Bread-and-Butter Pickles

By Melissa Clark

Updated July 13, 2025

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 50 minutes plus 2 hours’ refrigeration
Rating
4(809)
Comments
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For these pickles, I spiced up classic, sweet bread-and-butter slices with allspice and coriander. Generally, the smaller the cucumbers, the more crisp the pickles will be. I used very small Kirby cucumbers, and a month later mine still crunch with each bite.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1 quart

  • 1 pound Kirby cucumbers

  • 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

  • 3 large sprigs fresh dill

  • ¼ cup light brown sugar

  • ⅓ cup cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds

  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns

  • ¼ teaspoon allspice berries

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

9 grams carbs; 40 calories; 1 gram fiber; 223 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Trim ends from cucumbers and slice into ¼-inch-thick rounds. In a colander set over a plate, toss them with salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours. Drain and transfer cucumbers and dill to a bowl.

  2. Step 2

    In a small saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, coriander, peppercorns and allspice. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves. Pour hot liquid over cucumbers and toss well. Let stand, tossing every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
809 user ratings
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Comments

GWPDA

These are best made by microwave: a layer of cucumber slices, covered with the spices, sugar and vinegar. Heat on high for 3 minutes - stir - repeat twice. Jar. Will keep practically forever.

Best alternative - bread and butter jalapenos. Slice jalapenos as for cumcumbers, proceed as shown. Cowboy Candy!

Sue L

A long-overdue PS/question (easy as these are, I don't make 'em often): Why pour the hot pickling liquid over the cukes in a bowl to cool and then jar 'em? Simply put the sliced cukes in your jar of choice, pour on the liquid, and let cool, cover tightly, and into fridge.

Casey Jones

I'd suggest upping the brine ingredients slightly, it wasn't quite enough for the 1 lb of cucumbers.

Kim Baxter

A friend of my mother's gave us a similar recipe. Seven minutes in the microwave and voila! Pickles. I use pickling cukes, sliced onions, white vinegar, white sugar and pickling spices. Covered glass casserole. Microwave 3-1/2 minutes, stir and do another 3-1/2 minutes. Great pickles!

Meg

And taste the first pickle slice and the discard the bitter ones

CJS

Can you use this recipe and preserve the pickle in ball jars?

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