Food Blog - Piccalilli (Sandwich Pickles)

Hi all. I thought I'd update you all on another food exploit here in the cornfield. As I couldn't find a sandwich pickle at all, i had to make my own! While the recipe is based on Rick Stein's recipe for Piccalilli, i have changed it a bit, making it simpler. I also prefer my pickles to have smaller vegetable chunks (so it spreads better), so change it as you wish.

Ingredients

450g salt
4.5 litres boiling water
1 medium cauliflower (weighing about 450g), diced finely
2 onions, peeled and diced finely
200g runner beans, topped and tailed, and sliced 5mm think
1 large cucumber, halved length ways, seeds removed with a spoon and then diced
2 courgettes, topped and tailed and cut into 1cm chunks
275g/10oz caster sugar
750 mL distilled malt vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
half tsp nutmeg, grated
half tsp ground allspice
1 can creamed corn
25g/13/4oz plain flour
18g/1oz mustard powder
13g/1oz turmeric powder
7g/1/2oz ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Method

1. Mix the salt with the boiling water. Leave to cool, divide between two large bowls and add the cauliflower and onions to one bowl and the runner beans, cucumber and courgettes to the other. Cover with a plate to keep the vegetables submerged and leave for about 3 hours.

2. Drain the vegetables and rinse them well, still keeping them separate.

3. Put the sugar, garlic and vinegar into a large pan. Bring to the boil, add the cauliflower, onions, allspice and nutmeg and cook for just three minutes. Add the beans and the cucumber and cook for a further4-5 minutes. The vegetables only want to be just cooked, with still a little crunch left in them. Lift out of the vinegar with a large spider or sieve into a large bowl and set aside. Add the creamed corn to the mix and cook for a few minutes.

4. Mix the flour, mustard, turmeric and ginger powder with a little cold water, enough to make a smooth paste. Add a little of the hot vinegar mixture, stir into the rest left in the pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 10 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened.

5. Stir the sauce into the vegetables, spoon into warm sterilised jars and seal with vinegar proof lids.


Cutting up the cauliflower.


The green beans.


Ready with the cauliflower and onion in salt water (left) and the thickening mix (right).


The other vegies (this time I added a little red cabbage and red capsicum).


The cauliflower and onion cooking in the vinegar.


The thickening paste and other veg.


The final product, bottled hot to preserve.