Homegrown to Homemade: Jayden's Bread-and-Butter Pickle Making Journey

What a heartwarming journey—from planting cucumbers to harvesting and transforming them into delicious bread-and-butter pickles alongside Jayden! Here’s a fun, engaging way to celebrate that full-cycle learning experience and preserve the memory (and the pickles!).

From First Sprouts to Sweet Crunch

Late April brought more than spring sunshine—it brought hope, curiosity, and a brand-new garden. With Jayden by my side, we planted tiny cucumber transplants into the soil, nestled among cantaloupe, watermelon, okra, fragrant dill, cilantro, and cheerful marigolds and zinnias that flitted with buzzing pollinators. The air was full of excitement!

Over the next two-and-a-half months, we watered, weeded, and cheered our plants on as they grew. Jayden's eyes lit up with the first time a cucumber peeked through the vines. One became two, then a handful… until suddenly, we had more cucumbers than we could eat.

So we hatched a plan: turn our garden glory into something delicious and lasting—bread-and-butter pickles.

Jars Filled with Flavor (and a Little Bit of Love)

That’s when the magic moved from the garden to the kitchen. We prepared the cucumbers, slicing them into rounds, adding onions & red bell peppers, and finally adding salt to remove any moisture before rinsing & filling our jars. We made a brine—a sweet and tangy mix of vinegar, sugar, and spices—and let its warm aroma fill the room. Finally, we packed our jars, layering cucumbers, onions, & red bell peppers before pouring the golden brine over them.

The Taste of Summer in a Jar

After just 24 hours in the refrigerator, our jars of bread-and-butter pickles were ready. The moment we popped one open and took that first crunchy bite, we knew all the planting, tending, and preparing had been worth it. Sweet, tangy, crisp, and full of summer flavor—they were absolutely delicious.

It’s amazing to think that only a couple of months ago, these pickles were tiny transplants in the soil. Now they’re tucked neatly into jars, ready to be shared around the table. More than just a treat, they’re a reminder of time spent together, the joy of a first garden, and the sweetness of watching something grow from seed to snack.

With gratitude to Jenn Segal at Once Upon a Chef for the original recipe.

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/bread-and-butter-pickles.html