Spiced Christmas piccallili
A sweet, sharp pickle is a must-have at Christmas, and homemade is always superior to shop-bought. Be sure to wear gloves when preparing the beetroot to avoid purple-stained fingers!
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Prep:30 mins
Cook:15 mins
plus at least 4 hrs brining and 2 weeks maturing - Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 21
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fat 0.1g
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saturates 0g
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carbs 5g
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sugars 0g
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fibre 0.3g
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protein 0.2g
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salt 0.06g
Ingredients
- 5 carrots (about 400g), chopped into 1cm pieces
- 2 beetroots (about 300g), chopped into 1cm pieces
- 2 eating apples , cored, peeled and chopped into 1cm pieces
- 1 small red onion , finely chopped
- 1 red chilli , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , thinly sliced
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns , crushed
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick , broken in half
- 100g dried cranberries
- 300g demerara sugar
- 450ml apple cider vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp plain flour
Method
Put the carrots and beetroot in a large bowl and toss with 1 tsp sea salt. Cover and leave at room temperature for 4-6 hrs (or overnight) to soften slightly and draw out the moisture.
Sterilise the jars. Rinse the veg to remove any excess salt, then tip into a large pan with the apples, onion, chilli, garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick and cranberries. Add the sugar, vinegar, bay leaves and 150ml water, and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
Scoop 50ml of the hot liquid into a small heatproof bowl and whisk in the ground spices and flour until you have a smooth paste. (Add a little more liquid to loosen, if needed.) Stir the paste into the pan and simmer for 5 mins, stirring until the mixture has thickened slightly and the carrots have softened but still retain a little bite.
Spoon the hot pickle into the warm sterilised jars, packing it in tightly and making sure all the solids are covered by the liquid. Seal the jars while hot, then leave to mature in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks for the best flavour. Will keep in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Once opened, chill and eat within a month.
