Pickled vegetables, in this case, sweet and sour, are called Giardiniera in Italian.
A very poetic name since it evokes the word garden. Giardiniera brings to mind the colors of the dish and the vegetables from the garden.
It is an ancient method of preserving vegetables in season and eating them the next.
I still remember when, at the end of summer, my grandmother and I used to make the big jars of pickled vegetables for the winter and then the autumn-winter one for the following spring.
The colorful jars would find their way onto the cellar shelves along with jams, marmalades, tomato preserves, demijohns of wine, crates of apples and potatoes, and, finally, the big bag of nuts.
Pickled vegetables and the Emilia-Romagna giardiniera
The recipe for pickled vegetables is typical of some regions of Italy, but only in Emilia-Romagna is called giardiniera.
What is giardiniera? A side dish of vegetables that are briefly cooked in water, vinegar, and sugar. Some people add the aroma of spices and, in my opinion, it is worth putting the ones you like or trying different ones each time. Better still, a mix of spices.
For making pickled vegetables, this time, I used star anise, white pepper, and juniper berries that I removed at the end of cooking.
After a quick boil, the vegetables are ready: crispy and sweet, and sour.
I prefer apple vinegar to wine vinegar for its less tangy taste.
You can serve this side dish with fish and meat dishes, especially boiled meats (in Italian lesso or bollito).
The giardiniera, with or without vegetables, also looks good on a traditional board of cold meats and cheeses to accompany piadina, tigelle, or gnocco fritto (crescentine, as they say in Bologna).
Or you can offer it as an appetizer or aperitif, accompanied by crackers.
Finally, you can mix pickled vegetables with a fresh, seasonal salad.
Compose the giardiniera according to your taste. To make it, choose the vegetables in the season and depending on your taste.
My home recipe
This pickled vegetables recipe was handed down to me by my grandma for years.
Pickled vegetables and salsa verde were seldom missing from the table on Sundays and holidays. And not only in winter. We made pickled vegetables also in summer.
These sweet and sour pickled vegetables are quick to make and you can eat immediately. But they are also great to have in the pantry.
This giardiniera tends towards pink because I have used vegetables that color the others.
If you prefer pickled vegetables, where each ingredient retains its color, don’t use purple carrots or red onions. Instead, use orange carrots and spring onion or white onion.
One characteristic of a giardiniera is that the vegetables are all the same size.
But we are home cooks, so you have to guess. However, try to maintain a minimum of harmony that comes from uniform cutting.
Fruit, usually apples or pears, was added to sweeten the side dish and make them particular. Of course, the fruit should only be cooked for a minute before turning off the cooker and, unlike the vegetables, it will not be crispy but soft. Again, follow your taste.
You don’t need to make a lot of jars; you can cook a small amount to eat at the moment.
Buona cucina, Monica
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Homemade pickled vegetables with pear recipe
2 medium jars or serves 4-6
List of ingredients
cauliflower, one small, approx. 100-150 g
fennel, one small
one red or yellow pepper, small
12 shallots from Romagna
200g green beans
2 Pears from Emilia Romagna Igp
6 long red onions, Tropea type, or 1 round red onion
1 orange and 1 purple carrot, small
1.2 l natural water
300ml apple vinegar
50g dark sugar
20g coarse salt
Filtered juice of half a lemon
Optional but recommended
Aromas: one-star anise, 4 white or black peppercorns, 2 juniper berries
Method
Wash and dry the vegetables, then cut them into small pieces of approximately the same size.
Peel the pears and cut them into slices, removing the seeds and the central part.
Wrap the spices in food-grade gauze and tie them with kitchen string.
Combine water, vinegar, salt, sugar, and the spice packet in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
Dip the cauliflower, carrots, and pepper into the boiling liquid.
Wait a minute and add everything else except the pears.
Continue to cook over medium heat – it should not come to a complete boil – for about 6-8 minutes. In the time the vegetables are cooking, taste and decide what degree of crunchiness you like.
When there is less than a minute to go, plunge the pears in as well.
Turn off the heat.
Now, you have two options.
Option 1:
Make jars to store the giardiniera in the pantry.
Scoop the vegetables with a slotted spoon, place them in sterilized jars, cover with the boiling liquid, close with a lid, turn upside down, and vacuum seal.
Option 2:
eat the giardiniera!
Scoop out the vegetables with a slotted spoon and gently place them on a plate.
Leave to rest for a few hours or overnight in the fridge covered with cling film.
To give a more intense flavor, once cooled, use the cooking liquid as a marinade to let the giardiniera rest for a few hours or overnight.
If you like, add a drizzle of olive oil.
