Giardiniera
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 12, 2020
Time
1¼ hours, plus 2 days chilling
Yield
Serves 128, makes four 1-pint jars
Ingredients
½ head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch florets3 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick on bias3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips2 serrano chiles, stemmed and sliced thin6 garlic cloves, sliced thin1½ cups chopped fresh dill 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds 2¾ cups white wine vinegar 2¼ cups water ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons canning and pickling salt ½ teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp
Instructions
- Set canning rack in large pot, place four 1-pint jars in rack, and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then turn off heat and cover to keep hot.
- Combine cauliflower, carrots, celery, bell pepper, serranos, and garlic in bowl. Bundle dill and coriander in cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. Bring dill-coriander sachet, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 10 minutes; discard sachet.
- Place dish towel flat on counter. Using jar lifter, remove jars from pot, draining water back into pot. Place jars upside down on towel and let dry for 1 minute. Add ⅛ teaspoon Pickle Crisp to each hot jar, then pack tightly with vegetables.
- Return brine to brief boil. Using funnel and ladle, pour hot brine over vegetables to cover, leaving ½ inch headspace. Slide wooden skewer along inside of jar, pressing slightly on vegetables, to remove air bubbles, then add extra brine as needed.
- For short-term storage: Let jars cool to room temperature, cover with lids, and refrigerate for at least 2 days before serving. (Giardiniera can be refrigerated for at least 5 months; flavor will continue to get spicier over time.) For long-term storage: While jars are warm, wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings until fingertip-tight; do not overtighten. Return pot of water with canning rack to boil. Lower jars into water, cover, bring water back to boil, then start timer. Cooking time will depend on your altitude: Boil 10 minutes for up to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes for 1,001 to 3,000 feet, 20 minutes for 3,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes for above 6,000 feet. Turn off heat and let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes. Remove jars from pot and let cool for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seal, and clean rims. (Sealed jars can be stored for up to 1 year.)
Time
1¼ hours, plus 2 days chillingYield
Serves 128, makes four 1-pint jarsIngredients
½ head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
3 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick on bias
3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1½ cups chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2¾ cups white wine vinegar
2¼ cups water
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons canning and pickling salt
½ teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp
Ingredients
½ head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
3 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick on bias
3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1½ cups chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2¾ cups white wine vinegar
2¼ cups water
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons canning and pickling salt
½ teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp
Ingredients
½ head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
3 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick on bias
3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1½ cups chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2¾ cups white wine vinegar
2¼ cups water
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons canning and pickling salt
½ teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp
Why This Recipe Works
We hoped to fix what plagues most supermarket brands: harsh brines and flat flavors. We started with the traditional vegetables in a white vinegar brine, but tasters found our pickles lacking. The addition of serrano peppers delivered heat, while sliced garlic and coriander seeds provided depth. We opted for white wine vinegar over distilled white vinegar to give the brine a well-rounded flavor. Adding water, sugar, and salt balanced out the harsh vinegar. We loved the flavor of fresh dill, but it turned slimy in the brine. Bundling the herbs in cheesecloth before steeping fixed this and allowed them to be easily discarded. We simply packed the raw vegetables into jars and topped them with hot brine. This method was successful at keeping the vegetables crisp over short-term storage, but the carrots and celery softened after a month. Adding a bit of Ball Pickle Crisp solved our crispness problem.
Instructions
- Set canning rack in large pot, place four 1-pint jars in rack, and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then turn off heat and cover to keep hot.
- Combine cauliflower, carrots, celery, bell pepper, serranos, and garlic in bowl. Bundle dill and coriander in cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. Bring dill-coriander sachet, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 10 minutes; discard sachet.
- Place dish towel flat on counter. Using jar lifter, remove jars from pot, draining water back into pot. Place jars upside down on towel and let dry for 1 minute. Add ⅛ teaspoon Pickle Crisp to each hot jar, then pack tightly with vegetables.
- Return brine to brief boil. Using funnel and ladle, pour hot brine over vegetables to cover, leaving ½ inch headspace. Slide wooden skewer along inside of jar, pressing slightly on vegetables, to remove air bubbles, then add extra brine as needed.
- For short-term storage: Let jars cool to room temperature, cover with lids, and refrigerate for at least 2 days before serving. (Giardiniera can be refrigerated for at least 5 months; flavor will continue to get spicier over time.) For long-term storage: While jars are warm, wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings until fingertip-tight; do not overtighten. Return pot of water with canning rack to boil. Lower jars into water, cover, bring water back to boil, then start timer. Cooking time will depend on your altitude: Boil 10 minutes for up to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes for 1,001 to 3,000 feet, 20 minutes for 3,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes for above 6,000 feet. Turn off heat and let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes. Remove jars from pot and let cool for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seal, and clean rims. (Sealed jars can be stored for up to 1 year.)
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