FOOD NEWS
What's The Difference Between Sweet Pickles And Bread And Butter?
BY PEGGY AOKI
Bread and butter pickles are one of the most well-known varieties of sweet pickles. However, not every sweet pickle can be called bread and butter.
Sweet pickles encompass a variety of pickles that are brined with sugar and spices from cinnamon and cloves to chilies, peppercorns, coriander, or mustard seed.
Thus, while sweet pickles are sweeter than traditional pickles, they’re not necessarily saccharine, with a sweet, tart balance that cuts through fatty meats and fried foods.
This is true especially of bread and butter pickles, which balance sweet and tart with seasonings like onion, bell pepper, mustard, celery, and coriander for a layered flavor.
Despite the name, bread and butter pickles contain no bread or butter. Rather the name comes from the Depression era when families bartered homemade pickles for bread and butter.
Bread and butter pickles have a tarter flavor than other sweet pickles, with more prominent savory flavors to balance the sugary brine.