Ready for a crunchy, zesty guilt free snack packed with flavor? These quick refrigerator bread and butter pickles are easy to make and they’ll be gone from your fridge in a week!
I was digging around in my grandma’s kitchen the other day and found her mom’s pickling recipe in an old tattered notebook written in pencil!
Pickling is in my German blood and this recipe never fails me. I feel like a alchemist, mixing up various herb combinations and throwing in new types of seeds every time. I have no doubt, you’ll soon get addicted to it too! ⠀⠀⠀
Some Pickle History
Pickling has been around for millennia, so long that a specific date cannot be pinpointed. Cleopatra was known to use them for their benefits as a beauty supplement. British sailors carried them across sea because they were preserved in the vinegar. That is why they are so brilliant, they last forever! It’s definitely a part of our quarantine stash and is taking up an entire shelf in the fridge.
The Ratios...
From a 1891 baptist cookbook, it states- “to one gallon of vinegar, take one tablespoon of powdered alum, one teacup of salt, and two tablespoons of mixed spices.”
Most of the vintage recipes I have found in old cookbooks or amongst my grandma’s friends say to cover the pickles and brine in a grape leaf and garlic cloves. They also say 100 cucumbers to a barrel and soak in salt overnight.
Now you may not be pickling 100 cucumbers, nor using alum, but I’ll help break down a simpler recipe!
What Else Can You Pickle? (anything!)
- Red onions
- Garlic cloves
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Radishes
- Peaches
- Jalapeno
What Spices and Herbs Can You Use?
- Juniper seeds
- Mustard seeds
- Dill
- Rosemary
- Celery seeds
- Cloves
- Cinnamon sticks
Important to Note...
Refrigerator pickles are different than regular pickles. I have another post on canning and preserving, but with out the proper canning process, these will only last in the fridge for about two months. Preserving is an entirely different process!
A Great House Warming Gift!
Instead of bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party, take along a little jar of home made pickles. Don’t forget to tie a cute velvet ribbon around the top. Trust me, your friends will be very impressed. Check out my favorite house warming gifts in this post!
The nice thing about this recipe is you can save it on hand and modify the flavor with different aromatic herbs or a little bit of spice. I seriously have a pickle diary to keep track of what worked and what didn’t! I think you will too once you start playing with herbs and spices and all kinds of produce! Have fun!
Mimi’s Quick Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
These classic quick refrigerator bread and butter pickles are easy to make and they’ll be gone from your fridge in a week!
- Prep Time10 min
- Ready in3 days
- Yield1 jar
For the burger
- 3 cups distilled water
- 1.5 cups white distilled vinegar
- 6 tablespoons pickling salt
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- any herbs and spices to add
- pound of cucumbers
Preparing the spices
Pack a clean pint sized mason jar with sliced cucumbers and all the herbs of your choosing.
Bring all ingredients to a slow boil. Add 1 pint of ice to cool strain and pour warm over cucumbers. Make sure they are covered fully with the brine.
Use a piece of wax paper between the jar and the lid and seal
Store in jars in a dark place for three days. Store in refrigerator after.
