MAKES 1 LARGE JAR | 15 MINUTES
2 cups mineral water
2 cups cider vinegar
1 lb vegetables, such as carrots, artichokes, radishes, cucumber, celery, mixed beans, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, beets
a few sprigs of fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, bay, tarragon, fennel, marjoram
1 teaspoon spices, such as mustard seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, dried chili, saffron
optional: fragrant ingredients, such as garlic, fresh chili, turmeric, ginger, horseradish
This is a brilliant general pickle that gives you a structure to rely on, but also some flexibility with vegetables, spices and flavorings, to allow your creativity to come out – tweak to perfection as you experiment with new combinations.
Tip the water, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sea salt into a large pan and bring to a simmer. Select the vegetable(s) you’d like to use, then wash and prep to an agreeable bite size. Add to the pan with your chosen herb and spice combination, and any additional fragrant ingredients, to taste (if using), then bring to a boil and poach until half cooked (there’s no need to poach salad veg, such as cucumber, first), to keep a good crunch. Decant the veg and liquor into a sterilized jar and secure the lid – good to eat after a day or two, and if all is sterilized well (see below), they’ll be good for 3 months unopened and kept in a dark place. Once opened, leave in the fridge and use within a week or two. If you choose not to sterilize, they’ll keep happily in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
How to sterilize: simply boil the jar, lid and any utensils used to fill the jar for 15 minutes, making sure not to use any unsterile items until after you’ve sealed the jar.
These values are based on 100g.
