Pickled Cauliflower

This recipe comes from Eugenia Bone’s canning book Well-Preserved.  I picked this book up at Chapters a couple of weeks ago after trying one of her recipes recommended by Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Kitchen blog.  It was so tasty that I thought I search out the original source to see if it was worth purchasing.  I am a sucker for a good canning book…and, there are lots out there.  There were several interesting canning recipes in this book and Eugenia also provides you with recipes for meals that would go great with your jar of preserves.  I like that!

PICKLED CAULIFLOWER:

• pickling salt (Add a 1/4 cup pickling salt to every 16 cups of water)
• 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, broken into florets (about 12 cups)
• 4 cups white wine vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or a combination (with 5% acidity)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste OR use hot banana peppers or jalapeno; sliced into rounds

1. Prepare for water-bath canning.  Sterilize jars in the oven at 250F for 30 minutes.
2. Wash cauliflower and break into individual florets.
3. In a large stainless steel saucepan, bring 16 cups of water and 1/4 cup of pickling salt to a boil over high heat.    Add the cauliflower florets and boil them for about 3 minutes.  Drain.
4. In a medium stainless steel saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, onions, and hot red pepper flakes (or washed and sliced hot peppers). Stir ingredients until the sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
5. Working quickly, gently pack the cauliflower and the onions into hot sterilized jars.  The cooked cauliflower florets should be packed careful so they retain their shape.
6. Ladle the hot vinegar solution into each jar, making sure the hot red pepper flakes are distributed well throughout.   
7. Leave 1/2″ headspace, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot liquid.  Wipe rims with a damp paper towel, center lids on jars, and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
8. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a rolling boil and process for 10 minutes.  Remove canner lid.  Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, label and store.

I used three beautiful crisp white heads of Ontario cauliflower, purchased at our local veggie shop, Muskoka Veggez.  It totalled 7 1/2 which is three batches.  I required all of the pickling liquid the recipe called for but my yield was short by 6 pints or 6 x 500mL…which is a lot.  I am really not sure why I was short because I weighed all of the cauliflower but I am happy with the end result and look forward to sampling these little florets.  I may even do another batch or two.

Put up Total:

• 9 x 500mL wide mouth mason jars
• 3 x 500mL regular mouth mason jars