Description
Thin-sliced zucchini and onion, brined, then pickled in sweet cider vinegar with mustard and coriander seeds. Adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 pound zucchini or summer squash, sliced 1/16 inch thick
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons table salt
Pickling Liquid
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Brine the vegetables: Toss the sliced zucchini and onion with the salt in a large bowl. Add cold water to just cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain, and dry thoroughly - a salad spinner helps get the moisture out. Pack the vegetables into the jar.
- Make the pickling liquid: Combine the pickling liquid ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes to open up the flavor of the spices. For crisper pickles, let the liquid cool to room temperature before the next step.
- Pour the liquid over the zucchini: Carefully pour the pickling liquid into the jar until the vegetables are covered. (For a less rustic look, pour it through a fine mesh strainer to strain out the herbs and spices.)
- Refrigerate: Let cool to room temperature, close the lid, and refrigerate. They're best after at least 1 day in the refrigerator, and even better after a week.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Equipment: A clean quart jar with a tight fitting lid - canning jars or flip top gasket jars are the usual choices. I pour the pickling liquid into a Pyrex 2-quart measuring cup first, then into the jar - the spout makes it much less messy.
See my pickling vegetables basic technique for more details.
I use my food processor's slicing disk to get the zucchini thin enough.
The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. If you see fur or fuzz growing on top of the liquid, throw them out.
Use these anywhere you'd use cucumber pickles - they're great on hamburgers and sandwiches.
The recipe scales easily - I tripled it for 3 pounds of zucchini and squash. Just keep the proportions the same.
Original spices: Judy Rodgers uses 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard, and 1 teaspoon turmeric (for color) instead of the mustard and coriander seeds.
Adapted from Judy Rodgers's The Zuni Cafe Cookbook.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Brine and refrigerate: 1 day 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes