Pickled Zucchini

My Pickled Zucchini is a fantastic, easily made condiment that will elevate the flavour of many dishes, and with this recipe, I will show you how easy it is to make your own pickles at home. It is a great way to make use of some of summer’s bounty, especially when zucchini are often abundant. To the zucchini, we add a balanced mix of vinegar, sugar, and spices, producing a gently spicy, slightly sweet pickle which you will use in many ways.

Course Pickles, Preserves

Cuisine International

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 4

Total Time 4 25

Servings 700ml (23 fluid oz) Jar

Calories 594kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Equipment

1 x 700ml (23 fluid oz) Jar

Ingredients

400 g (14 oz) zucchini - smaller, younger is better See Note 1
1 medium brown/yellow onion
1 ½ tablespoon coarse sea salt See Note 2 and 3
1 cup (250 ml) white vinegar See Note 4
½ cup (110 g) sugar
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions

To Sterilise the Jars:

Sterilise the jar or jars you'll be using to store the pickles. Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well. Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts - if they do, allow them to air dry, instead of placing in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and place the jars in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Keep the jars warm.

For the Pickled Zucchini:

Wash and dry the zucchini. Remove the top and end.
Thinly slice - approximately ½ cm (⅕ inch) thick.
Peel the onion and remove the tip. Cut the onion in half, and thinly slice into half moons. Discard the root end.
In a large bowl, add the zucchini, onion and salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 4 hours.
Tip the zucchini and onions into a colander and drain the excess liquid. Discard the liquid.
In a non-reactive saucepan (See Note 5), place the vinegar, sugar and spices.
On a medium heat, stir to dissolve the sugar.
Once the sugar is dissolved, simmer the liquid for 2 minutes.
Place the zucchini and onion slices into the warm, sterilised jar.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and carefully pour the pickling liquid into the jar with the zucchini and onions.
Seal the jar immediately, and allow to cool on the bench before placing in the refrigerator. The Pickled Zucchini can be enjoyed once cool, but I recommend leaving them for 24-48 hours to allow the flavours to develop.

Notes

Zucchini: for the best results, use small, young zucchini. The larger and thicker, the spongier the zucchini and this will not yield as crunchy a pickle.
Coarse sea salt: ensure you use cooking salt or coarse sea salt. Regular table salt may contain anti-caking agents and is much stronger.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Vinegar: I have used white vinegar that is 5% in acidity. You can also use apple cider or white wine vinegar - just ensure the acidity level is 5%.
Non-reactive saucepans: are those which are ceramic, stainless steel, glass or enamelled cookware. Copper, iron and aluminium pans are reactive. Acidic foods, such as lemons and vinegar, may take on a metallic taste and discolour if cooked in such pans.
Storage: once the jars have cooled, store the pickles in the fridge for up to three months. This is a quick pickle recipe not designed for long term canning.
Nutritional information: is based on the entire jar, and includes the pickling liquid.

Nutrition