Pickled Zucchini
This weekend I made these preserves purely for their appearance. The idea of working with boiled vinegar didn't excite me at all, and the idea of preserved zucchini even less. But their color and how they look in the jar were stronger than all my preconceptions, and on Saturday I got to work. The preserving liquid turned out as good as it looks - it's sweet-sour and slightly spicy from the ginger. And the zucchini stay crispy despite being thinly sliced and absorb all the flavor of the brine.
I was inspired by the same Judy Rodgers from whom we have the peach tart, I only added coriander and ginger to the original recipe.
Ingredients
700g young zucchini (not too large)
1 small onion
500 ml white wine vinegar (6%)
200g sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 level teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 pinch ground ginger
2 tablespoons salt
How to prepare pickled zucchini
- Wash the zucchini well and trim the ends. Peel the onion.
- Slice the zucchini thinly (either lengthwise like I did, for strips, or crosswise for fine rounds). Also slice the onion into equally fine rounds. For this operation it's easier to use a mandoline.
- Put some ice-cold water in a bowl, add the salt and stir until dissolved. Add the zucchini and onion to the bowl and top up with cold water until they're well covered. Let sit in the brine for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring the vinegar to a boil with the sugar and remaining seasonings. Boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool completely.
- Drain the zucchini and then pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Put the zucchini in a clean jar and add the spiced vinegar. Stir a bit and close the jar. Refrigerate for at least 2 days before consuming.
- They keep for months in the refrigerator.
In cold salted water
In jars
