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Piccalilli

A traditional British pickle of mixed vegetables in a thick, tangy sauce flavoured with mustard and turmeric. So easy to make at home, Piccalilli makes a great addition to a ploughman's lunch, eaten alongside pork pie, ham, cheeses, salads, or in a sandwich.

You'll need 5 medium sized jars. The inside of the lids must be plastic coated so the vinegar in the Piccalilli doesn't corrode the metal. Most preserving jars will have these, as will recycled jars from bought pickles, olives etc.

Course Preserve, Pickle
Cuisine British, English
Keyword easy
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Salting the vegetables 1 day
Total Time 1 day 40 minutes
Servings 5 medium jars (approx.)
Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

  • 1 kg fresh mixed vegetables (weight after preparing) e.g. cauliflower, onions or shallots, green beans, runner beans, courgette, peppers, carrot, celery, nasturtium pods.
  • 50 g salt
  • 30 g cornflour for a thicker sauce, add an extra 10g
  • 15 g whole mustard seeds brown, black or yellow
  • 10 g mustard powder
  • 10 g ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 600 ml mild vinegar with acidity 5% minimum e.g. distilled, white wine, cider, rice vinegar
  • 175 g sugar reduce by 25 - 40 g for a less sweet piccalilli
  • 50 g honey can be replaced with more sugar

Instructions

  1. Salt the vegetables to remove excess water and firm them.

    Skin, top and tail or otherwise prepare the vegetables then wash them.

    Cut into similar sized pieces, small or medium depending on how fine or chunky you want the piccalilli to be.

    Put into a large bowl, add the salt and stir thoroughly to coat all the vegetables.

    Cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.

  2. Rinse and drain the vegetables.

    Tip the vegetables into a colander and rinse very well under cold running water. It's important to do this thoroughly or the piccalilli will be too salty. Taste a piece of veg and continue rinsing if it still seems very salty.

    Drain well then set aside, still in the colander.

    Tip: for a softer rather than crunchy pickle, you can simmer the vegetables for 2 - 3 minutes before leaving to drain.

  3. Wash and sterilize jars.

    Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse, and drain.

    Put them on a baking tray in the oven at its lowest setting.

    Turn off the oven when the jars and lids are hot but leave them inside until you're ready to pot the piccalilli. If they cool before the piccalilli is ready, switch the oven on again.

  4. Make the spice paste.

    Stir together the cornflour, whole mustard seeds, mustard powder, and turmeric in a medium sized heatproof bowl.

    Crush the coriander and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar (or use a rolling pin) and stir these into the bowl.

    Pour a little of the measured vinegar into the bowl and whisk to make a smooth paste.

  5. Make the sauce.

    Put the remaining vinegar in a large saucepan over moderately high heat and add the sugar and honey.

    Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and honey.

    Remove the pan from the heat and transfer a small ladleful of the hot vinegar into the spice paste. Whisk to combine.

    Tip the contents of the bowl into the saucepan, put back on the heat, stirring well as it thickens and comes back to a boil.

    Boil for 4 minutes.

  6. Add the vegetables and pack in jars.

    Stir the drained vegetables into the sauce, bring back to the boil then simmer for 1 minute.

    Take off the heat and pour the hot piccalilli into the hot jars.

    Protecting your hands with a cloth, screw on the lids and leave to cool. When the jars are cooler, it should be possible to tighten the lids a little more.

  7. Once the jars are completely cold press down on the middle of the lids. If they don't spring back with a popping sound then you have an airtight seal.

    Label the jars and store in a cool, dark, dry place for 4 - 6 weeks before using.

    Don't have an airtight seal? See Recipe Notes below for what to do.

    Unopened jars should keep for a year. Once open store in the fridge and use within 2 - 3 weeks.

Recipe Notes

WHAT TO DO IF JARS OF PICCALILLI AREN'T AIRTIGHT

If your jars do not have an airtight seal the piccalilli cannot be stored long term.

The most likely cause is that the piccalilli and/or the jars weren’t hot when you potted up. Alternatively, the jars or lids could be faulty. You have two options.

1) Store in the fridge and use within 2 - 3 weeks.

OR

2) Remove the piccalilli from the jars and bring it back up to a boil. Wash and sterilize the jars and lids as before. Replace with new ones if damaged. Make sure you pot up while the piccalilli and jars are hot. If you still don’t have an airtight seal once the jars are cold, then store in the fridge and use as 1) above.

 

Recipe adapted from The River Cottage Preserves Handbook.