Glass Jars for Pickles - Recipe inside!

Pickling is a hot topic at the moment, ticking all the boxes for eco-friendly living and sustainability, health, great flavour and enjoyable home projects. When you pickle vegetables, you get to greatly increase their lifespan by preserving them in vinegar and spices. This means that their delicious flavour, crunch and nutrition can be captured and stored for the colder winter months, ready to enjoy. What could be more appealing than rows of colourful glass pickling jars lined up in your pantry, filled with delicious homemade pickles, ready to enjoy with your meals? With pickling, you can preserve your harvest bounty through the colder months and enjoy wonderful Ploughman's lunches and side dishes for your meals, packed with nutrition and gut-loving probiotics.

The benefits of pickling food

In your humble glass pickle jar, you actually have a fermented, probiotic and natural powerhouse of food. Pickling takes the natural nutrient profile of your vegetables and takes it up a notch by using lacto-fermentation to increase the beneficial bacteria. Not only does this mean that your pickled vegetables last for years without losing their quality, flavour or 'bite', but they are also incredibly healthy, supporting your digestion and immune system. Pickles can also help to balance your blood sugar and even support good oral health.

What can I pickle?

You can pickle many types of vegetables and even fruits, such as peaches. Popular pickle choices include carrots, cucumbers, peppers, beets and cabbage. And if you're lucky enough to have your own supply of eggs, you can pickle eggs too. Find a wide range of foods that you can pickle here: https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/foods-you-can-pickle/

An autumn piccalilli pickle recipe

This piccalilli includes pears and it can either be eaten quickly or allowed to sit and mature for a richer, mellower flavour later in autumn. It's particularly good with cold meats and cheeses. To make it, you'll need:

2 small cauliflower cut into chunks, cut into small florets
400g pearl onions
600g finely chopped courgette
6 firm pears cored and cut into chunks
300g golden caster sugar
100g salt
1.7l cider vinegar
8 tbsp cornflour
A grated piece of fresh root ginger
2 tbsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp brown or black mustard seeds
5 tbsp English mustard powder
3 tsp turmeric

Step 1: To make it, mix the vegetable chunks and pear cubes in a bowl with the salt and two litres of cold water. Cover the bowl and leave it overnight.

Step 2: Drain the brine, rinse the chopped fruit and vegetables and tip them into a big saucepan with the sugar, vinegar, ginger, mustard seeds and coriander. Let the pan gently boil and simmer for ten minutes until the veg is going tender but still has a little bite. Take the pan off the heat, drain the veg but keep the liquid and put it aside.

Step 3: Mustard sauce time! Put the cornflower, turmeric and mustard powder in a bowl and stir it together while you pour in the hot vinegar and whisk the sauce. Pop it in the saucepan and continue to stir the sauce over a low heat for around five minutes until it is thick and smooth. Stir in the veg and then spoon or funnel everything into sterilised glass pickle jars. 500ml sizes are ideal. Seal, cool and either enjoy, gift or store as you wish!

Find the full recipe here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/autumn-piccalilli-pear

Tips for your glass pickle jars

Always make sure your pickling jars are sterilised before you fill them. Put them on a dishwasher cycle or wash them thoroughly in hot, soapy water before drying them in a low oven. You can also reuse old pickle jars by sterilising in this way, but remember to cover the pickle with a wax disc if you are using a metal lid. This will stop the metal from reacting with the vinegar.

Stocking up on perfect pickle jars

From mini pickle glass jars to extra-generous large jars, Wares of Knutsford is your first choice for all kinds of pickling glassware. We have pickle jars that suit all needs, and by using glass, you get to protect the environment, enjoy chemical-free storage of your pickles, save money and enjoy the beautiful look of glass pickling jars in your kitchen or pantry. Pickle glass jars also make great gifts when you fill them with a homemade pickle and simply need topping with a decorative tag and some ribbon to provide a thoughtful gift for any occasion.

Our top-selling pickle jar lines can be found in the following categories:

https://www.waresofknutsford.co.uk/jars/pickle-chutney-and-pasta-sauce-jars/
https://www.waresofknutsford.co.uk/jars/storage-jars/

You'll see that the large glass jars that work for pasta, cereal and rice storage also work very well with larger batches of pickle, and these are great for using up a glut from your home garden or allotment.

Discover the full range of glass jars and bottles at Wares of Knutsford - your first choice for glassware and environmentally-friendly home products.