I’ve been making a lot of pickles lately since our garden is giving us lots of cucumbers. So I thought I’d share with you this recipe for bread ‘n butter pickles with a little kick! If you’re a fan of that spicy-sweet combination, then I think you’re really going to like these.
This recipe differs from a traditional bread ‘n butter pickle recipe because of the addition of peppers and some spices that you don’t add to the traditional ones.
To make these pickles, you will need: 25 pickling cucumbers, 6 onions, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper,1 banana pepper, 2 jalapeno peppers, 6 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup pickling and canning salt, 3 cups cider vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons mustard seed, 2 teaspoons celery seed, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons ground turmeric.
Remove the ends of the cucumbers and cut them into 1/4 inch slices. Chop all of the peppers (remove the seeds from the jalapenos!), cut the garlic cloves in half, and slice the onions. Mix them all together in a large bowl and pour 1/2 cup of pickling and canning salt on top. Add enough water to cover everything.
Add ice to the top of the bowl (it’s supposed to make the pickles extra crispy) and let stand for 3 hours.
When you are ready to make your pickles, get out your water bath canner and wash and sterilize at least 10 pint size jars. In a large pot, add the cider vinegar, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil. Rinse and drain your cucumber mixture and add it to the boiling vinegar solution. Remove from the heat just before it returns to a boil so that you don’t cook your cucumbers.
Put your cucumber mixture into warm, pint sized jars, wipe the rims, add the lids, and screw on the bands. Process the pickles in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool for several hours. If you have never canned anything before, you may want to read my instructions in the post Homemade Dill Relish.
For best flavor, don’t eat the pickles for at least 2 weeks, if you can wait that long!
If you’d like a printable version of this recipe, click HERE.
And if you have a lot of cucumbers like me, you may want to make some Traditional Bread ‘n Butter pickles and some Homemade Dill Relish too!
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Joanne says
October 15, 2018 at 12:20 pmThis recipe looks great! I’m a little nervous about using the jalapeño peppers tho. They can be super-hot sometimes!
Jane Windham says
October 15, 2018 at 7:55 pmIf you remove the inner membrane and the seeds, they will not be as hot.
Thandi says
February 21, 2018 at 5:15 amHi Jane thank you for pickles recipe will be making my own as well God bless Thandi South Africa
Melissa says
September 21, 2017 at 9:51 pmCan I make these with just the banana peppers? I have a sensitivity to jalapenos.
Lisa says
September 6, 2017 at 7:28 amMy husband and I did a batch of these Zesty pickles last year and they didn’t even make it past the first 3 months in our pantry!! So this year we have canned 36 pints. We love to share them with family and friends and they have all been asking for them this year. One of the best recipes in our arsenal! Thank you for sharing!
Laura says
September 5, 2015 at 11:44 amJane, Do you think this would taste good without the sugar? I have a TON of cucumbers to can but can not find dill around here anywhere. So dill pickles are out. But my family doesn’t like sweet pickles. They do love spicy though. I’m having a heck of a time finding a recipe that doesn’t include dill but also isn’t sweet. Thank you!
Melissa says
July 30, 2015 at 11:51 amHello,
This is my first year growing pickling cucumbers and canning pickles. Can anyone please tell me how many pounds of cucumbers I should use for this recipe?
Thank you!
Jane Windham says
July 30, 2015 at 1:00 pmMelissa, I’m so sorry that I cannot tell you how many pounds of cucumbers I used. Since we grow them, I just usually start slicing my cucumbers until I have a large colander full! Good luck with your pickling!
Sola says
July 29, 2015 at 1:37 pmThanks so much for the recipe!! Just finished making 14 jars. I also “taste tested” a few…..the jars will not remain unopened for two weeks, that’s impossible!
Carole Gartman says
June 21, 2015 at 9:34 amI made these pickles a couple of days ago with cucumbers from my garden. I was looking for a recipe with just the right balance of sweet and spicy and found it with your Zesty Bread ‘n Butter Pickles. They are so beautiful to look at with the red, yellow and green peppers and they are delicious, too! I opened a jar last night when some neighbors came over for dinner and they were a huge hit. Thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Jane Windham says
June 21, 2015 at 10:37 pmCarole, thanks for taking the time to come back to the blog and leaving your feedback about the recipe. I’m delighted that you and your neighbors enjoyed the pickles!
Kathy says
October 7, 2014 at 1:55 pmAbout how many pounds of cucumbers per batch?
Kathy says
June 25, 2014 at 8:52 amJust made a batch. I left out the red, green & banana peppers ( we’re not fond of them), but otherwise followed recipe. They are great! Thanks
Shirley@Housepitality Designs says
July 1, 2013 at 8:37 pmOh my goodness Jane…they look spectacular…now if my hubby was at your house, there would not be a bread and butter pickle jar left as we would have secretly moved them into our car!!…I have to buy him a jar of those (from the grocery store) every week!!!…The recipe sounds amazing!
Brandi says
June 30, 2013 at 11:18 amYum, homemade pickles sound like the perfect summer snack. I’ve never tried making my own, I bet they taste so much better than the stuff we buy in the stores. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Pat Peele says
June 30, 2013 at 9:04 amHow long are the pickles you used? This looks really good! Thanks for the recipes.
Tammy Sandbothe says
September 6, 2016 at 11:40 pmHow long do these pickles last and do they need to be refrigerated after put in jars?
Mary says
June 30, 2013 at 6:10 amYour pickles look wonderful Jane and would be the perfect addition to a July 4th celebration! Love the sweet & spicy combo! I’m a big fan of Ball jars, but never canned!