Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Kirby (pickling) cucumbers — not waxed grocery slicers, which go soft
- 3 tbsp kosher salt, for drawing out moisture (most rinses off)
- 1.5 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 tbsp sea salt (for the brine)
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seed
- 3/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Slice and Salt the Cucumbers
Cut into 1/4″ rounds, keeping them even (a mandoline is fast — watch your fingers). Toss in a colander with the 3 tbsp kosher salt, set the colander over a bowl, and pile a few cups of ice on top. Let drain 1–2 hours. This is the step that gives you real crunch — the salt pulls out water so the slices stay firm instead of going limp in the brine.
Rinse and Dry
Rinse the cucumbers well under cold water to wash off excess salt, then pat or spin them dry. Drier slices = crisper pickles.
Make the Brine and Cool It
Combine the white vinegar, cider vinegar, both sugars, the 3/4 tbsp sea salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in a pot. Heat over medium-high, stirring just until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Pull it off the heat and let it cool to at least warm, ideally room temp. Cooling the brine before it hits the cucumbers is the other half of keeping them crunchy — hot brine partially cooks the slices and softens them.
Pack the Jars
You’ll get about 3–4 pint jars. If using onions, lay a few slices in the bottom of each jar. Pack cucumbers in tight to the halfway point, add another layer of onion if using, then pack cucumbers to the rim and top with a little more onion.
Fill
Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers, leaving about 1/2″ headspace. Press down with a fork so everything’s submerged. If you run short, top off with a splash of plain white vinegar.
Chill
Cap and refrigerate. Technically edible after a few hours, but they’re much better at 24–48 hours once the flavor melds and the snap sets.
Keeps 4–6 weeks in the fridge – texture is best in the first month.
Refrigerator Bread N’ Butter Pickles
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Kirby cucumbers — not waxed grocery slicers pickling, which go soft
- 3 tbsp kosher salt most rinses off, for drawing out moisture
- 1.5 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 tbsp sea salt for the brine
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seed
- 3/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup yellow onion optional, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Slice cucumbers into 1/4″ rounds using a mandoline or knife.
- Toss sliced cucumbers in a colander with 3 tbsp kosher salt.
- Set colander over a bowl and pile ice on top.
- Let drain 1-2 hours to draw out moisture and ensure crunch.
- Rinse cucumbers thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt.
- Pat or spin dry completely.
- Combine white vinegar, cider vinegar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3/4 tbsp sea salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in a pot.
- Heat over medium-high, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Layer onion slices and cucumbers in pint jars, packing tightly.
- Pour cooled brine over cucumbers, leaving 1/2″ headspace.
- Press down with a fork to submerge everything.
- Top off with white vinegar if needed.
- Cap and refrigerate.
- Pickles are edible after a few hours but taste best after 24-48 hours.
