If you, like me, hate to throw out/waste food, I have a delicious solution for you! Many recipes call for only half of a vegetable, or sometimes your best intentions of using a bell pepper or cauliflower at purchasing time, never really amount to it actually being used. Instead of throwing them out, you can pickle your leftover and extra veggies before they spoil.
Pretty much any vegetable goes with pickling. My favorites are carrots, bell peppers, and radishes.
Pickling is easy enough if you follow these steps:
You will need:
- jars with a lid
- leftover veggies
- vinegar
- sugar or honey
- spices
- salt
- Wash your veggies, peel if appropriate.
- Place your veggies in a measuring cup. Whatever volume you fill, you will need half that amount in white vinegar (apple cider vinegar is great too). For instance, if you have 1 cup of veggies, you will need ½ cup of vinegar.
- For the amount of sweetner used (I recommend either honey or white sugar), you will need the amount of vinegar used, plus one half the amount of vinegar used. For instance, if you are using ½ a cup of vinegar, you will need ¾ cup honey or sugar.
- In a pot, heat your vinegar over medium low heat until it begins to simmer. Begin adding the honey or sugar in increments of ¼ cup, until you are satisfied with the sweetness.
- Add a pinch of salt to the brine, as well as any spices you have on hand and would like to add. I always use garlic and onion powder, and mustard seeds and whole peppercorns are great additions. Feel free to add whole sprigs of herbs, like dill, thyme, or parsley.
- Add the prepared veggies to the brine,and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until they are just slightly more tender.
- Transfer the veggies to a jar with a slotted spoon, then pour the brine on top. Screw the lid on tight. Allow the veggies and brine to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.
I know that this recipe is really vague, but it all really depends on your tastes and what you have on hand. It’s hard to go wrong with pickling. The resulting pickled goods are great when you’re entertaining and a yummy snack any time.