Piccalilli is a condiment that my mother has always loved, but that I struggled with until relatively recently. The store bought stuff is just too chunky for my tastes. I’ve always liked the mustard sauce though, so when I was younger, and living with my mum, I would make a cheese and piccalilli sandwiches and leave out the bits. My friend then gave me a jar of her home made sandwich Piccalilli, which means the bits have been copped up, I was an instant convert and have now made a couple of batches of my own.
Link to measurement conversion chart
Makes enough for approx. 3 x 340g jars
Ingredients
- 1kg washed, peeled vegetables – select 5 or 6 from the following: cauliflower or romanesco cauliflower; green beans; cucumbers; courgettes; green or yellow tomatoes; tomatilloes; carrots; small silver-skinned onions or shallots; peppers; nasturtium seed pods
- 50g salt
- 30g cornflour
- 10g ground turmeric
- 10g English mustard powder
- 15g yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tsp crushed cumin seeds
- 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
- 600ml cider vinegar
- 150g granulated sugar
- 50g honey
Method
- Cut the vegetables into small, even bite-sized pieces, don’t go too small or it will go like mush. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Mix well, cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave in a cool place for 24 hours, then rinse the veg with cold water and drain thoroughly.
- Blend the cornflour, turmeric, mustard powder, mustard seeds, cumin and coriander to a smooth paste with a little of the vinegar.
- Add the rest of the vinegar and put in a saucepan with the sugar and honey then bring to the boil stirring.
- Boil for 3–4 minutes to allow the spices to release their flavours into the thickening sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and carefully fold the well-drained vegetables into the hot, spicy sauce. Pack the pickle into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately with vinegar-proof lids. Leave for 4–6 weeks before opening.
- Use within a year.
Serving suggestions and variations
- You can use a mix of any of the Vegetables listed so as things come into season try a different selection
- I like plenty of sauce so tweak the ingredients to allow for 800ml of vinegar if you do too
- Piccalilli is a great condiment with gammon, ham and cheese. Remember to get the jar out whenever you have a salad or sandwich.
Acknowledgements
The original recipe comes from River cottage. I like it because it doesn’t involve cooking the vegetables, for me pickles need to be crunchy. My thanks go to the River Cottage Team.
You may also enjoy
- A warming soup for lunch or supper, give our Lentil and Frankfurter soup a try
- Looking for a little taste of the mediteranean try our Med Veg, lovely as a hot side dish or cold as a side salad
- Treat your self to a traditional English Cream Tea with the best ever warm scones straight from the oven.
We hope you have enjoyed these recipes.
Happy eating!