Pickled cauliflower and carrots are a great topping for falafel
Pickling is a wonderful way of preserving any extra vegetables you aren’t going to use up. I had lots of extra carrots and some cauliflower from an organic vegetable box. There is a lady who sells falafel at various markets in Cape Town, and she always tops her falafel with pickled cauliflower and carrots. I want to make falafel this weekend, so I made some crunchy pickled cauliflower and carrots to finish mine off.
For centuries pickling was an essential way of preserving food
Pickling was a very important technique in times past, as it allowed people to harvest vegetables and fruit when they were in season and in abundance, and preserve them for consumption later on. Recently, pickling has become popular again, both in home kitchens and in restaurants. Many restaurant dishes include a pickled element for an extra pop of flavour and acidity.
How to pickle
Pickling sounds like one of those time consuming things to do like making your own bread or making jam. It’s actually incredibly quick and easy. For a basic pickle, combine vinegar, water, salt, spices and sugar if you want a little sweetness. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about a minute. The pickle can then be poured over your ingredients of choice in a sterilised jar. You can start eating your pickle after about 24 hours. Pickled cauliflower and carrots will last a few months, stored in the refrigerator. If you start to see bubbles in the jar, it usually means something has gone wrong and they are starting to ferment.
I find a ratio of 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water works well. Using only vinegar will give you a very acidic taste, but you need to use enough to make the pickle strong enough to preserve the contents. Don’t be afraid to add spices to your pickle. Whole spices such as coriander seeds, mustard seeds and whole peppercorns all produce a delicious flavour. It’s fun to try out different vinegars and spices for different flavours, so don’t be shy to experiment!
Pickled Cauliflower and Carrots
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Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower (approx. 350g), cut into small florets
- 2-3 large carrots (approx. 400g), peeled and sliced at an angle
- 400ml rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 200ml water
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds
- ¼ tsp. mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp. whole black peppercorns
- ½ tbsp. salt
- 60g sugar
- ½ small bay leaf
- 1 large jar
Instructions
- To sterilise your jar, first wash it well with soapy water. Then, either bake it in the oven for 10 minutes at 160°C (140°C fan) or boil it for 15 minutes in water (it must be submerged). To sterilise the lid, boil it in water with the jar. Remove the jar with tongs, and place it on a cloth. This is important, as if you put it on a cold surface it will crack.
- If you would like your vegetables to be slightly more tender and not too crunchy, you can blanch them before pickling them. If however you prefer them crunchy as I do, skip this stage. To blanch them, bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the vegetables and simmer for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Place the vegetables in the sterilised jar, pressing them down to pack them tightly. If you skipped the blanching stage, simply pack the raw vegetables tightly in the jar.
- To make the pickle, place the vinegar, water, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns, salt and sugar in a pot. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Once it has come to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Pour the hot pickle over the vegetables in the jar. Press them down, making sure they are covered with liquid.
- Put the lid on and allow the jar to cool completely before placing it in the fridge. Leave for at least 24 hours before eating and keep for a maximum of 5 months in the fridge.
