I spotted this recipe in an old church cookbook from 1974 and had to give it a try: Million dollar pickles. With that name, they must be excellent, right? (Spoiler alert: They are, and you should definitely give them a try!)<\/p>\n I am a sucker for old church cookbooks. I pick them up at garage sales and thrift shops and vow to try some of the old recipes I find in them.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sometimes I make the recipes. Sometimes I just read them.<\/p>\n My latest church cookbook find was Potpourri of Recipes<\/em>, published by Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brainerd, Minnesota, in 1974.<\/p>\n The first recipe that caught my eye was million dollar pickles<\/em>, submitted by Mable Young. I made a few adjustments and am sharing it here today. This is an old, vintage recipe that is definitely worth making today.<\/p>\n Million dollar pickles are a sweet, tangy cousin of the classic bread-and-butter pickle; thin-sliced cucumbers cured in a golden, spiced brine of sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, turmeric, and pickling spices. The name supposedly comes from the idea that they taste like a million bucks, and one bite and you won\u2019t argue. Some trace the name back to the Depression era, when home canners felt a jar was worth its weight in gold; a fitting story for a recipe found tucked inside a decades-old church cookbook. They\u2019re a staple in Amish and country kitchens, often studded with slivers of onion and red bell pepper for extra color and crunch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Here are the food ingredients you\u2019ll need to make homemade million dollar pickles:<\/p>\n This sweet pickle recipe isn\u2019t difficult to make \u2013 especially if you\u2019re familiar with canning.<\/p>\n As always, scroll down for detailed home canning recipe. But here\u2019s the process, in a nutshell:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll cut the cucumbers into thin slices (about 1\/4\u2033 thick). The onions will be sliced thinner (about 1\/8\u2033 thick) and the red bell peppers a little bit thicker.<\/p>\n Place vegetables in a non-reactive bowl or crock, cover, and soak in salt water overnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n This step matters<\/em> \u2013 it draws out excess moisture, which is what keeps your pickles crunchy instead of soft<\/p>\n After the vegetables have soaked in salt water, drain them and set aside.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Place vinegars, sugar, and spices in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.<\/p>\n Add the prepared vegetables to the sweet pickle brine and cook for 20 minutes.<\/p>\n Add pickles to hot sterilized jars, add brine and leave 1\/2\u2033 headspace. Cover with lids, secure with a canning jar lid. Place in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Here\u2019s a helpful YouTube video that explains the water bath canning process<\/a>.<\/p>\n Remove pickles from hot water using a canning jar lifter, place on counter and let rest for 24 hours. Store in pantry until open, then store in fridge.<\/p>\n These million dollar pickles are the perfect accompaniment for salty meats (like these BBQ country-style ribs<\/a>), hamburgers, sloppy joes<\/a>, and pulled pork sandwiches.<\/p>\n They taste great layered on a simple ham or tuna fish sandwich. <\/p>\n You can also chop them up and use as a sweet pickle relish or to add flavor to chicken salad or ham salad<\/a>. And don\u2019t forget to bring a jar to your next potluck<\/a>! These also make a great gift around the holidays.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A: Properly sealed and stored in a cool, dark spot, these will keep for about a year in the pantry, making them a great pantry staple that you can pull out deep into the winter months. Once you open a jar, move it to the fridge and eat within a few weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A: You don\u2019t need a fancy canner. Any large, deep pot works, as long as it\u2019s tall enough to fully submerge the jars with a couple inches of water to spare. A canning rack or even a folded kitchen towel on the bottom helps keep jars from clanking directly against the pot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A: I don\u2019t recommend it for canning. Once brine has been used, it\u2019s diluted and no longer at the right acidity to safely preserve a new batch. Save leftover brine for a quick refrigerator pickle instead. Cucumber slices, hard-boiled eggs, or even red onion all take well to a soak in leftover brine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A: Yes. Skip the water bath step entirely, pack the vegetables and hot brine into a jar, let it cool, and refrigerate. Skipping the canning process means these won\u2019t be shelf-stable, so keep them in the fridge and eat within a couple of weeks<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Million-dollar-pickles-recipe-640x854.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Million](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Million-dollar-pickles-recipe-church-cookbook-640x427.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nWhat Are Million Dollar Pickles?<\/h2>\n
What You\u2019ll Need<\/h2>\n
\n
The Process: A Simple Canning Recipe<\/h2>\n
1: Prep Vegetables<\/h3>\n
2: Soak Overnight<\/h3>\n
![\"Soak](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/How-to-make-million-dollar-pickles-640x1070.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n3: Drain<\/h3>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/How-to-make-million-dollar-pickles-2-640x947.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n4: Make Brine<\/h3>\n
5: Cook Pickles<\/h3>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/How-to-make-million-dollar-pickles-4-640x960.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n6: Can The Pickles<\/h3>\n
7: Rest<\/h3>\n
![\"Million](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Million-dollar-pickles-recipe-2-640x960.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nServing Suggestions<\/h2>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Q: How long do canned million dollar pickles last in the pantry?<\/h3>\n
Q: Do I need a canner, or does a regular pot work for the water bath?<\/h3>\n
Q: Can I reuse pickling brine?<\/h3>\n
Q: Can this recipe be made as a quick refrigerator pickle instead of canned?<\/h3>\n
![\"Homemade](\"https:\/\/www.cheaprecipeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dill-freezer-pickles-recipe-640x1015.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIngredients<\/h2>\n
\n
Instructions<\/h2>\n
\n