In article >,
Serene Vannoy > wrote:


> Oh, interesting! I can't really tell the difference between b&b's and
> sweet pickles.

I can't tell the difference either. I read somewhere that B&B were less
sweet, but I can't tell, although I've never done a side by side
comparison (and don't plan to). I suppose an ambitious person could
compare some recipes and see how much sugar went in, but I'm not that
interested. I did a quick Google and here's a cite for "less sweet":

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-bre...er-pickles.htm

Of course, then the next question is, why are they called "bread and
butter" pickles since they have neither as an ingredient? A further
search gave a better answer to both questions:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_br...get_their_name

"According to egullet.com, bread and butter pickles are named such
because during the Depression, they were as regular a part of a diet as
bread and butter. The difference between bread and butter pickles and
sweet pickles is just a few ingredients. Sweet pickles use cinnamon,
cloves, and allspice in a vinegar-sugar brine. Bread and butter pickles
are made with turmeric. mustard, and onion in a vinegar-sugar brine. I
looked for a definitive answer from some kind of pickle-expert, but
wasn't able to find one."

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA