Canning Bread and Butter Pickles

Marie Overton
May 6, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Jun 27

Canning Bread and Butter Pickles is the perfect end to a plentiful garden yield and they make homemade hamburgers that much tastier. I started canning cucumbers into pickles to make use of the plentiful yield from our garden. These have become such a favorite in our house that if I make hamburgers we have to have them. In fact, my oldest son, who has moved out of the house, practically has a standing order for my homemade bread and butter pickles.

Close-up of a cheeseburger on a paper plate, with sesame bun, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and melted cheese.

These are really quite easy to make. The spices make all the difference. This recipe will make 2 quarts of pickles.

Bread and Butter Pickle INGREDIENTS

¼ cup Ball bread and butter pickle mix 1 tsp mustard seed 1 tsp dill seed 3 ½ lbs cucumbers 2 ½ cups vinegar 2 ½ cups sugar

Click here to learn how to harvest your own dill seed.

Start by preparing your boiling water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars with 1-2 inches of water. Place this on the stove on medium heat. Now that your equipment is ready it is time to start the recipe.

Sliced cucumbers fill a food processor bowl on a speckled countertop, with Off and Pulse buttons visible.

Cut about 3 1/2 pounds of cucumbers into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices. Set these to the side for now.

Hand stirring a large pot of pale liquid on a granite counter, with a cucumber and white bowls nearby.

In a deep pot combine 2 1/2 cups of vinegar, 2 1/2 cups sugar, ¼ cup Ball bread and butter pickle mix, 1 tsp mustard seed, and 1 tsp dill seed and bring to a boil.

Hand holding a pot of soaking seeds beside a metal bowl with cucumber slices on a granite countertop.

Stack the cucumber slices in hot, quart jars. Using a jar funnel, pour the hot mixture over the cucumbers leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Clean the rims with a clean cloth to ensure a good seal. Place lids on top and screw rings on until they are finger-tight.

(For quality, American made Superb canning lids and jars follow this link and use the coupon code WP20 to get 20% off your purchase.)

Place the jars in a boiling water canner, covering them with 1-2 inches of water. Process for 15 minutes at sea level. (Adjust the processing time if you are above 1000 feet.)

Chalkboard sign lists water bath times for 1,000-10,000 ft beside jars of preserves on a countertop.

After processing, allow to cool in the water bath with the heat off and the lid removed for 5 minutes.

Five labeled jars with metal lids reading superb, arranged on a brown cloth on a speckled countertop.

Remove jars from the canner and let them cool on a heat resistant surface about 1-2 inches apart so they can cool a little faster. Allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours so that they can get a nice seal. you know they are sealed if the little "button" in the center of the lid is depressed down.