Description
Spicy hot Italian giardiniera brings zesty Mediterranean flavors to your kitchen, delivering a bold condiment packed with pickled vegetables and fiery heat. Crisp peppers, tangy vinegar, and aromatic herbs create a classic Italian-style relish you’ll want to add to sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie boards.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables:
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 cup sliced bell peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced jalapeños
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Liquid and Preservation:
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare a clean, large mixing bowl and chop all vegetables into uniform bite-sized pieces, ensuring consistent cutting for even pickling and texture.
- Combine chopped cauliflower, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and jalapeños in the mixing bowl, creating a vibrant vegetable medley.
- Sprinkle dried oregano, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, black pepper, and salt over the vegetables, thoroughly mixing to distribute seasonings evenly.
- In a separate saucepan, blend white vinegar, olive oil, water, and white wine vinegar, heating the liquid mixture to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Pour the hot vinegar mixture directly over the seasoned vegetables, ensuring all pieces are completely submerged in the pickling liquid.
- Allow the giardiniera to cool to room temperature, then transfer to sterilized glass jars, pressing vegetables down to eliminate air pockets.
- Seal jars tightly and refrigerate for at least 48 hours, allowing flavors to meld and pickle thoroughly before serving.
- For best flavor development, let giardiniera rest in the refrigerator for 3-5 days before consuming, shaking jars occasionally to redistribute seasonings.
- Serve chilled as a zesty condiment alongside sandwiches, salads, or antipasto platters.
Notes
- Precision in vegetable cutting ensures uniform pickling and consistent texture throughout the giardiniera.
- Adjusting spice levels by increasing or decreasing jalapeños and red pepper flakes allows customization for different heat tolerances.
- Glass containers with tight-sealing lids prevent contamination and help preserve the pickled vegetables’ crisp, tangy flavor profile.
- Refrigeration time is crucial for developing complex, layered taste; waiting 3-5 days allows ingredients to fully infuse and mellow.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg