know I am not the only one reading this post!) and tell me what your favourite pickle or chutney is.

If you do make these pickles please leave a comment below and if possible add a photograph on Instagram and tag me (itsmeheidiroberts)

Here are some other seasonal recipes you might like to take a look at.

Blackberry Chutney: Christmas Promise in a Jar

Rhubarb, Strawberry and Ginger Jam

Kolokuthopita – Greek Courgette Pie

I was not paid by anyone to write this post.  All opinions and photographs are my own. No photographs may be reproduced without my written permission.