Pickled cauliflower is delicious any time of the year. It is one of the favorite homemade pickles in many parts of the world, with an unmistakable sweet and sour taste and a crunchy texture.
Pickles are beneficial for the body, mainly due to the natural fermentation process, which helps the development of bacteria colonies that generate lactic acid.
Pickled cauliflower recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg cauliflower
- 3-4 medium-sized horseradish roots
- 1 chilli pepper (optional)
- 10 carrots (cut into slices)
- 2-3 dried dill stalks
- 2-3 sprigs dried thyme
For the brine, you will need 20 grams of salt per liter of water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
The first step is to prepare all the ingredients: slice the carrots and disinfect the jars and the lids. To start, separate the cauliflower into bite-sized florets, wash well and set aside to drain. Only keep the florets that are pure white, without green parts or brown spots.
Next, you can start filling the jars. Place a piece of dill, a piece of horseradish and a piece of dried thyme at the bottom of each jar. Place the cauliflower florets on top of these, and try to fill the jar as well as possible, without large gaps between the florets.
Distribute the sliced carrots between layers of cauliflower florets, and also add a few sprigs of horseradish and the chili pepper (if you wish). Finish with some dried dill, thyme and a few strips of horseradish.
Prepare the brine by boiling up the water with salt. You can add the vinegar to the brine now, or the next day. Once the water starts boiling, simmer for five minutes more, then remove the brine from the heat and wait until it slightly cools.
Before pouring the brine into the jars, don’t forget to place them on a metal tray to disperse some of the heat shock. Gradually pour the brine over the contents of the jars.
You can set the jars aside with their mouth open or only loosely closed for the next 24 hours. After this time, due to the fermentation process that has already started, foam will start forming on top.
Remove the foam, and then you can add a tablespoon of vinegar to each jar if you haven’t done so before. You can also top up the jars with cold brine if needed, until the jars are full to the rim.
Screwed on the lids tightly lids and transfer the jars to a cool place where they are protected from direct sunlight. The brine may be cloudy for the first few days, but then, once the fermentation is complete, it will turn clear. After at least a month, the pickled cauliflowers are ready to eat.