Eingemachtes Gemüse (Austrian Pickled Vegetables)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4 glass preserving jars with lids (500ml each)
• •Large pot for sterilizing jars
• •Wide saucepan for the brine
• •Jar tongs or sturdy kitchen tongs
• •Large bowl with ice water for blanching

Instructions

1. 1

   Sterilize the jars

   Wash four 500ml glass jars and their lids in very hot soapy water, then place them in a large pot of boiling water for ten minutes. Leave them in the hot water until you're ready to fill them. A clean jar is not the same as a sterile jar. You need both the heat and the time. If you skip this step, you're gambling with your preserves and that's a bet not worth making.

   Flip-top jars with rubber seals work beautifully. So do screw-top preserving jars. Whatever you use, inspect the rims for chips. A cracked rim means a bad seal, and a bad seal means the whole jar goes in the bin.
2. 2

   Prepare the vegetables

   Break the cauliflower into florets no larger than a walnut. Too big and the brine can't penetrate properly. Too small and they'll turn to mush in a week. Slice the carrots into even rounds, about half a centimeter thick. Cut the peppers into strips wide enough to have some presence on a plate. Slice the onion into thin half-moons. If you're using pickling cucumbers, quarter them lengthwise. Everything should be cut with purpose. These will sit in jars looking back at you through the glass, so make them worth looking at.

3. 3

   Blanch the firm vegetables

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the cauliflower florets and carrot rounds. Blanch for exactly two minutes. No longer. You want them softened just enough that the brine can work its way in, but still firm. They should resist when you press them with a fingernail. Drain and plunge immediately into ice water to stop the cooking. The peppers and onions go in raw. They don't need blanching because they're already tender enough to absorb the brine.

   The ice bath isn't fussy chef behavior. It stops the cooking dead. Without it, the residual heat keeps working and your cauliflower arrives in the jar already halfway to soft.
4. 4

   Make the sweet-sour brine

   Combine the white wine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a wide saucepan. Add the mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander seeds, celery seeds, and allspice berries. Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Let it simmer for five minutes. The kitchen will smell sharp and sweet at the same time. That balance is the whole point of Austrian Essig-Einlegen. Too much vinegar and the vegetables taste like a punishment. Too much sugar and you've made candy. This ratio gives you the clean, bright tang that makes Eingemachtes Gemüse the thing you reach for first on a Brettljause plate.

5. 5

   Pack the jars

   Pull the hot jars from the water with tongs. Work quickly. Pack the blanched cauliflower and carrots, raw pepper strips, onion half-moons, and cucumber quarters (if using) tightly into the jars, mixing the colors as you go. Tuck a bay leaf from the brine, a sprig of dill, and a few slices of horseradish into each jar. Pack the vegetables firmly but don't crush them. You want them snug enough that they won't float up above the brine line once you pour it in.

6. 6

   Pour the brine and seal

   Ladle the hot brine over the packed vegetables, filling each jar to within one centimeter of the rim. Make sure the liquid covers every piece of vegetable completely. Tap the jars gently on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles. You'll see them rise. Spoon a share of the mustard seeds and spices from the bottom of the saucepan into each jar. Wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth, then seal the lids tightly. The hot brine in the sealed jar creates a vacuum as it cools. You'll hear the lids pop inward, one by one, over the next hour. That's the sound of a good seal.

   Every surface of every vegetable must be submerged. Anything poking above the brine line is exposed to air, and exposed vegetables spoil. If you're short on brine, mix a quick splash of vinegar with a pinch of sugar and salt to top up.
7. 7

   Rest and store

   Let the sealed jars cool completely on the counter. Don't move them, don't tip them, don't open them to check. Once cool, store in a dark, cool place. The vegetables need at least one week to develop their full flavor, but two weeks is better. The mustard seeds will swell and soften. The brine will mellow from sharp to round. The cauliflower will turn translucent and golden at the edges. Patience. When you finally open a jar, the smell should be clean, bright, and inviting. Serve them cold, straight from the jar, alongside cold cuts, bread, cheese, and good mustard. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •Use white wine vinegar, not distilled white vinegar. The wine vinegar has a rounder acidity that mellows beautifully over time. Distilled vinegar is harsh and stays harsh. You'll taste the difference the moment you open the jar.
• •Don't skip the mustard seeds. They're not decoration. As they sit in the brine, they swell and soften into little bursts of warm, peppery flavor. Bite into one alongside a piece of pickled cauliflower and a sliver of Speck and you'll understand why Austrians have been doing this for centuries.
• •The sugar-to-vinegar ratio matters. If the brine tastes too sharp when you make it, it will be too sharp in the jar. Taste it before you pour. It should be bright and tangy but with a clean sweetness right behind it. You can adjust the sugar by a tablespoon or two without any trouble.
• •Make these in late summer or early autumn when the peppers and cauliflower are at their best. Austrian cooking is seasonal. Preserving is how you carry the best of summer into winter, and the quality of the vegetables you start with is the quality you'll taste in January.

Advance Preparation

• •The sealed jars need a minimum of one week before opening, and two weeks produces the best flavor. The brine mellows and the vegetables fully absorb the spices during this time.
• •Unopened jars stored in a cool, dark pantry will keep for up to six months. Once opened, refrigerate and use within three weeks.
• •You can prepare and blanch all the vegetables several hours ahead of packing. Keep them in ice water in the fridge until you're ready to fill the jars.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)