But her pickled beets were stellar and I have called her on many occasions to get the recipe. I have it written on the back of envelopes, in notebooks, and postcards all of which I seem to lose at the exact moment I want to make them.
In an attempt to write it down one last time, I’ve decided to share it with you all. I will say I have taken liberties with her recipe (I’m pretty sure she never used red chili flakes on anything), but this is more or less the same.
I am a huge fan of pickled vegetables, so I have tried the pickling brine with many varieties and they all have come out beautifully. They are especially exquisite if you pickle them with a few beets, the garnet beets turn white cauliflower and fennel into a lovely deep fuchsia.
Serve these all summer long with burgers, at picnics, on a relish tray, or chopped up and mixed into creamy cottage cheese with some herbs.

Basic Pickled Vegetables Recipe
Crisp, quick-pickled vegetables in a sweet and sour brine. Serve with burgers and baked beans.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 3-4 pounds dense, crisp vegetables peeled, if necessary and cut into bite-sized pieces. Such as, cauliflower, beets, carrots, radishes, fennel, asparagus, okra, or green beans.
Instructions
- Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seed, and chile flakes in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, transfer to a large, heat-proof bowl and cool about 30 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Add one type of vegetables at a time to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the bowl of ice water. Once cool, spread out on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining vegetables, adding more ice to the water if necessary.
- Add cooked vegetables to the pickling liquid and weigh down with a plate to keep submerged. Refrigerate, covered for 1 day before eating. Pickled vegetables will last 1 month, covered and chilled.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1055Total Fat: 62gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 50gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1737mgCarbohydrates: 117gFiber: 7gSugar: 18gProtein: 13g
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