Piccalilli, Pickled Vegetables in Mustard & Vinegar
Piccalilli, Pickled Vegetables in Mustard & Vinegar
Ian Hoare
Piccalilli is a mustard pickle, usually made with a mix of gherkins, cauliflower and onions, but may contain virtually any vegetable. I use a mix of marrow, cucumber, beans, small onions and cauliflower, all prepared before weighing.
Ingredients
2700 gm. vegetables, weighed after preparing
350 gm. salt
3400 ml. water
250 gm. sugar
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder
2 garlic cloves; peel & crush
1400 ml distilled vinegar
50 gm flour
2 tablespoon turmeric powder
Instructions
To prepare, seed the marrow. Finely dice both marrow and cucumber. Top, tail and slice the beans, skin and halve the onions, break the cauliflower into small florets.
Layer the weighed vegetables in a large bowl, sprinkling each layer with salt. Add water, cover and leave 24 hours.
Next day, remove the vegetables and rinse and drain them well.
Make sure your jars & lids are sterilising. Lids are sterilised in a pan of boiling water and hars in either an oven or boiling water.
Blend the sugar, mustard, ginger powders and garlic with 4/5 of the vinegar in a large pan. Add the vegetables and bring to the boil. Simmer 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp.
Blend the flour and turmeric with the remaining vinegar and stir into the cooked vegetables. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes more.
To bottle, take jars from oven, drain lids in a colander, shaking to get rid of water. Place lids, inside down, on sheets of paper towel. Spoon the pickle into pre-heated sterile jars, right near to the brim, and put a lid on as quickly as possible.
Give them a preliminary wipe with a damp cloth, and repeat when cold before labelling and storing.
Notes
I'd expect this to have a shelf life of around 12 months before beginning to lose some crispness. It'll still be perfectly edible. I've never managed to keep it that long.
Also see Pickle and Chutney Selection.
