Refrigerator pickles, bread and butter cucumbers, bread and butter pickles, refrigerator cucumbers, there are many names for this dish. This basic cucumber recipe has been around for years and there are many variations.
My parents made a version of these all the time during the summer when I was growing up. We grew cucumbers in the garden and this was my dad’s favorite way to serve them.
I am now growing cucumbers in my own garden and this is one of my family’s favorite ways to eat them. My husband and girls will eat these by the handful for lunch, dinner, and even for a snack.
I recently made a big bowl of these for a church picnic and there were none left by the end of the evening. Everyone loved them.
The one thing I really love about these is that I can make a large batch and my family can eat them for several days. They will last for about two weeks in the refrigerator.
Do you have a version of refrigerator pickles? If so what do you call them?
Refrigerator Pickles
An old fashioned refrigerator pickle recipe. Great way to use up garden fresh pickles.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds cucumbers, sliced, this will be about 8 cups
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
Instructions
- In a colander set cucumbers over a medium bowl, toss cucumbers, and onion with about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
- Let sit about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. This will help some of the liquid to drain from the cucumbers.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, and mustard seed.
- Add sugar and mix well. Place cucumbers into a large bowl or into jars.
- Pour vinegar mixture over the cucumber/onion mixture.
- Refrigerate at least 24 hours or for up to two weeks.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 51mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 0gSugar: 35gProtein: 1g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
My Mum makes bread and butter pickles, which appear to be similar. However she bottles them and we enjoy them as a sandwich or meat condiment year round.
Thanks you so much for posting this recipe. I bought cucumbers Saturday just to make “cold pickles” but did not have a recipe.
I make a very similar recipe, only I use regular white vinegar, and instead of mustard seed, add a tablespoon or so of celery seed. If I use regular sugar, I heat the vinegar/sugar mixture just until the sugar dissolves, then cool completely before pouring over the cucumbers. This year I made a sugar-free version using Splenda, and it tasted just as good. This same mixture and technique is also good with grape tomatoes!
Oh, I can’t wait to try these!! Do you happen to have a good recipe for dill or garlicky pickles too?? I live overseas and garlicky pickles are hard for me to find.
I love pickles, but I’m really a “dill” girl… I would love to find a good refrigerator dill pickle recipe! Any idea if that is even possible? 🙂
@JessieLeigh, I have made refrigerator dill ones. Allrecipes has several versions and I love how people review them and suggest changes, etc. Here is one I think I’ll try next https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spicy-Refrigerator-Dill-Pickles/Detail.aspx
I made that same dill pickle recipe from allrecipes that you linked to in June and they are so good! My husband prefers dill pickles and he likes spicy so I added extra red pepper. I read the reviews and tweaked it a bit (such as I only used dried dill cause I didn’t have any fresh and it was still good). Very comparable to Claussens. I made a bigger batch than the recipe called for cause I had so many cucumbers to use up and I was very happy with it. I will definitely make them again.
Thanks for your recipe. It looks good and easy to make. I tried to can some last week and they were awful, to soft for me but my grandson loved them.