Homemade Piccalilli
Piccalilli is delicious spicy British pickle. A beautiful trio of purple cauliflower, Romanesco and white cauliflower preserved with crunchy autumn vegetables in delicious curried spices.
Servings: 50 servings
Calories: 44kcal
Ingredients
- 1 kg cauliflower
- 400 g shallots
- 350 g green beans
- 2 small firm cucumbers
- 1 red chilli sliced
- 50 g salt
- 750 g apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
- 275 g granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons English mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 50 g cornflour cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflowers, shallots, green beans and cucumbers into bite sized pieces then place into a large bowl, along with the sliced chilli (seeds removed) and toss with 50g of salt. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
- The next day drain the vegetables and rinse with cold water to remove the excess salt.
- Place the vegetables in a large preserving pan with the vinegar, sugar, nutmeg and allspice. Add the crushed garlic and the salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Take off the heat then drain the vegetables into a colander sat on top of a large bowl so you can retain the liquid.
- Whisk together the cornflour, turmeric, ginger, curry powder, mustard powder and pepper. Add 100g of the reserved liquid and blend together to make a smooth sauce.
- Pour the sauce into the preserving pan and with the heat on very low, slowly pour the rest of the reserved liquid into the sauce, whisking all the while.
- Bring to the boil, then cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and thick.
- Add the vegetables back into the sauce, stirring to coat thoroughly. Turn off the heat.
- Decant into sterilised jars and store in a cool dark place until needed.
Notes
This recipes makes enough to fill 4 x 350ml jars.
Cauliflower. I used a mix of white, Romanesco and purple cauliflower for added texture and colour. You can just use white if you prefer.
Try not to overcook your vegetables. Once they have come up to boil then I have put in 5 minutes as a guide but if you are cutting your vegetables up very small then they may be ready after a couple of minutes. Taste to check the texture – you want them to retain plenty of bite.
For a full explanation on how to sterilise your jars then visit my Guide To Sterilising Equipment for Preserving.
Ingredient measurements: Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
US customary measurements: These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
Nutrition information: Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.
The nutrition serving is for 1 guestimated serving of piccalilli.
Nutrition
Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg