I love pickled things. So much that I will just randomly pickle things. One of my favorite things is a pile of differently pickled things as an appetizer. Especially with a meal like hamburgers, montadito sandwiches, or barbecue ribs. Those wonderful sticky, drippy, down home meals that call for a bit of acid to challenge the palate. Therefore, I present to you three different jars of simple pickled things, spicy cauliflower, carrot & rosemary, and sweet cucumber.
You will find these are so easy to make and fast. These are not boiled and sealed pickled things, so keep them in the refrigerator, and eat them in a few weeks. Most anything can be pickled, in these recipes, we have spicy cauliflower, rosemary carrots, and sweet cucumber pickles. Make one or make em all, they go great together, or stand alone.
Depending on the need, sometimes I just open the jars and serve with a spoon. Or put on a single plate the variation in each pickle is a wonderful surprise.
A Trio of Pickled Things
Spicy Cauliflower Pickle
In a boiling pot of water carefully immerse a head of cauliflower parboil for 1 1/2 minutes.
Remove and cool the head in an iced water bath.
Chop cooled cauliflower into bite sized florets.
Slice two jalapeños thin.
In a large mason jar add:
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of pickling spice
- White vinegar 1 to 1 1/4 cups
- 4 bay leaves
Layer the Cauliflower and jalapeno on the jar.
Fill remainder with water, close the lid tightly. Shake to incorporate, and refrigerate. Serve after 2 hours.
Carrot & Rosemary Pickle
Peel 8-10 small carrots, and cut them to fit in a mason jar.
In a boiling pot of water parboil for 1 minute.
Remove and cool the carrots in an iced water bath.
In a medium mason jar add:
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- Two whole cloves of garlic
- 2/3 a cup of vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Carefully stuff the jar with carrots alternating the points to ensure maximum filling.
Fill remainder with water, close the lid tightly. Shake to incorporate, and refrigerate. Serve after 2 hours.
Sweet Cucumber Pickles
Slice one cucumber on a mandolin with the serrated slice, or in 1/4 inch (5mm) slices.
In a medium Mason jar add:
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pickling spice
- Pepper flakes 1 tsp or so if desired
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2/3 cup of vinegar
- Lots of Dill sprigs fresh (6-8)
Fill remainder with water, close the lid tightly. Shake to incorporate, and refrigerate. Serve after 2 hours.
Try some of our other delicious appetizers:
Spicy Black Bean Hummus | Spicy & Festive |
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