Quick and Easy Pickled Cauliflower
Quick and easy pickled cauliflower creates a flavor packed take on this veggie you will love! This refrigerator cauliflower pickle recipe will add zip and tang to so many dishes.
I almost always have a head or two of cauliflower in my fridge. You can do so many delicious things with it. Yes, hello loaded cauliflower mash, I’m looking at you! But, have you ever thought about cauliflower pickles? What a treat!
This quick and easy pickled cauliflower makes for a light summer cauliflower recipe that you can enjoy as an appetizer, garnish or even on toast as a meal. This fridge cauliflower pickle recipe is one of my favorite ways to add lots of bold, tangy flavor to so many dishes.
Once you start pickling you’re not going to want to stop. We have a great tutorial on How to Make Quick Pickled Vegetables. Give our quick pickled cucumbers, pickled radishes, dilly beans, and refrigerator zucchini pickles a try next!
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What You Need
- Cauliflower – Cauliflower, of course, is the star of this recipe. Choose a firm, closed head of cauliflower. If you are using white cauliflower, try to avoid cauliflower with any dark spots.
- Red and orange bell pepper – Bell peppers add extra flavor to this recipe. Both red and orange bell peppers are sweeter than green bell peppers and won’t add heat.
- Vinegar – Vinegar is the active ingredient in pickling vegetables. For the best results, use a combination of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar.
- Water – As written, you use equal parts of water and vinegar. For more tang, you can reduce the amount of water in the recipe.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves add zip to the cauliflower.
- Sugar – White sugar helps to balance the acidity of the vinegar. Use a sugar substitute to keep these cauliflower pickles keto or omit it all together if you prefer.
- Salt – Salt is a major part of the pickling brine. Use kosher salt or pickling salt.
- Spices – For maximum yum factor, use a blend of mustard seed, coriander, black peppercorns and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
How do you make cauliflower pickles?
- Prepare and divide the veggies – Slice the cauliflower, bell peppers and celery. Divide the veggie mixture up evenly and place the veggies in 2 wide mouth pint mason jars.
- Boil the brine – In a small pot, add the vinegars, water, garlic, sugar (or sugar substitute if you are making this a keto friendly version), salt, mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes. Give the mixture a quick stir and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cool the mixture and divide – When the mixture reaches a boil, remove it from the heat. Wait about 5 minutes until the brine has cooled down a bit before pouring it into each jar. Make sure while you pour in the mixture that you get an even amount of spices in each jar.
- Refrigerate – Once the brine cools completely, you can screw the lid onto the jar. Make sure it is sealed tight! When you have the lid on, store the pickled cauliflower in the fridge for 24 to 48 before digging into them.
The key to making the perfect pickled cauliflower recipe is the brine. Brine is the salty vinegar mixture that makes the pickled magic happen. For the best tasting brine, we prefer equal parts vinegar and water. For every 1 cup of vinegar add 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon sugar.
If you want your pickled cauliflower to have extra tang, you can reduce the water for a tangier brine.
Pickled cauliflower will last up two weeks when you keep the jars covered and refrigerated.
As is, this pickled cauliflower has sugar in the recipe. To keep it keto friendly, use a sugar substitute or get rid of the sugar all together. If you decide to omit the sugar, the cauliflower pickles will be tangier.
You can use cauliflower pickles to garnish meats or sandwiches. It’s would also be a fantastic addition to an antipasto platter or a cheese board.
Pickled cauliflower is also a traditional Israeli breakfast, so you could certainly eat it as part of yours. Of course, you could just eat the cauliflower pickles plain as a light snack.
Looking for More Cauliflower Recipes?
- Low Carb Pizza Casserole
- Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup {Keto}
- Keto Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Brown Butter {Low Carb/Keto}
- Low Carb Loaded Cauliflower Bake
- Keto Colcannon
- Keto Antipasto Salad
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Quick and Easy Pickled Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 small Cauliflower
- 1/2 Red Pepper
- 1/2 Orange bell pepper
- 1 cup White vinegar
- 1 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups Water
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 Tbsp Sugar, or sugar substitute
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons Mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons Coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons Black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Divide the sliced cauliflower, and bells peppers evenly between 2 wide mouth pint mason jars.
- Add vinegars, water, garlic, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes to a small pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Once the mixture reaches a boil remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes before pouring it into each jar. Make sure you get an even distribution of spices in each jar.
- Let the mixture cool completely before screwing the lid on and placing the jars in the refrigerator. Let sit for 24-48 hours before eating.
Nutrition
Can you use frozen cauliflower?
I wouldn’t use frozen cauliflower I think it will be too mushy.