Quick Pickled Picnic Vegetables
Pickles add flavour that no other ingredient can replace. The one that makes your mouth water before you’ve begun to taste it. The one that makes your cheeks and jaw tense up just for a second.... like when you suck on a lemon!If there’s a vegetable (or fruit for that matter) that’s lurking in the fridge... lost and lonely... give it the pickling treatment my foodie friends!
Equipment
- Mandoline or Y peeler
- Jars with good fitting lids or clip preserving jars
- Good solid based saucepan (not aluminium)
- Slatted spoon
Ingredients
For The Pickling Liquor
- 240 ml vinegar cider apple, white wine, balsamic or a mixture of all
- 240 ml water
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar unrefined / golden works well
- 1 tbsp Bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons of mixed mustard / coriander / fennel seeds / black peppercorns / mixed peppercorns / cloves or what ever you have
- 1 Pinch of chilli flakes - if you like it hot and spicy
The Vegetables And Jars
- Thinly sliced vegetables such as raw beetroot carrot, pumpkin, butternut, onion, courgette, radish, cucumber or even small florets of cauliflower - use a Y peeler or mandoline for slicing nice and thin
- Clean clip lid preserving jars Sizes depending on how you want to serve your pickles
Instructions
- Pack the jars with your chosen vegetables, leaving a cm or two gap at the top.
- I like to layer mine... for colour and flavour.
- Add seeds and bayleaf. There's no rules here...you can add what you like to taste.
- Bring the liquid to the boil and turn off... stir to ensure salt and sugar are dissolved. You'll probably want to have a window at this stage! This quite a powerful potion!
- Pour the liquid over the veggies and close the lid while hot.
- You can turn over the jars to create a vacuum so it stores better.
- Leave to cool completely and allow to pickle for at least a couple of days. Keep the jars in the fridge.
- Serve with my Vegan Faux Gras Pâté or Focaccia (see **notes) with a tasty vegan cheese
Notes
***If you fancy giving these punchy pickles the perfect partner in crime... try them with my deliciously tasty and surprisingly light Vegan Faux Gras Pâté ... and if you don't fancy a good old reliable baguette.. how about some toasted slices of No Knead Focaccia for the full deal!
***Use my handy guide to slicing and prepping vegetables with a mandoline or Y peeler to get your vegetables finely sliced or shredded ready for pickling.
