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.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 quart jars 1x
- Category: Pickles
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: British
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
This looks like a great recipe. I am new to fermenting and am wondering how long this lasts in the fridge?
As long as you don’t serve it with a dirty fork, it should last for several months. I’ve actually never had a sauerkraut-like ferment go off once it’s in the fridge, so I don’t really know. 🙂
This seems like an interesting idea. When you add the vinegar does it end the fermentation, as vinegar is the end process of wine fermentation? Thus it would last in the fridge somewhat indefinetly.
To be honest, I usually keep all my ferments indefinitely (or at least until we’ve eaten them!) The honey and vinegar don’t curb the fermentation as much as the refrigeration. In this case, I’m using the natural kraut fermentation to soften and blend the veg. The honey and vinegar are for flavour. Enjoy!
Hello, English is not my first language and it is the first time I do ferment food.
Not a good start for me. I am doing the recipe right now and do not understand how 1/2 cup of water in my jar
would be enough liquid to bring to a brime level. I did put water enough to cover once I had the weight in place.
My second international is about closing or not a lid. I have no idea.
Sylvie
My second interogation not international as my keyboard wrote.
Hi Sylvie,
This is a cabbage ferment, so it should release most of the liquid for the brine from the vegetables. If you’ve packed the vegetables into the jar(s) then you’ll only need a little bit of liquid to cover. Feel free to use a fermentation lid (pickle pipe, airlock, etc.) or leave it covered with a cloth. Using weight to keep the vegetables below the brine is all you need to do to ensure a safe ferment. However, it’s nice to use a fermentation lid if you have one. Good luck!