Name: Fermented Piccalilli
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 medium head of cabbage; 3 cups of finely diced seasonal vegetables (see notes); 1 red onion; 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seed; 1 teaspoon cumin; 2-3 tsp salt (non-iodized); 2 tbsp freshly grated turmeric root (or turmeric powder); 1 tbsp of diced red chili (optional); 1 cup water (chlorine free); 1/4 cup of honey; 1/4 cup of cider vinegar

When we were staying at Tracebridge, Katie served cream of cauliflower soup which she recommended eating with a forkful of fermented piccalilli. I had never heard of piccalilli (and I accidentally kept calling it Piccadilly.) However, it was the perfect accompaniment for the rich creamy flavour of her cauliflower soup.

Traditional piccalilli is an English interpretation of an Indian-style pickled relish. This recipe is based on Katie’s fermented version of piccalilli. However, I had never tried store-bought piccalilli, and Katie assured me that it is fairly different from her lactic acid and salt flavoured condiment.

Intrigued, I explored other piccalilli recipes, which are much more sweet and vinegary. I particularly liked the River Cottage version of piccalilli. So my fermented piccalilli recipe is a mash up of these two very British recipes. The result is a sweet and fermented relish that is delicious with pakoras, cheese or at a barbecue.

Fermented Piccalilli

Piccalilli is a British-style Indian relish that is salty, sweet, spicy and sour. Fermented piccalilli is made with seasonal vegetables. It is perfect with dosas, in a cheese sandwich or served at a BBQ.

Author: Emillie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 quart jars 1x
Category: Pickles
Method: Fermented
Cuisine: British

Scale

Ingredients

Fermented

1 medium head of cabbage
3 cups of finely diced seasonal vegetables (see notes)
1 red onion
2 teaspoons of yellow mustard seed
1 teaspoon cumin
2–3 tsp salt (non-iodized)
2 tbsp freshly grated turmeric root (or turmeric powder)
1 tbsp of diced red chili (optional)
1 cup water (chlorine free)

After fermentation

1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of cider vinegar

Instructions

Grate or finely dice all of the vegetables.
Mix vegetables with salt and spices in a big bowl with a wooden spoon.
Pack the vegetables into 2 quart jars, leaving at least 2″ of head room in each jar. Pour 1/2 cup of water into each jar. Use the spoon to pack the vegetables down so they are below the brine.
Top the vegetables with a weight to keep them below the brine. Let them ferment somewhere cool-ish and dark for 3 to 5 days. (A cupboard is fine.)
After the fermentation has finished, drain the excess brine from the vegetables (or reserve it as a culture for future ferments.)
Empty the jars into a big mixing bowl. Mix in the honey and cider vinegar.
Taste the piccalilli and add more honey and cider vinegar if you want.
When the piccalilli tastes good, pack the vegetables back into the jars and store them in the fridge.

Notes

The piccalilli is meant to be a sweet, fresh ferment. If you want an Indian flavoured sauerkraut, I recommend trying my turmeric spiced sauerkraut.
Traditional vegetables to include in a piccalilli are: cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, green beans, zucchini, sweet peppers and fennel.
I recommend grating the turmeric on a glass plate and wearing gloves if you can! It is very good at dyeing everything yellow.
I usually ferment in a fido jar (affiliate link.) The most important thing is to keep the vegetables from being exposed to air, so if you are just using a regular mason jar be sure to have a good fitting weight.

Keywords: vegan, gluten free, sweet, sour, summer, curry, Indian