Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Tested source
This page follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation recipe for Bread-and-Butter Pickles. Keep the tested ingredients, preparation sequence, jar sizes, headspace, and altitude-adjusted processing schedule.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare: Set up the boiling-water canner and required jars.
- Prepare ingredients: Complete the tested refrigerated ice treatment and drain the vegetables before heating.
- Cook: Complete the tested heating, soaking, or chilling steps in order.
- Fill: Pack as directed and leave 1/2-inch headspace.
- Process: Use the altitude schedule below.
- Cool: Leave jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- Pint or quart jars, lids, and bands
- Large nonreactive saucepan
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Canning funnel and jar lifter
- Bubble remover or headspace tool
- Clean damp cloth and timer
Visual method guide
- Prepare jars and canner.
- Prepare and measure ingredients exactly.
- Complete every tested preparation step.
- Pack and leave 1/2-inch headspace.
- Process for your elevation.
- Cool and verify seals.
Safety essentials
- Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and preserve the exact ingredient proportions.
- Do not dilute the vinegar, skip the refrigerated ice treatment, change tested proportions, or use jars larger than quarts.
- Use only pint or quart jars and leave 1/2-inch headspace.
- Apply the full altitude adjustment.
- Refrigerate any jar that does not seal.
About this recipe
This tested NCHFP recipe preserves classic bread-and-butter cucumber pickles with an acidified formula and boiling-water processing. The expected yield is about 8 pint jars.
Before you begin
Complete the tested refrigerated ice treatment and drain the vegetables before heating. Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and preserve the exact ingredient proportions. Prepare all equipment before the final fill.
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Bread-and-Butter Pickles — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 6 lb pickling cucumbers 4 to 5 inches
- 8 cups onions thinly sliced; about 3 lb
- 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
- 4 cups vinegar 5% acidity
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp mustard seed
- 1 1/2 tbsp celery seed
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner
- Canning jars About eight pint jars
Directions
- Wash cucumbers; remove and discard 1/16 inch from each blossom end. Cut into 3/16-inch slices. Combine with onions and salt, cover with 2 inches of ice, refrigerate 3 to 4 hours, and drain well.
- Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric in a large pot. Boil 10 minutes.
- Add drained cucumbers and onions and slowly reheat to boiling.
- Fill hot pint or quart jars with pickles and syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Process pints or quarts for 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 20 minutes above 6,000 ft. Cool 12 to 24 hours and check seals.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve chilled with sandwiches, burgers, barbecue, or picnic meals.
Frequently asked questions
Can I dilute the vinegar?
No. Keep the tested acid strength and proportions.
Can I skip a preparation step?
No. Complete every tested soaking, chilling, heating, and packing step.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate it promptly or reprocess within 24 hours with a new lid and the full tested process.
Recipe context
Do not combine this record with another preservation formula.
Troubleshooting
Drain the chilled vegetables as directed before heating them in the pickling solution. Refrigerate any unsealed jar promptly or reprocess within 24 hours using a new lid and the full tested process.
Source & provenance
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
12–25 lb of Pickling cucumbers per person per year
The source-cited calculator below can convert your pantry goal into planting plug (2 seeds) estimates where compatible yield data exists.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.