Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles (Refrigerator Recipe)
Turn garden zucchini into sweet, tangy bread and butter pickles with this easy refrigerator recipe. Crisp, flavorful, and no canning required!
If you grow zucchini, you know how prolific it can be. One day you’re admiring the first little squash forming, and the next you’re swimming in more zucchini than you know what to do with. While baking bread, grilling, or sautéing zucchini are all delicious options, this recipe gives you another tasty way to enjoy and preserve your harvest.
These bread and butter zucchini pickles are a sweet and tangy twist on the classic cucumber version. Because it’s a refrigerator recipe, there’s no canning required, and the zucchini slices retain a lovely crisp-tender bite. The golden brine, flavored with mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and a touch of onion, turns everyday zucchini into a crave-worthy condiment that brightens sandwiches, burgers, salads, or even a simple snack straight from the jar.
This recipe is part of my refrigerator pickles series! Be sure to check out the full guide: Quick Pickling 101 for more ideas, flavor variations, and tips.
About the Ingredients
Bread and butter pickles are a favorite in this household, and making them with zucchini puts a fun twist on the classic. The zucchini soaks up the sweet-and-tangy brine beautifully, and the spices give them that signature bread and butter flavor.
They’re perfect for sandwiches, burgers, or simply munching straight from the jar.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own batch of bread and butter zucchini pickles:
- Zucchini: Choose small to medium zucchini that are firm and free from blemishes. About 2 to 3 medium zucchini will yield 4 cups of thin slices.
- Onion: Adds sweetness and depth. Yellow, red, or sweet onions all work here.
- Salt: Pickling or kosher salt draws out excess moisture from the zucchini and onion to keep the pickles crisp. Avoid iodized table salt, which can cloud the brine.
- Vinegar: Distilled white vinegar (5% acidity) provides the clean, tangy base for that bread and butter pickle flavor.
- Water: Softens the sharpness of the vinegar for a balanced brine.
- Sugar: The sweetness that makes bread and butter pickles stand out.
- Spices: Mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and black peppercorns create the warm, aromatic flavor profile and golden color.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Summer squash: This recipe can be made with any variety of summer squash, including zucchini, yellow straightneck, crookneck, pattypan, or a mix for colorful jars.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds a slightly fruity tang, and red wine vinegar gives a deeper flavor and color.
- Sweetener: Substitute honey or maple syrup for sugar for a natural sweetener option.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a slice of fresh jalapeño for a little heat.
- Swap or omit onions: Sweet Vidalia or Spanish onions change the flavor slightly but are just as tasty. Feel free to skip the onions altogether if you are not a fan of pickled onions.
Tips for Making Zucchini Pickles
- Start with clean jars: Wash your jars and lids with hot soapy water and rinse them thoroughly before filling.
- Salt soak: The 30-minute salting step not only infuses your vegetables with flavor, but it also helps draw out moisture from the zucchini, resulting in a firmer, less watery pickle.
- Cut evenly: Slice the zucchini into uniform rounds so they pickle evenly.
- Pack tightly: Arrange the zucchini and onions snugly in the jars so they stay submerged under the brine.
- Patience pays off: These pickles are tasty after 24 hours, but the flavors develop more after 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
- For extra crunch: Use the freshest zucchini possible, ideally picked the same day you make your pickles.
Steps to Make Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles
You’ll find the exact measurements and full instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a detailed overview of the process:
Step 1: Gather Your Kitchen Equipment
You’ll need:
- Clean quart-sized jar (or two pint jars) with lids
- A large bowl
- A Colander
- Saucepan to make the brine
- Knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
Step 2: Prepare the Vegetables
Wash the zucchini well, trim the ends, and slice into rounds. Thinly slice the onion. Place both into a colander set over a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and toss to coat. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes to draw out excess water.
Step 3: Make the Brine
While the zucchini and onions are soaking, combine vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Step 4: Rinse and Pack the Jars
Rinse the salted zucchini and onions thoroughly under cool running water to remove excess salt. Pat them dry, then pack them snugly into a clean quart jar (or divide between two pint jars). Leave enough headspace at the top of the jar for the brine to cover the vegetables.
Step 5: Add the Brine
Pour the warm brine over the zucchini and onions, making sure the vegetables are fully submerged.
Step 6: Cool and Refrigerate
Cover the jar and let it cool at room temperature for about an hour. Transfer to the refrigerator.
Step 7: Wait and Enjoy
The pickles will be flavorful within 24 hours, but taste best after 2 to 3 days as the flavors deepen. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2 to 3 months.
How to Tell if Pickled Zucchini Has Gone Bad
Refrigerator pickles are best stored in the fridge and enjoyed within 3 months for optimal flavor and texture. While they usually keep well, it’s important to check before eating. If you notice any of the following, it’s time to toss the jar:
- Off smell: A sour, rotten, or yeasty odor is a clear sign the pickles have spoiled.
- Unusual texture: If the zucchini becomes slimy or overly mushy, it’s best to discard it.
- Cloudy or murky brine: A little spice sediment is normal, but if the liquid turns cloudy, thick, or develops a film, that’s a warning sign.
- Mold: Any mold on the surface of the vegetables or inside the jar means the batch should not be eaten.
When in doubt, it’s always safest to throw them away and make a fresh batch.
Ways to Enjoy Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles
These sweet-and-tangy pickles are endlessly versatile and a great way to enjoy extra zucchini from the garden. Here are a few favorite ways to serve them:
- On burgers and sandwiches: Layer slices for a sweet, tangy bite.
- With grilled meats: They pair perfectly with barbecue or roasted chicken.
- In salads: Chop them up and stir into potato salad, pasta salad, or coleslaw.
- On snack boards: Brighten up a pickle or charcuterie platter with their golden color.
- Straight from the jar: Sometimes the best way to enjoy them is as a crunchy snack on their own!
Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles (Refrigerator Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 cups sliced zucchini about 2 to 3 medium zucchini
- 1 small onion thinly sliced (yellow, red, or sweet)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or pickling salt
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar around 5% acidity
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
Prepare the zucchini and onions:
- Wash the zucchini, trim off the ends, and slice into thin rounds. Thinly slice the onion.
- Place both in a colander set over a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss well and let sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
Make the brine:
- While the zucchini and onions are soaking, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Pack the jars:
- Rinse the zucchini and onions well under cool running water and pat dry. Add them to a clean quart jar (or divide between two pint jars).
- Pour the warm brine over the vegetables, making sure they’re completely submerged.
Cool and refrigerate:
- Cover the jar and let it cool to room temperature for about 1 hour before transferring to the refrigerator.
- The pickles will be flavorful in about 24 hours, but taste best after 2 to 3 days. Store in the fridge and use within 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition
Easy, Quick Pickled Zucchini You’ll Make Again and Again
When your garden is overflowing with zucchini, these Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles are a fun and flavorful way to preserve the harvest. The sweet-and-tangy brine, warm spices, and crisp zucchini slices make them irresistible. Whether you’re layering them on a burger, adding them to a snack tray, or sneaking a bite straight from the jar.
If you’re loving this recipe, be sure to try some of the other quick pickle favorites in the series:
- Quick Pickling 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Refrigerator Pickles
- Refrigerator Dill Zucchini Pickles
- Bread and Butter Cucumber Pickles
- Easy Refrigerator Dill Cucumber Pickles
- Refrigerator Dilly Beans
- Easy Refrigerator Pickled Carrots with Dill and Garlic
- Quick Pickled Red Onions
With just a few simple steps, you can keep your fridge stocked with colorful and flavorful pickles to enjoy with your meals.
