To capture the bountiful local harvest of cauliflower for the winter pantry, I put up a few jars generally following a recipe from Eugenia Bone’s Well-Preserved cookbook. For some, I followed her recipe relatively closely but for others, I added some grated fresh ginger and turmeric, which our local Whole Foods carries, presumably to cater to the large local Indian population. I’d never cooked with fresh turmeric before, so this was a learning experience. I plan on planting some in a pot to see what it produces.

Pickled Cauliflower adapted from Eugenia Bone’s Well-Preserved

1+ lb head of white cauliflower (yielding 4-5 c florets)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1 c)

1 c sugar

1 c distilled white vinegar

1 c white wine vinegar (or use only one type)

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Prepare pint jars for canning (or use larger jars and process for longer).

Trim the cauliflower and separate into small florets.

Combine the onion, sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes in a saucepan and bring to a boil, cooking gently for five minutes. Remove the onions.

Loosely pack the cauliflower florets and onions into the prepared (warm) canning jars and pour on the liquid, leaving at least ½ inch of headspace.

Process pint jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Turn off heat, remove lid and let sit for ten minutes before removing to sit undisturbed until cool. Allow to cure for 4 weeks before using.

Variation: Pickled Cauliflower with Ginger and Turmeric

Add 1 tsp grated ginger and either 1 tsp freshly grated turmeric or scant 1/2 tsp turmeric powder to the sugar-vinegar mixture.

Categories: Cauliflower, PreservingTags: Fresh Turmeric, Pickled Cauliflower, Pickled Cauliflower Ginger and Turmeric