Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles Canning Recipe

Overwhelmed with zucchini? These bread and butter zucchini pickles are a sweet and tangy way to preserve extra summer zucchini in shelf-stable jars. This water bath canning recipe turns sliced zucchini and onions into flavorful pickles for sandwiches, burgers, salads, and snack boards.

Zucchini is one of those summer garden vegetables that seems to go from “just a few” to “what am I going to do with all of this?” almost overnight. Once you have baked the zucchini bread, grilled the zucchini, sautéed it for dinner, and tucked some into the freezer, pickling is another delicious way to preserve the harvest.

These bread and butter zucchini pickles have the familiar sweet and tangy flavor of classic bread and butter cucumber pickles, but they are made with sliced zucchini instead. The zucchini is soaked with salt and ice water, simmered in a seasoned vinegar brine, packed into jars, and processed in a water bath canner for pantry storage.

The texture is a little different from cucumber pickles. Zucchini softens more as it heats, so these pickles are tender rather than crisp-crunchy. But they absorb the sweet, tangy, lightly spiced brine beautifully and make a tasty addition to burgers, sandwiches, salads, and cheese boards.

If you prefer a tart dill-flavored pickle, try my Dill Pickled Zucchini Canning Recipe instead. If you have oversized zucchini to use up, my Sweet Zucchini Relish and Spicy Zucchini Relish with Horseradish are both great options.

About the Ingredients for Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles

This recipe is adapted from the Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles recipe in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. It is made with sliced zucchini, onions, vinegar, sugar, salt, and dried spices, then processed in a water bath canner for shelf-stable storage.

The flavor is sweet, tangy, and lightly spiced with mustard seed, turmeric, celery seed, and peppercorns. The jars taste best after sitting for about 4 weeks, which gives the zucchini time to absorb the brine and develop flavor.

Here is an overview of the ingredients:

Zucchini

Use small, young zucchini for the best texture. Look for firm, fresh zucchini with tender skin, small seeds, and no soft spots, wrinkled skin, insect damage, or blemishes.

The original Ball recipe calls for 14 to 16 small zucchini, or about 5 pounds. Zucchini that is about 2 inches in diameter and around 8 inches long works well because the slices fit neatly into jars and hold their shape better during canning.

Avoid using oversized zucchini for this pickle recipe. Large zucchini often have tough skin, large seeds, and a spongy center that can become too soft after simmering and processing. Save those larger zucchini for relish recipes instead.

You can also use an equal amount of young, tender yellow summer squash or another summer squash variety in this recipe. For a recipe focused on yellow squash or mixed summer squash, see my Pickled Summer Squash Canning Recipe.

For the best quality, harvest the zucchini just before canning. However, if you need to gather zucchini over a period of time to accumulate enough for a full batch, store the unwashed zucchini in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to 3 days. This will help maintain their freshness until you are ready to begin the pickling process.

Onions

This recipe uses 1 cup of sliced onions. You can use yellow, white, or red bulb onions. Pickling mellows the sharpness of onions, so use what you have available.

Peel the onions and slice them thinly so they soften and pickle evenly with the zucchini.

Pickling Salt

Use pickling salt, also called canning salt, for this recipe. Table salt contains iodine and anti-caking agents that can darken pickles and affect the flavor.

The salt is used during the soaking step to help draw excess moisture from the zucchini and onions before they are added to the pickling brine.

After soaking, the vegetables are drained and rinsed well, so much of the salt is washed away before canning. This step helps improve the texture of the finished pickles and allows the zucchini to absorb the sweet and tangy brine more evenly.

Vinegar

Use commercially bottled vinegar labeled 5% acidity. Apple cider vinegar gives the pickles a slightly fruity, mellow flavor, while white vinegar gives them a sharper, cleaner pickle flavor.

Sugar

Sugar gives bread and butter pickles their classic sweet and tangy flavor. It balances the sharpness of the vinegar and helps create the familiar brine you expect from this style of pickle.

You may reduce the sugar if desired, but the pickles will taste less sweet and more tart. For the best classic bread and butter pickle flavor, follow the recipe measurements as written.

Spices

Mustard seed, turmeric powder, celery seed, and peppercorns give these zucchini pickles their classic bread and butter pickle flavor.

The turmeric adds golden color, the mustard seed adds mild warmth, the celery seed adds savory flavor, and the peppercorns add a subtle peppery note.

Safe Recipe Adjustments

For safe canning, follow the recipe measurements for zucchini, onions, vinegar, headspace, and processing time as written.

But, you can make a few simple adjustments without affecting safety:

• Use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, as long as it is commercially bottled and labeled 5% acidity.
• You may also use yellow, white, or red bulb onions, substitute an equal amount of young summer squash for the zucchini, and adjust the dried spices to suit your taste.
• The sugar may be reduced, but the pickles will be less sweet and the flavor will be more tart.
• The salt may also be reduced, but it can affect flavor and texture, since the salted soak helps draw moisture from the zucchini before it goes into the brine.
• The original Ball recipe also includes 2 medium bell peppers, diced, which may be added if desired. I leave them out of this version for a simpler zucchini pickle, but they are part of the tested recipe.

Do not reduce the vinegar, increase the total amount of vegetables beyond the tested recipe, or alter the processing method. For more guidance, see my full guide: How to Safely Modify Pickle and Relish Canning Recipes.

How to Can Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles

If you’re new to water bath canning, it may help to review the process before you begin. You can learn the basics in my step-by-step guide: Water Bath Canning for Beginners.

To make your canning project easier, I created a free Home Canning Checklist you can print and keep nearby while you work. It includes safety reminders, prep steps, and space to track each batch. Grab your copy here:

While the full printable recipe is at the end of this article, the following steps will walk you through the process of preparing and canning bread and butter zucchini pickles.

Step 1: Gather Your Kitchen Equipment

You will need the following:

• Water bath canner with canning rack
• 5 pint sized canning jars
• Lids and bands (new lids for each jar, bands can be reused)
• Canning tools: jar lifter, funnel, and bubble popper
• Canning ladle
• Plus basic kitchen supplies such as a large sauce pot, large bowl, colander, kitchen towels, knife, and a cutting board.

Step 2: Prepare and Soak the Zucchini and Onions

Rinse the zucchini well under clean running water. Trim off and discard a thin slice from both the blossom and stem ends. Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds and add them to a large bowl.

Peel the onions and slice them thinly. Measure 1 cup of onion slices and add them to the bowl with the zucchini.

Sprinkle the pickling salt over the vegetables and toss to combine. Cover the zucchini and onions with crushed ice or ice cubes, then add cold water until the vegetables are submerged.

Let the vegetables soak for at least 2 hours. You can soak them for up to 24 hours for better texture, but if soaking longer than 2 hours, place the bowl in the refrigerator and add more ice as needed while it melts.

Step 3: Prepare Your Canning Equipment

Wash your jars, lids, bands, and canning tools in warm, soapy water. Rinse well, and set aside to air dry.

Place the canning rack in the water bath canner, set the jars upright on the rack, and add enough water to cover the jars. Bring the canner to a simmer, about 180˚F, and keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them.

Step 4: Make the Pickles

Drain the zucchini and onions in a colander and rinse them well with cold water to remove the excess salt.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric, celery seed, and peppercorns in a large saucepan or stockpot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Add the drained and rinsed zucchini and onions to the boiling brine. Stir gently so the vegetables are coated and submerged in the liquid.

Return the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Keep the pickles hot while you fill the jars.

Step 5: Fill the Jars

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use the jar lifter to remove one hot jar from the canner, drain it, and place it on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner so they stay hot.

Place the canning funnel on the jar and pack the hot zucchini and onions loosely into the jar. Ladle hot pickling brine over the vegetables, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Run the bubble popper through the jar to release trapped air bubbles. Make sure the zucchini and onions are covered with brine. Remove any pieces that stick up above the liquid, and adjust the headspace again if needed.

Wipe the rim with a damp towel to remove any residue. Center a lid on the jar, place the band over the lid, and screw it on until fingertip tight.

Use the jar lifter to place the filled jar back into the canner. Repeat with the remaining jars.

If you run short on pickling liquid, don’t top off jars with plain water. See my guide on What to Do If You Don’t Have Enough Pickling Brine.

Step 6: Process in a Boiling Water Bath Canner

Once all the filled jars are in the canner, adjust the water level so the jars are covered by about 2 inches.

Cover the canner and bring the water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Once the water boils vigorously, begin timing and process the jars according to the time listed in the recipe card below, adjusting for your altitude if needed.

Step 7: Cool, Check Seals, and Store

When the processing time is complete, turn off the heat, remove the cover by tilting it away from your face, and let the jars settle in the canner for 5 minutes.

Spread a dry kitchen towel on the counter. Use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and place them on the towel. Keep the jars upright and do not tighten the bands or check the seals yet. Let the jars cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.

After the cooling period, check the seals by pressing the center of each lid. The lid should be firm and should not flex up and down. If a jar did not seal, place it in the refrigerator and use it within a month.

Remove the screw bands and wash the jars to remove any residue. Label and date the jars, then store them in a cool, dark location.

For the best flavor, let the jars sit for about 4 weeks before opening. This gives the zucchini time to absorb the brine and allows the flavors to develop. Once opened, refrigerate the jar and use it within a month.

Ways to Use Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles

Bread and butter zucchini pickles are sweet, tangy, and easy to use in the same ways you would use classic bread and butter cucumber pickles.

Try them:

• Layered on burgers and sandwiches
• Chopped into tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad
• Served with grilled meats
• Added to potato salad or pasta salad
• Tucked onto snack plates or cheese boards
• Chopped and sprinkled over deviled eggs
• Enjoyed straight from the jar as a quick snack

Frequently Asked Questions About Canning Zucchini Pickles

Here are answers to some common questions about safely canning bread and butter zucchini pickles, including ingredient swaps, texture, storage, and ways to adjust the recipe without affecting safety.

A Sweet Way to Preserve Summer Zucchini

When the zucchini harvest is coming in faster than you can cook it, these bread and butter zucchini pickles are a delicious way to tuck some of that summer abundance onto the pantry shelf.

The sweet, tangy brine gives mild zucchini plenty of flavor, and the jars are handy to open later for sandwiches, burgers, salads, and snack boards. Let the pickles sit for a few weeks before opening so the flavors can fully develop, then enjoy a taste of the summer garden long after zucchini season has passed.

More Zucchini and Summer Squash Canning Recipes

If your garden is overflowing with zucchini and summer squash, here are more safe canning recipes to try:

• Dill Pickled Zucchini Canning Recipe: A tart, dill-flavored zucchini pickle for those who prefer savory pickles.
• Sweet Zucchini Relish Canning Recipe: A classic sweet relish and a great way to use larger zucchini.
• Spicy Zucchini Relish with Horseradish: A bold zucchini relish with extra zip.
• Pickled Summer Squash Canning Recipe: A tangy pickled squash recipe for yellow squash and mixed summer squash.
• Sweet Summer Squash Relish Canning Recipe: A sweet relish option made with summer squash.