This recipe is simple to make with any vegetables that you have available from the garden. Over the last few weeks we have been lucky enough to be harvesting lots of radish and beetroot from the vegetable garden. I have been using them in salads regularly. After a few days the kids were groaning when they looked at the bench and saw more still waiting to be used. I had seen a gorgeous image on Pinterest of a colourful taco pickle and decided to trial the idea myself and give the kids a break from another beetroot and radish salad combination.

Over the past few years our vegetable garden has become more and more productive. We now regularly have produce that we can not always eat straight away. For some vegetables this is intentional.  I have built up a range of our favourite preserves and sauces that I make each year when the produce is in abundance. We can then stock the pantry and use it through the months after that.

Our favourites include:

• tomato sauce
• tomato chutney
• Worcestershire sauce
• jam of all varieties
• chilli jam and the best one –  sweet chilli sauce.

At the end of summer our pantry shelves bow under the weight of all of the jars. At this time of year the shelves are almost bare, waiting to be filled again.

The point of talking about all of these sauces and preserves that I make regularly is to tell you that I have not made a pickle before.  Please don’t ask me how long it will last. At this point I am not exactly sure.

I made this batch a week ago and we are still eating and enjoying it.  The volume this recipe makes is a decent amount – enough to make a few jars for you and a few jars to take to a BBQ on the weekend and leave a jar or two for the hosts.  That will get rid of the lot – guaranteed. No need to store them. I assume that the vinegar would preserve the vegetables for months but as I said I have not yet tested it to say for sure.

I recommend you enjoy this recipe within a couple of weeks, or reduce the recipe quantities of the vegetables and make a small amount to enjoy straight away. Store the jars in the fridge.

I based the vinegar and sugar percentages that I used in the recipe from an old preserving cookbook I found at an op shop many years ago: Preserves and Preserving, Olive Odell, Macdonald Educational, London, 1978

I ate some of this salsa pickle on the first day I made them and have been eating it since as a side dish to meat, in salads and on sandwiches. I have enjoyed the flavour most when they were first made.

If you have loads of gorgeous spring and new summer produce starting give it a try I am sure you will love it.

Print

Simple hand-made pickled vegetable salsa

Prep Time

35 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

An easy to make fresh pickle full of glorious freshly harvested spring vegetables. Serve with cold meat or with a platter

Course: Preserve

Servings: 6 -9 jars

Author: Kyrstie Barcak - A Fresh Legacy

Ingredients

• 8-10 radish finely sliced finely
• 1 slice small carrot finely
• 1 small cucumber finely sliced
• 1 small zucchini finely sliced
• 1 small capsicum finely sliced
• 2 red chilli finely chopped de-seeded for a mild version
• 1 small beetroot finely sliced
• leaves fresh coriander
• 400 ml apple cider vinegar
• 800 ml vinegar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 200 grams sugar

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables and combine in a bowl
2. To a saucepan add the vinegars, salt and sugar and bring to a gently simmer. stirring once in a while to dissolve the sugar.
3. Steralise the jars in the oven for 15 minutes at 120 degrees celcius
4. Bring the saucepan contents to the boil and remove from the heat to cool for 10 minutes
5. Remove the jars carefully from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes
6. Add the sliced vegetables and coriander to the jars and pour in the liquid to cover
7. Enjoy with sliced meat, instead of sauce and on sandwiches or served as part of a platter

Recipe Notes

Allow the jars and liquid to cool a little prior to finalising the steps as this allows the vegetables to keep some of their fresh crispness.

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Have a great weekend.