Autumn piccalilli with pear
Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Eaten immediately, this pickle will have a punchy
tang, perfect with strong cheeses, but by winter
the flavours will mellow, ideal for sliced ham.
- Prep:20 mins
Cook:15 mins
Plus salting overnight - Serves 5 x 500ml jars
- More effort
Nutrition per serving
- kcal 31
- fat 0g
- saturates 1g
- carbs 6g
- sugars 5g
- fibre 0g
- protein 1g
- salt 1.01g
Ingredients
- 2 small cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 400g silverskin or pearl onions
- 600g courgettes, cut into small chunks (about 2cm pieces)
- 6 firm pears, cored, and cut as the courgettes
- 100g salt
- 1.7l cider vinegar
- finger-length piece fresh root ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp brown or black mustard seeds
- 300g golden caster sugar
- 8 tbsp cornflour
- 5 tbsp English mustard powder
- 3 tsp turmeric
Tip
Know-howTo sterilise jars, run them through the dishwasher, or wash well in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a low oven. If you’re pickling and recycling old jam jars, it’s important to cover the pickle with a wax disc first so the metal lid doesn’t react with the vinegar.
Method
In a bowl, mix together the vegetables, pears and salt with 2 litres of cold water, then cover and leave overnight.
The next day, drain the brine from the vegetables, rinse briefly, then tip into a large saucepan with the vinegar, ginger, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 mins until the veg is just tender but still with a little bite. Drain the vegetables, reserving the liquid, and set aside while you make the sweet mustard sauce.
In a large bowl, stir together the cornflour, mustard powder and turmeric, then gradually pour in the hot vinegar while whisking, until you have a lump-free, thin yellow sauce. Return it to the saucepan and bubble over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 4 mins until smooth and thickened. Stir in the veg and spoon into five sterilised 500ml jars while hot, then seal. Once cool, enjoy straight away, or store in a cool, dark cupboard for 2-3 months. Refrigerate once opened.