Pickling Things

If your family isn’t all that rambunctious at Christmas time and you find yourself with a little too much time on your hands to think about the season, it’s time to pickle things.

There’s really no better way to distract yourself.

Other things you could do:

You could instead read a book, but that’s a lot of sitting.

You could make cookies or something more indulgent than a pickle, but with all the Christmas treats, you might regret it in the new year.

You could go adopt some family to celebrate with, get stressed out with your fake family, and wish you were pickling something.

No, really you should just make this cauliflower-carrot pickle in Prosecco vinegar. It has a little bit of romance to it, doesn’t take forever, is delicious, and distracts you for long enough that you don’t succumb to watching Love Actually for the 10th time. Not a good idea. Life will only be depressing by comparison. Not so this pickle.

Italian Cauliflower-Carrot Giardiniera

Yield: Eight 500mL jars

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cored and broken into small florets
10 carrots, cut into coins
8 cups distilled vinegar/ Champagne vinegar/Prosecco vinegar/white wine vinegar
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
½ cup + 2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons celery seed
2 tablespoons coriander seed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
8 cloves garlic, skins removed
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 long Serrano or other chilies, sliced in half, seeds removed, optional

 

Peel and chop vegetables. Toss the carrots and cauliflower with ½ cup salt in a large bowl or colander. Leave for at least 30 minutes, or until needed.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, remaining 2 tbsp salt and spices in a large pot and bring to a boil.

Divide onions, garlic and chili slices among hot, sterilized jars.

Soften eight jar lids.

Rinse salted vegetables and stuff into jars.

Pour over brine to within ¼-inch of the top of the jar.  Remove air bubbles, wipe rim, add softened lids and metal rings. Tighten to fingertip-tight.

Process the jars in a waterbath canner for ten minutes, starting the timer when the water comes to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat (leave the lid on) and wait another 5 minutes. Then remove the jars from the water and let cool.