| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 16 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 16 hr |
| Yield: | 3 to 4 cups |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup table salt
- 1 cup small-diced carrots
- 1 cup tiny cauliflower florets
- 4 to 8 serrano peppers, sliced (depending on heat level desired)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 stalk celery, diced small
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 2 cups canola oil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups water and the salt in a glass or non-reactive bowl. Mix until the salt is dissolved. Add the carrots, cauliflower, serranos, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the salt water and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Day 2, drain and rinse the vegetables. In a clean bowl, mix together the oil with the oregano and pepper. Add the vegetables and mix to combine. Allow to marinate overnight. Giardiniera will only get better with time. After 2 days at the most in the bowl, you can place in air-tight mason jars and keep in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 weeks.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 398 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 181 mg |
Reviews
For those adjusting salt and worrying about botulism. 1. This is not a long term canning method. 2.Salt has been used as a preservative for ages, and works to preserve food in two ways: Salt dries food. Salt draws water out of food and dehydrates it. All living things require water and cannot grow in the absence of it, including the bacteria which can cause food poisonin..
3. Keep the salt content and everything tastes good. The problem is when you start manipulating recipes so much yiublose important properties.
3. Keep the salt content and everything tastes good. The problem is when you start manipulating recipes so much yiublose important properties.
Keep up the good work Jeff!
I loved this. I’ve not had it with olive before, but I did really enjoy the silkiness of that. I used my go to pickling brine with it and it was delicious.
I made this recipe and loved the results. I will adjust the salt and add more veggies next time. Thank you Jeff.
I have made this recipe several times I am going to preserve in jars so I will you advice
This recipe is awesome, but there are two important things to consider. 1) The recipe calls for table salt, but unless your table salt is coarse, it is going to turn out too salty for most. I love salty food, but the size difference between coarse and table salt makes a massive difference. I strongly suspect this recipe was made originally with fancy, flaky, coarse salt, which gives a really nice salt level. 2)Don’t use tap water or well water. You need to use filtered water. Tap water usually has bleach and fluoride, if not tiny crustaceans that feed on mosquito larvae, (Really! they are called copepods, looking at you NYC…) which will disrupt the microbiome present during, and subsequent, to the brine phase of the recipe. If you use filtered water the giardiniera will get better with time in the fridge from the natural fermentation process, if you use treated water the mixture will not change over time. The whole “it gets better over time” is entirely contingent on the natural fermentation process that will be disrupted by treated water. Well water probably works fine, but who knows what kinds of microbes you are incorporating into your giardiniera with well water. It is best to be cautious with any kind of fermentation or pickling process, although if it goes bad, you should be able to tell from the smell and taste.
First off, I should’ve realized before making this that this recipe isn’t for the kind of giardiniera I wanted to prepare; there’s no vinegar on the ingredient list. But this was the first recipe netted by my search, and since Jeff’s name is attached, I decided to try it. I’ve never eaten Chicago-style giardiniera before, so I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be as salty as mine turned out. Frankly, even though I know I can adjust the amount of salt in my next batch, I’m very hesitant to make it again.
I lived many years in Illinois and became addicted to Chicago style gardiniera. This recipe replicates it perfectly! I reduced the salt and Serrano chilies by less than half and doubled the vegetables, only because of personal preferences but this is a family favorite for sandwiches, pizza, and grilled meats. Thank you Jeff!
Absolutely delicious. I wouldn’t change anything. At first I thought it was going to be too spicy with all the serranos he suggested but it actually turned out great. It is our favorite condiment for sandwiches.
Great recipe to build upon. I added fresh rosemary, thyme and lemon zest, used olive oil and vinegar instead of straight canola, and added green olives. Red pepper flakes work if you dont have hot peppers. Beautiful, delicious, nutritious!
SOOO Delish! I spent time in North Chicago years ago and picked up the addiction for giardiniera while there. I’ve been all over the world since then and tried many different variations but nothing was quite the same. This recipe is the closest I’ve found, so THANKS! very much!