This is an easy homemade giardiniera, an Italian condiment made with pickled cauliflower, carrots, celery, and bell peppers. You’ll want to put everything on – sandwiches, salads, cheese boards and even pizza.
I’m far from being a professional canner, but I love picking some precious veggies in the summer so I can enjoy delicious preserves for a few months afterwards. This homemade giardiniera tastes so wonderful and can be used as a bright condiment on homemade pizza, sandwiches and salads. They’re also a great addition to cheeseboards.
My version is spicier and sweeter than most store-bought ones I’ve had. Open a jar and I doubt it will make it through the week – every time I open the fridge I grab a piece or two!
What is Giardiniera?
Giardiniera means “gardener” in Italian. As you might imagine, it’s essentially a garden in a jar – you can use a wide variety of veggies. I like to use cauliflower, carrots, celery and bell peppers.
The pickling liquid used to make Giardiniera can take many forms. This recipe uses a mixture of red pepper flakes, jalapeños, sugar, and salt so it’s spicy and sweet. Some versions contain oil, but I prefer to drizzle oil into the jars or over the veggies after canning and after opening the jars to eat.
Best vegetables for Giardiniera
Any hearty vegetable can be made into Giardiniera. I like cauliflower as a good base as it stays crispy and doesn’t shrink a lot when pickled. That being said, any mix of peppers, cabbage, and even olives will work well.
Rinse and cut your veggies into small pieces – I recommend a specific size for each one on the ingredient list. You don’t want big chunks. You can chop the veggies finer – you may only get 4 pints instead of 6 pints as more veggies fit in each jar.
More pickles we love
- bread and pickles
- Pickled watermelon peels
- Pickled okra
- Quick pickled radishes
- Pickled turnips
Homemade Giardiniera
Kosher salt can be used as a substitute for pickling salt. Regular table salt contains additives that turn the vegetables dark and muddy to the color of the brine.
I recommend weighing the vegetables for the correct ratio of vegetables to brine.
For those living at high altitude, your cooking time is around 40 minutes.
ingredients
-
4 cups distilled white wine vinegar
-
2 cups sugar
-
2 cups water
-
1 tablespoon pickling Salt (see recipe note)
-
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
-
1 teaspoon celery seed
-
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
-
6 dried or fresh bay leaves
-
6 cloves garlichalved
-
18 black peppercorns
-
1 medium cauliflower (20 ounces), cut into bite-sized florets
-
3 medium carrots (10 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4 inch coins or crescents
-
2 medium Red pepper (10 ounces), cored and cut into 1×1/4-inch pieces
-
4 celery (6 ounces), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
-
4 jalapenos (3 ounces), cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
special equipment
-
6
Pint mason jars
method
-
Heat glasses:
If you want to keep the Giardiniera out of the fridge for a long time, you need to heat your jars in a hot water bath after filling them. This recipe makes 6 pint glasses.
Simple tip!
Since the jars are processed in the water bath for more than 10 minutes, it is not necessary to first sterilize the jars before filling. Just make sure the glasses are clean. Skip the double boiler if you plan on chilling the cucumbers all the time.
To heat the jars for canning, place the jars in a large canning pot. Fill the saucepan with warm water so that it is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the glasses. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently until it’s time to pour.
Wash the caps and straps in hot, soapy water.
-
Prepare the brine and simmer the vegetables:
In a large saucepan, place vinegar, sugar, water, salt, fennel and celery seeds, and red pepper flakes over high heat. Stir and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is boiling. Add the veggies to your pickle mix and simmer for 30 seconds. Then remove from the stove.
-
Fill the glasses:
Remove the jars from the canner and pour the hot water in the jars back into the canner. Place them on a clean tea towel on the counter.
Divide the bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns between the glasses.
Scoop the veggies into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch space between the veggies and the top of the jar. Then pour the pickling liquid into each jar and cover the veggies – leave 1/2 inch headroom.
Wipe the rims clean with a paper towel. Place a clean lid on each jar and secure finger-tight with ribbon.
-
Process in hot water bath:
If you want to store the Giardiniera outside of the refrigerator, you should process the filled jars in a hot water bath.
Return the filled jars to the same mason jar with the already hot water. The water level should be at least 1 inch above the top of the jars; add more water to the can if needed. Bring the water to a full boil for 10 minutes.
If you live at high altitude, add 5 to 10 minutes to the processing time. Over 5,000 feet elevation? Process the jars for 20 minutes. If in doubt, process longer.
How to Adapt to Canning at High AltitudeCONTINUE READING:
-
Refrigerate and store:
If you do not process these jars in a water bath, they will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months.
Use tongs or a glass lifter to remove the jars from the pot. Let cool slowly to room temperature. Be sure to check the seal on the jars after they have cooled. The lid – not the metal band – should be pulled into the jar for the vacuum seal. You can remove the metal straps and carefully turn the glasses upside down. A well sealed jar will not leak.
Store sealed jars in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year, but for best flavor and texture, enjoy the Giardiniera within 6 months. Once opened – you can enjoy them after 4 days – keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Did you like this recipe? Give us some stars below!
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 90 | calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 21g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
