Giardiniera

Name: Giardiniera
Total time: 3 d 1 h
Yield: About 2 quarts
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 4 serrano chiles, thinly sliced, with seeds removed; 2 red sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 or 2 celery ribs, sliced or julienned; 1 or 2 carrots, sliced or julienned; 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets; 1/2 cup salt; 2 cloves garlic, slivered; 3 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds; 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns; 1 cup white vinegar; 1/2 cup olive oil (not extra virgin); 1/2 cup grapeseed or safflower oil

By Cathy Barrow

Updated Sept. 15, 2021

Total Time: 1 hour, plus 3 days’ pickling
Rating: 4(318)
Comments: Read comments

Making giardiniera (pronounced jar-deen-YAIR-uh and Italian for “from the garden”) is a tradition in many Italian American households, but it does not require the work you might expect of a long-handed-down custom. This is preserving with no lids to seal; it takes only an hour or so of preparation and two or three days of waiting, and keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. In many ways, what follows is more technique than recipe, with flexibility to suit your mood or tastes. If you love carrots, add more. Or introduce zucchini, eggplant, onions or green beans. If you want it extra-spicy, add more serranos, red pepper flakes or even a bird’s-eye chile. Chop the vegetables uniformly so that the brine will work its magic evenly: mincing makes a great relish for a hot dog, while larger pieces are better for a side dish.

Featured in: Moving Into the Refrigerator for a Long Winter’s Stay

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 quarts

4serrano chiles, thinly sliced, with seeds removed
2red sweet peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 or 2celery ribs, sliced or julienned
1 or 2carrots, sliced or julienned
1medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
½cup salt
2cloves garlic, slivered
3teaspoons dried oregano
1teaspoon red pepper flakes
½teaspoon celery seeds
1teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
1cup white vinegar
½cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
½cup grapeseed or safflower oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the vegetables and salt until well combined. Cover the vegetables with water. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to sit, unrefrigerated, for 8 to 12 hours.
Step 2
Drain the vegetables and rinse thoroughly. Sterilize 2 quart-size glass jars, with lids, in the dishwasher or by submerging them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Step 3
In one sterilized jar, combine the garlic and all the herbs and spices; add the vinegar and oil and shake well to emulsify the dressing. Pour half the dressing into the other jar.
Step 4
Pack the vegetables into the jars. If vegetables are not completely coated, make and add more dressing. Screw lids onto jars and refrigerate. Allow the mixture to mellow for a couple of days before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5

318 user ratings

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Comments

Diane6 years ago

Jess is correct, there's a huge difference. Warning: Measure Your Salt By Edward Schneider April 28, 2010 3:00 pm https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/warning-measure-your-salt/ So I got out a one-cup measure and a scale... Morton’s kosher: 250 grams (8 3/4 ounces) Diamond Crystal kosher: 135 grams (4 3/4 ounces) Table salt: 300 grams (10 5/8 ounces) Coarse sea salt: 210 grams (7 3/8 ounces) Malden sea salt: 120 grams (4 1/4 ounces)

kate7 years ago

This was wonderful but the advice about mixing with your hands is insane. I wasn't paying attention so didn't wear gloves, and had the worst burns all over my hands for hours when I made it last summer. So warning the rest of you not to make my mistake!

Jess7 years ago

-10 points for not specifying table salt or kosher salt (or specifying a weight)

Elizabeth H5 months ago

I agree that the oil is problematic in this recipe. If you eat it quickly (which is very easy) it's not as much of an annoyance as if you leave it in the fridge for leisurely consumption. Any oil will coagulate at the temperature of a fridge. Someone suggested leaving oil out and I agree, but I also found the "dressing" aspect of this different and delicious. I split the difference and used 1/4 cup of good quality olive oil and a tsp of dijon for emulsion and it was just as delightful.

ChicagoChristopher9 months ago

I have no idea why they would recommend "Regular" as opposed to "EVOO". With research, EVOO solidifies at a slightly lower temp than Regular, so when you take it out of your fridge both will need time to warm up. Presumably they suggest Regular because it's cheaper and doesn't have a huge impact on the flavor with everything else going on. A favorite brand of giardiniera I get at TJs uses soybean oil, which is used prob because it doesn't solidify in the fridge. Use EVOO if that's what you got.

Maggie10 months ago

The large amount of oil makes the giardiniera difficult to use. I have to take it out of the fridge for about an hour so the sludge on top melts, then stir it thoroughly so it all mixes together. The flavor is really good, however, and I've used it in bean salad, orzo salad, and tuna sandwiches to great effect. I wonder if a bit of mustard incorporated into the marinade will keep it better emulsified?

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