Bread and Butter Pickles

By Christie Vanover | Published June 28, 2020 | Last Updated March 6, 2023

What are bread and butter pickles?

Bread and butter pickles are slices of small cucumbers brined with pickling spices, vinegar and sugars. They contain more sugar than dill pickles and more spices than traditional sweet pickles.

In the early 1920s, Omar and Cora Fanning created a homemade sweet and sour pickle recipe. It was so popular they were able to trade the pickles for staples like bread and butter. That’s how the pickles got their name.

In June 1924, they advertised in the Clinton Morning Journal, accepting orders for pickles. Later that year, they opened a pickle factory in Illinois. And by 1925, “Fanning’s Original” Bread and Butter Pickles were selling at 3 jars of pickles for $1.

You can still buy Mrs. Fanning’s Bread and Butter Pickles on Amazon. Four jars cost around $25. The ingredients include cucumbers, corn syrup, water, vinegar, salt, onion, ground turmeric, undisclosed spices, mustard seed, celery seed and calcium chloride.

Or better yet, try making your own following my bread and butter pickles recipe below.

• Pickling Cucumbers: Unlike the larger English cucumber, pickling cucumbers are smaller and more delicate. They usually come in a bag in the produce section of your grocery store and may be called Kirby cucumbers.
• Fresno Peppers: For color and flavor, my bread and butter pickles include a Fresno pepper. If you can’t find Fresno peppers, you can use any other red pepper. Bell peppers would be more mild, while a Serrano pepper will give you more heat. 
• Garlic Cloves: Use two minced garlic cloves to add freshness.
• White and Apple Cider Vinegars: For the brine, I use a blend of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. I like the sweetness you get from the apple cider vinegar.
• White and Brown Sugar: I use both white and brown sugar because I like the molasses sweetness the brown sugar delivers. You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
• Pickling Spice: I either make Homemade Pickling Spice or I use the blend from Spiceology. Both include a blend of cinnamon, bay leaves, chili flake, peppercorn, mustard seed, fennel, allspice berries, whole clove, and coriander seeds.

See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.

1. STEP ONE: Wash cucumbers and slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices. I discard the tip of the cucumber. Mince the fresno pepper and garlic. If you like a little heat, leave the pepper seeds. If you like less heat, discard them.

2. STEP TWO: Combine cucumber slices and minced pepper and garlic in a large bowl. 

3. STEP THREE: In a large pot, bring the vinegars, sugars and spices to a boil. Pour the pickling liquid over the bowl of cucumber slices and allow them to cool for 30 minutes on the counter.

How to serve bread and butter pickles

When serving these homemade pickles, be careful not to serve the whole cloves or allspice berries. They’ll soften over time, but they’re still hard to chew. The rest of the seeds are fine to eat.

These pickles are great alongside a big plate of barbecue beef or fried chicken because the acidity helps counter fattier dishes.

Storage

After the pickles have had a chance to absorb the brine, you can enjoy them right away. Or pour them into mason jars, let them rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, cover and place jars in the refrigerator.

For freshness and quality, refrigerator pickles should be eaten within 3 months.  

Can the pickles in canning jars and a hot water bath, if you want to preserve them. Be sure to follow a water bath canning guide from a reputable, safe canning company. Properly canned pickles can last for up to a year in a dark place like the pantry.