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Giardiniera

Total Time1 hour

Ingredients

For the poaching/preserving liquid:

  • 750 ml white wine vinegar
  • 750 ml water
  • A generous pinch of sugar
  • A generous pinch of salt
  • Peppercorns roughly cracked
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves

Optional seasonings:

  • 3-4 juniper berries roughly cracked
  • 3-4 cloves

For the vegetables, a total of about 1 kilo (2+ lbs) of the following vegetables:

  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Spring onions or pearl onions
  • Green beans
  • Red yellow, green bell peppers
  • Cucumbers

Instructions

  • Cut all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces: Cut the cauliflower into flowerets, then cutting any very large flowerets into 2 or even 4. Slice the carrots into rounds, not too thinly. Slice the celery across the grain. Trim the spring onions aof their roots and most of their green tops, then if large, slice them vertically in 2 or even 4. If using pearl onions, peel them and leave them whole. If they're fresh, they should be very easy to peel, otherwise you can blanch them for a minute or two to loosen their skins. Trim the green beans but otherwise leave them whole. Slice the bell peppers into strips or bite-sized squares, as you prefer. (See our post on trimming and slicing peppers for details.) You should slice the cucumbers, like the carrots, into fairly thick rounds or, if they are big, into bite-sized cubes. You can then lay out your veggies on a cutting board.
  • Bring all the ingredients for the poaching/preserving liquid to a simmer.
  • Add the vegetables in the order listed, beginning with the cauliflower, carrots and, if using, pearl onions. Let them simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, then add the green beans, spring onions, celery, peppers and cucumbers, in that order. Let each come to a simmer before adding the next. Simmer everything together for another 3 or 4 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
  • With a skimmer, transfer the vegetables to a colander to drain, then on to a large baking sheet or other flat surface to cool, reserving their poaching liquid. Let that cool completely as well.
  • In the meanwhile, sterilize the mason jars by steeping them in boiling water for 1o minutes. Carefully remove them from the water and let them dry. In the alternative, if your dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle, wash them using that cycle.
  • Fill the mason jars with the vegetables, leaving a bit of room at the top. Pack them in, but not too tightly. Fill the jars with enough poaching liquid to cover all the vegetables.
  • Close up the mason jars. Although quite edible as soon as you're done, it's best to let the giardiniera mellow in the fridge for at least a day or two before eating.