HOW TO MAKE QUICK PICKLED VEGETABLES AT HOME

How to Make Quick Pickled Vegetables at Home image

Easy pickled vegetables in a flavorful brine with zesty spices

Provided by Marilena Leavitt

Time 40m

Yield Four 12-oz. jars

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

For the vegetables:
½ small head cauliflower
2 medium carrots
2 medium celery stalks
½ medium red bell pepper
½ medium yellow bell pepper
1 small Serrano chili (optional)
3 small radishes
1 small red onion
For the brine:
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 cup water
1 TBSP. sea salt
1 TBSP. granulated sugar
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted
1 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted
1-2 tsp. peppercorns or ½ tsp. pepper flakes

Steps:

Prep the vegetables. Wash, trim and cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Peel the carrots and cut them into ¼" pieces on the diagonal. Slice the celery into ¼" pieces on the diagonal too. Cut the bell peppers into thin, ¼" strips and cut the chili (if using) into ¼" slices. Cut the onion and radishes into 1" pieces.
Prepare the brine solution. In a medium to large pot, mix together 2 cups white wine vinegar, 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon sea salt and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring frequent to dissolve the sugar. Add the bay leaves, the fennel seeds, the coriander seeds, and the peppercorns and simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors.
Add the vegetables and blanch them. To the simmering brine solution, add the cauliflower and carrots and simmer for 3 minutes. Next, add the celery, the peppers, radishes and onion and continue to simmer for 2 minutes more. At that point, the vegetables should be still crisp but tender. Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat.
Fill the jars. Wash well four medium jars (I used Weck 12-oz jars, but any canning jars would work well) and place them carefully in a pot with gently boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove them using tongs, and place them on a clean surface. Divide the vegetables and the brine equally among the four jars, making sure that the brine covers the tops of the vegetables - they should be completely submerged. Let them cool at room temperature for a couple of hours, before you place the lid on tightly and move to the refrigerator.