Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 kgcucumbers, cut in 2 cm chunks
- 500 gpickling onions, peeled
- 500 gcauliflower, in small florets
- 2red peppers, diced
- 80 gcoarse non-iodised salt
Mustard sauce
- 750 mlwhite vinegar
- 300 gsugar
- 60 gplain flour
- 3 tbspdry mustard powder
- 1 tbspground turmeric
- 1 tspcelery seed
- 1 tspmustard seed
Directions
- Toss all the prepared vegetables with the salt in a large bowl, cover, and leave overnight at room temperature. They will give up a great deal of water, which is exactly the point — unsalted vegetables dilute the sauce and the pickle turns thin in the jar.
- The next day, drain the vegetables and rinse them well in cold water, then drain thoroughly again.
- Whisk the flour, mustard powder, turmeric, celery seed and mustard seed with about 200 ml of the vinegar until completely smooth, with no lumps at all. Lumps will not disperse later.
- Bring the remaining vinegar and the sugar to a simmer in a large pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Whisk in the mustard paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and loses its raw floury taste.
- Add the drained vegetables and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until they are heated through but still firm. They should squeak against the spoon — cooked soft here, they are mush in a month.
- Ladle boiling hot into sterilised jars, seal, and leave at least two weeks before opening. Unopened they keep a year; once opened, keep them in the fridge.
Technique
- The overnight salting is what keeps the vegetables crisp and the sauce thick. It is the only slow step and it is not skippable.
- Whisk the mustard paste cold and smooth before it meets heat. Added dry to hot vinegar it seizes into lumps instantly.
- Fill the jars while everything is boiling hot and seal at once. That is what makes them shelf-stable.
Substitutions
- Green tomatoes in place of some of the cucumber, which is common in Newfoundland.
- Cider vinegar for white, giving a rounder, less aggressive pickle.
Variations
- English piccalilli is the same family, usually with more turmeric and a stiffer sauce.
- A hotter version adds a tablespoon of dry English mustard at the end, off the heat.
History
A Maritime and Newfoundland preserving-jar staple, put up each autumn and set on the table at Sunday dinner.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mustard pickles?
Mustard pickles is a fermented & pickled from Canada: cucumber, onion and cauliflower in turmeric-yellow mustard vinegar, served with cold meat. A Maritime and Newfoundland preserving-jar staple, put up each autumn and set on the table at Sunday dinner.
How long does Mustard pickles take to make?
Mustard pickles takes 40 min plus overnight salting of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills 4 × 500 ml jars. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Mustard pickles?
Yes, within limits. Green tomatoes in place of some of the cucumber, which is common in Newfoundland. Cider vinegar for white, giving a rounder, less aggressive pickle.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mustard pickles?
Toss all the prepared vegetables with the salt in a large bowl, cover, and leave overnight at room temperature. They will give up a great deal of water, which is exactly the point — unsalted vegetables dilute the sauce and the pickle turns thin in the jar.
