Easy Sugar Free Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe (Extra Crunchy!)
Don't settle for soggy, watery low-carb slices. Our sugar free bread and butter pickles recipe uses an ice-shucking trick to guarantee a crisp texture and a sweet deli brine.
Ingredients
- The Crisping Layer
2 lbs fresh Kirby pickling cucumbers (washed and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
1 large sweet Vidalia onion (sliced into thin half-moons)
3 tbsp pure pickling salt (do not use iodized table salt)
4 cups crushed ice
- The Sweet Pickling Brine
1 cup raw apple cider vinegar
½ cup white distilled vinegar
1½ cups granulated allulose sweetener blend
2 tsp whole yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp whole celery seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
Slice off and discard both tips of every cucumber. Use a mandoline or sharp chef's knife to slice the remaining cucumbers into uniform 1/4-inch thick rounds.
Toss the cucumber and onion slices with the pickling salt in a large glass bowl. Pack a dense 2-inch layer of crushed ice completely over the top of the vegetables. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Dump the chilled vegetables into a colander, letting the melted ice liquid drain out. Rinse the slices thoroughly under cold running water to remove surface salt, then pat them dry with a towel.
In a large stainless steel saucepan, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, allulose sweetener, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until clear.
Drop the dried cucumbers and onions into the boiling brine. Stir gently and allow the mixture to return to a brief simmer for exactly 2 minutes until the skin turns olive-drab.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the hot vegetables tightly into clean glass jars. Pour the remaining hot syrup over the top, seal the lids, and allow them to cool on your counter before refrigerating.
Notes
The Sweetener Selection: Never substitute pure erythritol in this recipe. When stored in cold refrigerator conditions, erythritol will crystallize, leaving gritty white shards inside your jars. Slice Off the Tips: Always discard the ends of your cucumbers before pickling. The blossom end contains active enzymes that break down pectin, which will make your entire batch soft and mushy. Pickling Salt is Mandatory: Avoid using standard table salt for this recipe. Table salt contains added iodine and anti-caking compounds that will turn your clear pickle brine cloudy and gray. The 48-Hour Rest: While you can sample these pickles immediately, the flavor profile improves dramatically after sitting sealed in the refrigerator for 2 full days to let the spices marry. Keep Them Chilled: Because this is an easy refrigerator method rather than a hot-water bath canning setup, these pickles must live in the fridge. They stay crisp for up to 3 months.