Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Cooking with Beer - Pickled Pink Cauliflower (Spicy)




I grew up in an area was densely populated with the descendants of German immigrants commonly known as Pennsylvania Dutch. One of the Pennsylvania Dutch treats I totally enjoyed and often devoured was hot pickled cauliflower. It's something I can't get here in Connecticut. The closest thing to it is Italian Giardiniera and that's not even close to being the same - nor as spicy hot.

Hot pickled cauliflower is generally yellow-ish due the spices in the brine. Mine are pink. I pickled these with radishes and the red from the radish skins seeps into the beer brine and makes the cauliflower pink.





Pickled Pink Cauliflower
(Refrigerator Pickles)

2 Heads of Cauliflower
1 Lb Radishes, Halved
6 Hot Peppers, Halved
6 Garlic Cloves, Peeled
3 Tbsp Brown Mustard Seeds
3 Tbsp Whole Black Peppercorns
1 Tbsp Hot Pepper Flakes
8 Cups Distilled White Vinegar
1 Cup Water
2 12-Oz Bottles IPA or Pale Ale
1 cup Kosher Salt











Break the cauliflower into bite-size-ish flowerettes.

Bring the vinegar, beer, and water to a fast simmer.

Pack sterilized glass jars with cauliflower, hot pepper, garlic clove, mustard seed, pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black peppercorns. Top with the radishes. Distribute ingredients evenly between jars.

Fill jars with hot brine. Secure with a lid and place in the refrigerator for a week (good) or two (better).

Enjoy!



Note: I used 2 half gallon mason jars. But you can use quart sized.

Note: I used a combination of fresh and dried peppers - fresh jalapenos / dried habaneros. Use whatever you like depending on how hot you want the cauliflower.



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