Pickled Cauliflower Two Ways

rSome vegetables simply do not can well and are better frozen. Cauliflower is one of these vegetables (how to freeze). In general vegetables in the Brassica oleracea species (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage, collard greens and brussel sprouts) do not can well by themselves. These strong flavoured vegetables discolour and become stronger in flavour when canned. Cauliflower cans nicely by itself or with other vegetables when pickled and cabbage cans nicely if fermented (sauerkraut).

Pickled Cauliflower

When I was growing up one of our neighbours made the best dill pickles you ever tasted. She also made cauliflower pickles. A few years ago I decided to make cauliflower pickles but the only recipes I could find had turmeric in them. I remembered her cauliflower pickles being creamy white not yellow so I set about re-creating her recipe tweaking until I had cauliflower pickles like I remembered.

I pickled cauliflower yesterday using two lovely heads of cauliflower. Pictured are the creamy white cauliflower pickles as well as three 500 ml jars of yellow cauliflower pickles. Wide mouth jars are ideal for these pickles for ease of packing and later removing.

Pickled Cauliflower
recipe by: Garden Gnome

For both white and yellow pickled cauliflower:
2 large heads cauliflower
1 large Spanish onion, sliced thin
8 c white vinegar (5%)*
4 c granulated sugar
¼ tsp mustard seed per jar
pinch celery seed per jar
1 tbsp pickling spice

Additional ingredients for yellow pickled cauliflower:
½ - 1 tsp turmeric
pinch hot pepper flakes per jar
1 tbsp bell pepper (red or green) per jar

Cut cauliflower into 1 to 2 inch flowerets. Steam 4 minutes. Slice onion into thin rings. Dice bell peppers (if making yellow pickled cauliflower). Place pickling spice into tea ball or make a cheese cloth bag to hold the pickling spice. Combine vinegar and sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves. Place the pickling spice into the hot vinegar solution. Simmer 2 minutes. If making yellow pickled cauliflower stir in turmeric, ½ tsp for half the amount of vinegar solution or 1 tsp for whole amount. Separate one slice of onion into rings and place in jar. Add mustard seed, celery seed and if making yellow pickled cauliflower add the hot pepper flakes and bell pepper. Fill jar with hot cauliflower flowerettes leaving ½ inch headspace. Fill with hot vinegar solution leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Adjust 2 piece lids. Process in boiling water bath canner 15 minutes.

Yield: 8 - 500 ml (pint) jars

* White vinegar may be substituted with another vinegar as long as acidity is 5%.