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Canning Giardiniera #475801
Asked August 04, 2018, 3:13 PM EDT
Homemade Giardiniera Mix
INGREDIENTS:
1. Vegetable mix: Quantity to fit into each jar depends on what you have on hand: cauliflower, celery, carrots, sliced red onions, red, yellow and orange sweet peppers, red bell pepper slices, all chopped in smaller pieces except the small sweet peppers
2. Spices: 2 cloves of garlic chopped, 1 dried chile pepper, 1 head dill and some dill leaves (fresh)
3. Brine: 20 cups of water, 10 cups cider vinegar, 20 tablespoons of canning salt, some garlic salt and celery salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Chop up a mixture of the vegetables for each jar
2. Then add the spices to each jar.
3. Once you have crammed all you can into each jar, add the brine (makes 12 quarts)
4. Boil the brine and add it to the jars, and put in a water can bath for 30 minutes.
Pierce County Washington
Expert Response
Hello,
First, I apologize for the delay in responding. I was out of the office. There are a couple of red flags in that recipe. First, vinegar to water ratio in not adequate to prevent problems, including botulism poisoning. Recipes need to be a minimum of 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water, more vinegar is OK, but not less. Vinegar needs to be 5% acid or greater. Cramming vegetables into a jar is not OK. Heat penetration depends on appropriate liquid to solids ratio, cramming is never suggested. There are a couple of similar recipes available to you from tested sources. Here is a mixed pickled vegetables recipe from Colorado State Univ.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_mixed_veg.html
if you want smaller pieces - here is a relish type recipe. The second may be more of a "sweet" flavor than you are looking for.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/fall_garden_relish.html
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/rummage_relish.html
I hope that helps. Please feel free to contact me directly if you need additional information.
