Why do bread and butter pickle recipes call for onions, mustard seed, and celery seed?
I recently made a jar of bread and butter pickles. I understood most of the rationale behind the ingredients and directions in the recipe - the cucumbers are salted to draw out water and break cell walls, then put into a highly saturated acid/sugar solution so that microbes present on the cucumbers would be destroyed by acid and osmotic pressure. Turmeric is not essential to preserving the pickles, but adds yellow color.
That leaves three ingredients I found in most recipes: onions, mustard seed, and celery seed. Why are these ingredients included in bread and butter pickle recipes? What would happen if they were left out?
Best Answer
Those are the flavorings.
Just like dill pickles have dill in them, those are what give the flavor profile that people expect from bread & butter pickles.
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What makes a bread and butter pickle different?
Dill pickles have one main spice/herb that's used: dill. They're often on the sour side with a strong briny bite. In contrast, bread and butter pickles use a blend of turmeric, clove, celery seed, and red pepper flakes for a rounded-out flavor. None of the spices stand out, but all blend together for a richer taste.Why do they call it bread and butter pickles?
It is said that bread and butter pickles get their name from the depression era meal of thinly sliced pickled between slices of buttered bread.What are the yellow seeds in pickles?
Pickled Mustard Seeds: An easy way to add bold, bright flavor to sandwiches, dressings, and dips. This homemade condiment literally pops with flavor and texture!What is the difference between Yum Yum and bread and butter pickles?
The difference is that Yum Yum Pickles are far sweeter. [1] Home recipes usually call for double the amount of sugar as goes into bread and butter pickles, such as 6 cups of sugar for the Yum Yums, versus 3 cups for the bread and butter. A popular brand in Canada is that made by the company called Bick's\xae.How to Can Bread and Butter Pickles
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