Giardiniera

By Cathy Barrow

Updated Sept. 14, 2021

Giardiniera
Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour, plus 3 days’ pickling
Rating
4(329)
Comments
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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
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)

161 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 244 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
329 user ratings
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Comments

Diane

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)

kate

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!

Jess

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

Tracy

If you want to make fermented vegetables to get the benefit of probiotics, use this recipe minus the vinegar and both oils. Instead of salting the vegetables, make a brine using about 2-3 tablespoons of salt that is NOT iodized per quart of water. Stuff the vegetables in mason jars, pour brine to cover, use a fermentation weight or cabbage leaf to keep the vegetables submerged, use a pickle pipe or ‘burp’ daily, wait 7-10 days, then use it or refrigerate. The longer you ferment, the softer and more tangy the vegetables. Delicious as is, or you can add vinegar and oil to taste.

Diane

I have kept mine in the fridge for months. Still tastes great and I am alive to tell.

Elizabeth H

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.

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