The difference in pickles?
 

I've been doing some canning this year. We've an abundance of cucumbers. My question is whats the difference between sweet pickles and bread and butter pickles? I don't like either one,too sweet for me, but it seems everyone else does. I just made my first batch of bread and butter pickles last week. Looking around the internet for recipes and they seem to be almost the same recipe. Maybe one of you old timers that has canned for years can fill me in on the difference?

Thanks!

Usually it is the spices in the recipe. My Bread and Butter recipe has mustard seed and turmeric and my sweet mixed pickle recipe has pickling spices tied into a cheesecloth and removed before adding the brine to the jars.

While sweet, I don't find the B+Bs to be quite so sweet, and that's probably the effect of the different spices.
My recipes are slightly different process from cucumber thru to pickle.

Also, traditionally, B+Bs are sliced thin whereas sweets are thicker pieces.


Oh dear ... does this make GingerK and I, old timers? eeeeeek!!!!!!!!!!

When I said old timers I meant to canning, not age!...ooops! My bad!

Hey ... I was just kidding!!!!!! :D:D


As I got some pickles out for lunch today, I thought of another difference ... my B+Bs have some sliced onions and peppers added to the mix.

My husband likes green tomato pickles.

If you like a little more 'kick', try bread and butter jalapenos. My bunch doesn't care for the pickles, but LOVE the jalapeno version. DM and I used to make a lot of Kosher dill pickles, but I don't try a big garden any more. Have fun with your cukes!

Do you slice them or leave them whole? Leave the seeds in? We pickled whole jalapenos last year but not with the B&B mixture. Ross loves "HOT" Pickles so I put hot pepper shake in the last batch of B&B pickles.

Yes, I admit that I am ummm......older....than some of you. I remember helping my mother can and freeze and pickle our garden produce back in the last century :eek:

But you are right, B&B are thinly sliced cuic and onion. And I find they can get over cooked very easily and then lose their crispness. My sweet pickles are a mixture of chunks of cuic, cauli, baby carrots, pearl onions and even celery (only tried that once.)

I like 'warmer' pickles and my dill pickle recipe calls for a tbsp. of pickling spice in each jar but I also always add an extra piece of dried chili pepper. And I let them sit at least 3 months. They definitely have a kick!!

I do enjoy homemade pickles, but this year am going to do a large jar of refrigerator pickles and that will be it. I do enjoy the aromas from pickling, nothing quite like it.