I love the salty, spiced flavor of this Curry Pickled Cauliflower. It makes a great topping for salads and sandwiches, but I really love snacking on it right out of the jar. The spice blend includes a nice dose of turmeric, giving the pickles a beautiful golden color. Turmeric also has tons of great health benefits. The curcumin in turmeric, which supplies the golden yellow color, has significant anti-inflammatory properties that rival those found in ibuprofen. Unlike over-the-counter drugs, curcumin has no toxic effects. In addition, curcumin’s powerful antioxidant advantages have been shown to protect healthy cells, particularly those found in the colon, from cancer-causing agents. It can aid the body in destroying mutated cancer cells before they have a chance to spread to other areas. Pretty amazing, right? As if that weren’t enough, turmeric also helps to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.
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Curry Pickled Cauliflower
Ingredients
Brine
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
Pickle
- 3 pounds head of cauliflower
- 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional - adds spice)
- 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
NOTES
Instructions
- To make brine: Combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepot and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside. Let it return to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, wash and trim the cauliflower and break the florets into bite-size pieces.
- Toss cauliflower with 1 ¾ tsp kosher salt and allow to sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse. This will draw out excess moisture from inside the cauliflower, allowing it to absorb the pickling brine and spices better.
- Evenly distribute the cardamom pods, bay leaves, curry powder, crushed red pepper and turmeric between the pint jars (1/3 of the ingredient amount listed in each jar).
- Distribute the cauliflower between the jars and press down with tongs to make sure everything is tightly packed.
- The brine should be room temperature by now- if it isn't, wait till it cools off before proceeding. Using a wide mouth funnel, cover the cauliflower with the brine, leaving about ½ inch of headspace in each jar.
- Clean the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel or clean kitchen towel.
- At this point, to make refrigerator pickles, you can put lids on the jars, shake them to disperse the spices, and place directly into the refrigerator. They will be ready to eat in 1 week (you can taste them after 2-3 days, but flavor will be best after a full week). The pickles should last for about 4 weeks. Always check and smell for spoilage before eating to be safe.If you prefer to can the cauliflower for longer shelf life, place the lids on the jars and seal with the bands using just your fingertips so that they are secure but not too tight. Process for 10 minutes using the boiling water method - click here for details.
- As soon as the timer goes off, quickly and carefully remove the jars using the jar lifter. Place them on the clean towels and allow to cool for 24 hours. After 24 hours you can remove the bands and test your seals by lifting the jar, by the lid, a few inches from the counter top. Jars with good seals can be kept in a cool dark place for up to a year. If the seal is broken, store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks. Canned pickles will be ready to eat 2-3 days after canning them.
Nutrition
This look so good, can I use cardamom powder in place of pods? Tia
I love these! I have been making them with kolhrabi (they are local, organic and cheaper in my region) instead of cauliflower and they do not disappoint! They are quite salty and flavourful for a milder palate but they are a hit for us! 🙂
I made these and found all I tasted was vinegar and salt with a little curry flavour. I followed the recipe exactly.
Sorry it wasn’t to your liking. Considering it’s a vinegar pickle recipe with salt and curry, I’m surprised you found that flavor profile unsatisfactory. We think they’re delicious. 🙂 If the curry flavor wasn’t strong enough, feel free to add more of the spice blend.
I can’t believe this is my first time coming across curry pickled cauliflower! I’ve been trying tons of pickling recipes and curry is my favorite. I’m making this tonight, so excited. Thanks for the recipe!!
Tori, I bought some of this on a whim at an olive bar at a grocery store. My mom and I were having a mother-daughter cheese party, what! We had a blast. This cauliflower was so amazingly delicious, I just HAD to find a recipe for it. Just my luck, my favorite blogger’s recipe is the first to pop up on a Google search, so I shall search no longer. (Seriously, your roasted beets are in my oven right now–as they are every couple of weeks).
(Probably) your biggest fan,
Monique
New Orleans, LA
Love it Monique! Now I want to host a mother-daughter cheese party, thanks for the brilliant idea!