Sugar-free Piccadilli Pickles ✺
My boyf asked me to grab some piccalilli pickles in the shopping this week. What can I say, he’s a Brit.
What are piccadilly pickles you ask. They are a chunky spreadable pickle. Popular to have with cold cuts of meat and cheese platters — bright yellow in colour, thickened with a corn flour slurry and made of veggies like cauliflower and cucumber. Basically, the most British thing ever.
Forever eager to hone one’s connection to their motherland via the tongue I complied, and so without thinking I popped a jar of them with a Union Jack on the front (cute) in the cart.
But then gf mode ended and wholefood chef mode kicked in, and pulled them back out of the cart and read I read the ingredients label.
Sulfur dioxide, calcium chloride, sodium metabisulphite, acetic acid, and colour (Quinoline yellow).
The condiment industry sure has a lot to answer for. Why I’m in work I guess.
Seeing as though it’s his bday week I thought sod it — I’m gonna make some of these for you myself innit. (Ok I’ll stop with the cockney-isms now).
Sharing the recipe cos they actually turned out great.
I played around with a recipe from Women’s Day (cute) and made it my own. I made it refined sugar free, much more veg packed, increased the turmeric for extra inflam-goodness, and gave it a good rogering by Hot Jamaica for spiciness.
Now watch me with no remorse get my sons and boyf to eat cauliflower daily from here on out without them knowing and getting away with it.
“These are sweet, briney, mustardy, pickley, a little bit spicy. Particularly great spread on lunchbox ham sangas, a quick cheese toastie, or dolloped on a cheese platter with a couple of cold bevs — I even added a big spoonful to chicken soup last night.”
These are sweet, briney, mustardy, pickley, a little bit spicy (thanks to Hot Jamaica which you can add to taste.) Particularly great on lunchbox ham sangas, a quick cheese toastie, or dolloped on a cheese platter with a couple of cold bevs — I even added a big spoonful to chicken soup last night (gave it a beautiful sweetness).
Sugar-Free Piccadilli Pickles
Gluten free. Vegan (if you are ok with honey). Makes 2 decent sized jars worth.
Keep these refrigerated and they’ll last upwards of a month.
INGREDIENTS
2 cup Himalayan salt
2 cup boiling water
1 litre cold water
1 whole large cauliflower, chopped coarsely
4 brown onions, chopped coarsely
3 lebanese cucumbers, chopped coarsely
3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cup honey
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 heaped teaspoon turmeric
Hot Jamaica Hot Sauce to taste
1/3 cup cornflour
2 tablespoon water
METHOD
Into a non metallic bowl add your prepped veg, the cold water, the boiling water and the salt. Stir well, and let this sit over night. This is your brine and an important step in imparting flavour into the veg so don’t skip it.
The following day drain the liquid in a colander. I let mine sit to drain for a few hours and came back to it.
To a large saucepan add in your veg, apple cider vinegar, honey, spices and cook low and slow for approx 1 hour with lid off.
Once liquid is down to about 3/4 of a cup worth add in your corn flour slurry (into a little bowl whisk 2 tbsp water to 1/3 corn flour). Add it to your saucepan and stir until it thickens (this will happen pretty immediately).
Turn heat off when you are at your desired consistency. Spoon straight into sterilised jars. You can gorge on this straight away but it gets better over time.
