How to Make Classic British Piccalilli (2024)

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Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 12/3/21

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Ingredients

For the Brine:

130 grams table salt
7 cups cold water
300 grams cauliflower florets
225 grams peeled pearl onions, fresh or frozen
225 grams seedless cucumber, cut into large pieces
2 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed

For the Spiced Vinegar:

7 ounces dark malt vinegar
7 ounces white wine vinegar
1 teaspoonpickling spice
56 grams superfine sugar

For the Pickling:

56 grams unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 1/4 teaspoons mustard powder
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Make the Brine

Gather the ingredients.
In a bowl large enough to hold the water and all of the vegetables, dissolve the salt in the water.
Add the cauliflower, pearl onions, cucumber, and capers. Stir.
Put a plate on the vegetables to make sure they stay submerged in the brine.
See Also
English Piccalilli
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Make the Spiced Vinegar

Gather the ingredients.
In a large stainless steel pan, place the dark malt vinegar, white wine vinegar, pickling spice, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
Transfer to a ceramic bowl and leave to cool overnight in the fridge.

Pickle the Vegetables

Gather the ingredients and remove the brined vegetables and spiced vinegar from the fridge.
Drain and rinse the vegetables well.
In a large pot, place the rinsed vegetables. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Drain the water and reserve the veggies.
In a pan, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring thoroughly to avoid clumping.
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the flour.
Strain the spiced vinegar.
Slowly add the vinegar to the butter and flour. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
Add the turmeric, mustard powder, and black pepper while stirring well. You now should have a brightly colored, thick sauce.
Pour the thick sauce over the drained vegetables and stir well, making sure all the vegetables are coated in the sauce.
Pour into sterilized clamp jars and seal. Preferably, wait at least one week before opening to allow the flavors to intensify.

How to Store

Once opened, the jars must be kept in the refrigerator.
Unopened jars will keep for at least six months in a dark, cool place.

Add Piccalilli to Your Recipes

Piccalilli is usually used as a side dish and to complement cold dishes, but it can also be added into other recipes:

Omelets: Add a spoonful of piccalilli per each egg you're using in your omelet. Chop and sauté spinach, kale, or mustard greens; add the egg mixture, and grate some cheese like feta or ricotta for an out-of-this-world lunch.
Savory Muffins: Add a spoonful of piccalilli per cup of batter to your savory muffin recipe (try our cheddar cheese muffin). If the batter seems too runny, add spoonfuls of flour, one at a time, until the batter seems good enough to bake.
Meatballs: Add 1/2 cup of piccalilli per 1/2 pound of meat. Because the pickled veggies bring moisture into the mix, have some breadcrumbs at hand, and add one handful at a time until the texture seems right to roll the meatballs.
Empanadas: Make empanadas from scratch adding 1 spoonful of piccalilli per cup of stuffing.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
164	Calories
5g	Fat
27g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories	164
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	6%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 12mg	4%
Sodium 5108mg	222%
Total Carbohydrate 27g	10%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 15mg	76%
Calcium 39mg	3%
Iron 1mg	5%
Potassium 199mg	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

pickles
pickled veggies
british
july 4th

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