Yes and pickling cucumbers are actually a great choice for this recipe! They tend to have thinner skins, fewer seeds, and a firmer flesh than regular slicing cucumbers, which means they stay crunchier longer in the brine. If you are using pickling cucumbers you can slice them the same way as regular cucumbers. Either variety works beautifully in this recipe so use whatever you have on hand or whatever is growing in your garden.

Yes, starting with a clean sterilized jar is important for food safety and for keeping your pickles fresh as long as possible. The easiest way to sterilize your jar is to run it through the dishwasher on the hot dry cycle right before you use it. You can also wash it thoroughly with hot soapy water and let it air dry completely. Since these are refrigerator pickles and not shelf stable canned pickles the sterilization process does not need to be as rigorous as traditional canning, but a clean jar makes a big difference.

Absolutely! The sweet and tangy brine in this recipe works beautifully with other vegetables too. Cauliflower florets, sliced bell peppers, sliced jalapeños, and green beans are all great options. You can even do a mix of cucumbers and another vegetable in the same jar. If you love pickled cauliflower specifically I also have a dedicated refrigerator pickled cauliflower recipe on the blog that you might enjoy.

A few things can cause soft refrigerator pickles. The most common reason is that the cucumbers sat in the brine too long before being refrigerated. It is important to let the jar cool completely on the counter before putting the lid on and moving it to the fridge, but do not leave it out longer than necessary. Using very fresh cucumbers also makes a big difference in crunch. Older cucumbers that have been sitting in the refrigerator for a while tend to produce softer pickles. Slicing the cucumbers thicker can also help them hold their texture better in the brine.

Yes you can reduce the sugar to suit your taste preferences. Keep in mind that the sugar is what balances the tartness of the vinegar and gives bread and butter pickles their signature sweet and tangy flavor. If you reduce the sugar too much they will taste more like a dill style pickle than a traditional bread and butter pickle. Start by reducing the sugar by a couple of tablespoons and taste the brine before pouring it over the cucumbers to find the right balance for you.

Absolutely! This recipe scales up very easily. Simply double or triple all of the ingredients to make two or three half gallon jars at once. Making a few jars at the end of summer when cucumbers are at their peak is a great way to stock your fridge with homemade pickles to enjoy well into the fall months. The flavor only gets better the longer they sit in the brine.