Bread and Butter Pickles
Enjoy a summer favorite all year long with this blue ribbon Bread and Butter Pickles recipe.
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 17 2026|
Bread and Butter Pickles
Credit: Joseph Keller/styling by Catrine KeltyTwelve-year-old Lydia Larocque and her 14-year-old sister, Lily, of Tunbridge, Vermont, get their inspiration from their family’s farm, where they help raise Blonde d’Aquitaine cattle and produce maple syrup. The girls are very active with 4-H, particularly the working steer program, and submit their homegrown vegetables, poultry, and cattle at many local fairs—but their hometown one, the Tunbridge World’s Fair, is their favorite. Lydia got the recipe for these bread and butter pickles from her aunt, Angie Poulin, and won a blue ribbon in the home canned goods category.
This winning Bread and Butter Pickles recipe first appeared in “Blue-Ribbon Buffet” in the September/October 2026 issue of Yankee.
Yield
About 4 quarts
Ingredients
4 quarts cucumbers (about 6 large cucumbers), halved and sliced
6 medium onions, halved and sliced
½ cup canning salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups white vinegar
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
Combine cucumbers, onions, salt, and garlic and let sit for 1 to 2 hours. Rinse well and set aside to drain.
In a large pot, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric and bring to a boil. Add cucumber mixture and heat through, about 3 minutes—do not return to a boil. Ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace at the top, and seal in a hot-water bath for 10 minutes.
