I have made this every year since goodness knows when. Usually the first week of January even though the base racipe is from Olia Hercules’ Summer Garden book, which I highly recommend.
Essentially it is simply a jar of chopped vegetables in a spiced vinegar solution. But no minute chopping and boiling and waiting to thicken as in making chutney. No. It is even easier than that!
Put 2litres of apple cyder vinegar in a large saucepan with the following: half a dozen bayleaves, a handful of black peppercorns, coriander seed, caraway seed, two teaspoons of salt and 150g sugar. Bring this to the boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes then take off the heat and allow to cool.
Prepare whatever vegetables you have. Today I had cauliflower, beetroot cut into chunks, romanesco florets, thickly sliced onion, garlic cloves, celeriac wedges, swede wedges, whole chillies, garlic cloves, beet leaves. But you can add whatever you like and there are no ‘proportions, as such.
Prepare your clean jars (I swill mine out with vodka), warm them in the oven or microwave. Then pack the vegetables into the jars as tightly as you can. Then pour in the liquid right to the top and include the whole spices where you can. I often slide the bayleaf down the side of the jar. Wait till thenliquid has cooled then sesl the toos with clingfilm and then a lid. Label. Consume after three weeks – if you can wait that long!
