Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles

Zucchini pickles are a sweet and tangy way to put up a summer squash glut, turning a counter full of overgrown zucchini into crisp, bread-and-butter-style pickles you can enjoy long after the garden has wound down. They come together as quick refrigerator pickles or as a water bath canning recipe for the pantry shelf, so you can make as few or as many as your harvest demands.

If you’ve ever grown zucchini, you know the late summer feeling of watching the pile grow faster than you can cook it, and these pickles give that surplus somewhere genuinely good to go.

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This recipe follows the classic bread and butter pickle method, using the same sweet and sour brine of vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric that you’d use for Classic Bread and Butter Pickles made with cucumbers. Zucchini takes to that brine readily, and its mild flavor when raw soaks up the spices nicely.

The step that makes the difference here is a two-hour soak in salt water before the zucchini ever meets the brine, which draws out moisture and keeps the slices crisp through canning. Zucchini holds its texture surprisingly well once pickled, often better than cucumbers do.

If you’re new to canning, it’s worth reading through water bath canning for beginners before you start. Of course, you can always make this recipe as a quick fridge pickle and skip the canner entirely.

Notes from My Kitchen

I started pickling zucchini the year our garden gave us far more squash than the three of us could eat fresh, and I needed something to do with the pile that kept reappearing on the counter. These bread-and-butter style pickles held their crunch much better than I expected from a soft summer squash, and they’ve kept a regular spot in our canning rotation ever since.

A batch makes around 8 to 9 pints, which sounds like a lot until you see how quickly they disappear once people try them tucked into a sandwich or eaten straight from the jar with a fork. I usually keep a jar or two in the fridge for snacking and can the rest for winter, and they’ve won over more than one person who swore they didn’t care for zucchini. If you grow your own squash, this is a satisfying way to put a real dent in the harvest.

Ingredients for Zucchini Pickles

This is a short, classic ingredient list, with a sweet and tangy brine and the familiar bread and butter pickle spices doing most of the flavoring.

• Zucchini: the star of the recipe. Choose small, young squash, sliced into 1/8 to 1/4 inch rounds. Larger, mature zucchini is spongy and won’t crisp up, and it can run a little bitter. Try to pick zucchini that’s a similar size so the slices pickle evenly.
• Onions: I like a white onion here for crunch and a little heat that mellows once it’s pickled. Slice the onion a touch thinner than the zucchini so it reads as an accent rather than taking over.
• Canning or pickling salt: used for the pre-soak that draws moisture out of the zucchini and keeps it crisp. Don’t use iodized or table salt, since the anti-caking additives cloud the brine and can give off flavors over time.
• White vinegar (5%): provides the acidity that makes these pickles safe for water bath canning, along with that clean, bright tang. Apple cider vinegar at 5% acidity also works and gives a warmer flavor.
• Sugar: balances the vinegar into the sweet and sour flavor that makes a bread and butter pickle.
• Mustard seed: a classic bread and butter spice that adds gentle warmth.
• Celery seed: brings that familiar deli pickle background note.
• Ground turmeric: adds a warm, earthy note and is responsible for the pickle’s sunny yellow color (a little goes a long way, and it will stain, so work carefully).

For safe canning, keep the vinegar at 5% acidity and don’t reduce the vinegar or add extra water. The brine needs to stay acidic enough to preserve the pickles, and in this recipe the 2 cups of sugar are going into 4 cups of vinegar, so it stays plenty acidic. White and cider vinegar can be swapped freely as long as both are 5%.

The sugar is there for flavor rather than safety, so you can nudge it up or down to taste, though a sweeter brine is part of what makes these bread and butter style. If you’d like extra firm slices, you can add calcium chloride (Pickle Crisp) to the jars, but the salt soak on its own does a good job of keeping them crunchy.

How to Make Zucchini Pickles

You’ll salt and soak the vegetables to draw out moisture, make a quick spiced brine, simmer everything briefly, then pack hot jars and process in a boiling water canner.

Slicing and salting the vegetables

Slice the zucchini into 1/8 to 1/4 inch rounds and the onions a little thinner, then combine them in a large bowl. You’re aiming for about 16 cups of sliced zucchini, and if your squash are small, count on roughly one zucchini per cup.

Sprinkle the vegetables with the canning salt, cover with about an inch of water, and give everything a swish. Let the bowl stand for 2 hours, then drain thoroughly. This step is what keeps the zucchini crisp and softens the bite of the raw onion, so it’s worth the wait.

Making the brine

In a large pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. Bring it to a boil, stirring so the sugar dissolves fully and the spices distribute through the brine.

Simmering the vegetables

Add the drained zucchini and onion to the boiling brine, being careful not to splash (both for safety and to keep the turmeric off your counters and clothes). Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. At this point the pickles are ready to be canned or packed into jars for the fridge.

Filling the jars

Working quickly, pack the hot vegetables into hot jars and cover with the hot brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Run a bubble remover or plastic utensil around the inside of each jar to release trapped air, then add a little more brine if needed to keep the headspace right. Wipe the rims, apply the lids, and screw on the bands until fingertip tight.

Canning Zucchini Pickles

These can be made as quick refrigerator pickles or water bath canned for the pantry. For fridge pickles, pack the hot vegetables and brine into clean jars, let them cool, and store them in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for a few weeks. They soften a little as they sit, but they stay good for snacking.

To can them, prepare a water bath canner while the brine comes up to a boil, and keep 8 to 9 pint jars hot until you’re ready to fill. Once the jars are packed with hot vegetables and topped with hot brine, place the lids on and process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see below).

When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes before removing them, which helps prevent siphoning or liquid loss as the jars come out of the canner. Lift the jars onto a towel-lined surface, leaving space between them, and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.

Check each lid once the jars are at room temperature. A sealed lid is flat or slightly concave and doesn’t flex when pressed. Remove the bands for storage, and refrigerate any jars that didn’t seal, eating those within a couple of weeks. For the best flavor, give canned jars a few days to rest before opening so the brine and spices settle into the slices.

Serving Ideas

We eat these anywhere we’d usually reach for cucumber pickles, but they’re especially good tucked into sandwiches with cured meat and a sharp cheese. They also hold their own on a charcuterie board alongside pickled eggs and a spoonful of crabapple jelly.

Chopped fine, they add crunch and tang to tuna salad, egg salad, or potato salad, and they’re a nice bright bite next to burgers or anything rich off the grill. In my opinion, though, they’re hard to beat eaten straight from the jar with a fork.

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5 from 4 votes

Servings: 64 servings, Makes about 8 to 9 pints

Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles Recipe

By Ashley Adamant

Bread and butter zucchini pickles are a sweet and zesty way to pickle zucchini. This can be made as a refrigerator pickle or processed in a water bath canner.

Prep: 2 hours hrs

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Canning Time (Optional): 10 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 16 fresh zucchini, sliced
• ▢ 4 cups onions, thinly sliced
• ▢ 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
• ▢ 4 cups white vinegar 5%
• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 4 Tbsp. mustard seed
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. celery seed
• ▢ 2 tsp. ground turmeric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Prepare a hot water bath canner, jars and two-piece lids for canning (optional, if canning).
• Cover the zucchini and onion slices with 1 inch of water and the pickling or canning salt. Let stand 2 hours before draining thoroughly.
• Combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and ground turmeric in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, add the sliced zucchini and onion, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Working quickly, fill the prepared, hot jars with the vegetable mixture and pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
• Remove air bubbles using a wooden chopstick or plastic utensil and adjust headspace if needed.
• Adjust lids to fingertip tight and process for 10 minutes (see notes below if canning at higher altitudes).
• When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the processed jars sit in the hot water for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a clean surface.
• Give the canned zucchini pickles 12 to 24 hours to come to room temperature.
• Check the seals on each jar (they should be slightly concave), remove the rings (save for the next use), and store in a cool, dry place. If any of the jars haven't sealed properly, store in the fridge and enjoy within a couple of weeks.

Notes

Use only vinegar labeled 5% acidity, and don’t reduce the vinegar or add extra water. The vinegar is what makes these pickles safe to can, so the brine needs to stay acidic.

The sugar is for flavor rather than safety, so you can adjust it up or down to taste. A sweeter brine is part of what makes these bread and butter style.

Choosing and Slicing the Zucchini

Choose small, young zucchini. Large, mature squash is spongy, won’t crisp up, and can run bitter. Slice the rounds 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Thicker slices stay softer and may need a longer process, so keep them on the thinner side.

Keeping Them Crisp

Don’t skip the 2 hour salt soak. It draws moisture out of the zucchini so the slices stay crisp through canning instead of going soft, and it tames the raw bite of the onion. Drain thoroughly before adding the vegetables to the brine. For extra firm slices, you can add 1/8 teaspoon calcium chloride (Pickle Crisp) to each pint jar, though the salt soak alone does a good job.

Jar Sizes

Pint jars are recommended for this recipe. Half pint jars also work and use the same processing times.

Refrigerator Pickles

To skip canning, pack the hot vegetables and brine into clean jars, let them cool, and store them in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for a few weeks and soften a little over time, so this is a good option for a small amount of zucchini.

For the Best Flavor

Let canned jars rest a few days before opening so the brine and spices settle into the slices. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

Altitude Adjustments

Canning times are the same for half pints, pints and quarts.

• Under 1,000 feet: 10 minutes
• 1,001 to 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
• Above 6,000 feet: 20 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 46kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 890mg, Potassium: 160mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 99IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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