Homemade Italian Giardiniera

Italian giardiniera served on a vintage blue and white platter with extra virgin olive oil

A rustic Italian giardiniera made with cauliflower, carrot, celery, fennel and red capsicum, briefly blanched in a white wine vinegar brine with garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and mustard seeds. Serve the pickled vegetables drained and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil alongside cured meats, cheese and crusty bread.

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Course: Appertiser, Condiment, Pickle, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: giardiniera, homemade preserves, Italian antipasto, Italian pickled vegetables, refrigerator pickle

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 10

Pickling Time: 1

Servings: 750 ml jars

Calories: 271kcal

Equipment

large saucepan
Slotted spoon
Large tray
Chopping Board
sharp knife
2 x 750 ml glass jars with lids

Ingredients

1 small cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
2 medium carrots cut into 5 mm rounds
2 celery stalks sliced diagonally into 1 cm pieces
1 small fennel bulb cut into small wedges
1 large red capsicum deseeded and cut into broad strips
500 ml white wine vinegar
500 ml water
30 g fine sea salt
20 g caster sugar
4 garlic cloves peeled and left whole
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 small whole dried chilli

Instructions

Wash and prepare the cauliflower, carrots, celery, fennel and capsicum. Keep the pieces fairly chunky and rustic.
Combine the white wine vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds and whole chilli. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the carrots to the gently boiling pickling liquid and cook for approximately 2½ minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and spread on a tray.
Add the cauliflower to the pickling liquid and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the tray.
Add the fennel and cook for approximately 1½ minutes, then remove and transfer to the tray.
Add the celery and cook for approximately 45 seconds, then remove.
Finally, add the red capsicum and cook for approximately 30 seconds. Remove from the pickling liquid.
Divide the vegetables between clean jars, distributing the different vegetables evenly. Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves and chilli from the pickling liquid.
Carefully pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables until completely submerged, distributing the mustard seeds and peppercorns between the jars.
Seal the jars and allow them to cool completely before transferring to the refrigerator.
Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating. For the best developed flavour, leave for 3–5 days.

To Serve

Drain the required amount of giardiniera well and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with good-quality extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
Serve with Italian cured meats, cheese and crusty bread.

Notes

Texture: The vegetables are deliberately briefly blanched rather than left raw. They should retain some bite while having a slightly more tender, traditional texture.

Storage: Keep the giardiniera refrigerated with the vegetables completely submerged beneath the pickling liquid for up to 3 weeks. Always use a clean utensil when removing vegetables from the jar. This is a refrigerator pickle and is not intended for shelf-stable storage.

Olive oil: Store the giardiniera in its vinegar brine. Drain the amount you want to eat and add extra virgin olive oil only when serving.

Vegetable size: Keep the vegetables fairly generously cut and rustic rather than finely diced.

Chilli: The whole chilli gently flavours the brine; the finished giardiniera isn't intended to be hot.

Nutrition