Easy Small-batch Pickling

Credit: Jenn Chic

Enjoy the summer bounty all year long by pickling your veggies

Add a little zing to your preserved veggies with this quick and easy pickling technique

At a time when farmers’ markets are bursting at the seams with all kinds of local produce, an easy way to enjoy the bounty is to get pickling.

Try this simple technique of making brine, bringing it to a boil and cooking just about any vegetable in the simmering liquid.

Begin adding tart and tangy flavours to just about any meal, like zippy pickled red onions on a pulled pork sandwich or puckery pickled radish to tuna salad.

Regular white vinegar can be used in a pinch, or a combination of white wine or white with red wine or rice vinegar, but flavour and colour will be affected. Spices can also be customized, but be careful with chilies – the longer they sit in the brine, the hotter they get.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups white wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 whole cloves
• A pinch of chili flakes

Instructions

1. Prepare assorted vegetables: onion, radish, daikon, carrots, fennel, turnips, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans or beets. Trim and peel as needed. Cut each into same-size shapes.

2. Once the brine is boiling, drop in veggies and turn heat down to a simmer. Because cooking times vary between vegetables, only cook one type of vegetable at a time so that each type will cook evenly.

3. Cook until tender, yet still a bit crisp. Let cool and serve at room temperature, or chill. Can be stored in the fridge in a glass jar.