Pickled Curry Cauliflower

Turmeric gives this cauliflower a bright burst of color and some added health benefits. The curry flavor pairs well with grilled white meats and fish. Add to a salad, appetizer plate or rice bowl. Course it makes a lovely snack all on its own too!

The lovely yellow color from the turmeric looks great on the cauliflower but you might not want to wear it too. The color will stain just about anything. Don’t wear your best clothes or use your favorite kitchen towels when canning this cauliflower.

Prepare 6 pint jars by washing and sterilizing the jars, lids and rings.

The instructions below include canning for long term storage but if you think you’ll use these faster you can quick pickle them. After adding the hot brine, allow the cauliflower to cool to room temperature. Store in sealed jars in the refrigerator for up to a month. The flavor will develop slowly so leave them be for about a week before tasting.

Ingredients:

• 3 heads of cauliflower (around 24 cups of florets)
• 2 yellow onions
• 5 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 3/4 tsp ginger
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional but adds a little heat)

Preparing:

In a large, non-reactive pan, combine all ingredients except for the onions and cauliflower to create a brine. Bring brine to a boil.

Cut the cauliflower heads into small florets. Peel and thinly slice the onions.

Carefully add the cauliflower and onions to the boiling brine mixture. Return the mixture back to boiling then reduce heat and simmer until the cauliflower begins to soften. Remove the cauliflower and onions with a slotted spoon directly into the sterilized jars. Try to distribute evenly between the six jars.

Turn up the heat on the brine and bring it back to boiling. Carefully ladle the brine over the cauliflower leaving 1/4 inch head space. Try and evenly distribute any spices from the brine as well.

Canning:

Remove air bubbles, clean the rims, add lids and finger tighten. See this article for general information about canning.

Use canning tongs to carefully place the jars into a water-bath canner with already boiling water (do not add your hot jars to cold water!). Make sure the jars are fully submerged and covered by a couple inches of water. Bring water back to a boil, put the lid on and process for 15* minutes. Once the time is up, remove the lid from the canner but allow the jars to rest for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Let the jars cool undisturbed overnight. The next morning, remove the rings, check the seals, wipe down and label jars for storage.

*You may need to adjust your processing time based on your elevation. Go here to find adjustments for your location