Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Vegetables)

5 from 3 votes

Giardiniera (Italian Pickled Vegetables)

Giardiniera, also known as Italian Pickled Vegetables is a classic condiment that you can easily make yourself and the flavor is so much better than storebought. It's a great way to preserve vegetables for later use and is perfect on sandwiches and burgers, on an antipasto platter, as a ready-made side dish or as a healthful snack!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Pickles and Relishes

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Kosher, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups water
2 cups white wine vinegar (one 16-ounce bottle)
1/3 cup sugar
12 cloves garlic smashed
4 small fresh bay leaves or 2 dried
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mustard seeds brown or yellow
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 1/2 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt or to taste
2 cayenne peppers fresh or dried or 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 small head of cauliflower cut into florets (approximately 2 heaping cups)
3 large carrots halved and sliced into similar-sized pieces
1/2 medium onion coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper seeds and membranes removed, sliced
2 cups green beans ends trimmed and halved crosswise
1 cup green olives such as Sicilian or Castelvestrano
1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Combine the first 12 ingredients (water through salt) in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer away for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 30 minutes.
Place the cayenne peppers (or crushed red pepper flakes), cauliflower, carrots, onion, red bell pepper, green beans, olives, pepperoncini and capers in a large glass jar.
Strain the brine, return it to the saucepan and briefly bring to a simmer.
Carefully and slowly pour the hot brine over the vegetables, pushing the vegetables under the surface of the brine.
Let cool to room temperature. Check the vegetables periodically to make sure they're under the surface of the brine.
Add the olive oil, stir and refrigerate for 3 days.
After 3 days, you can leave it in the big jar or transfer to something smaller as the vegetables will have lost some of their bulk and will take up less room.
Keeps in the refrigerator for 30 days.

Notes

Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 30 days.

TO WATER BATH CAN:

Start with raw vegetables.
Leave the olive oil out.
Taste the brine and adjust the sugar or water to taste.
Give the giardiniera a good drizzle with a nice olive oil when you serve it.

Nutrition