Pickled Cauliflower

This recipe from Ball (the maker of canning jars) is a super-yummy way to preserve summer cauliflower for enjoying later on..... This recipe made 4 jars for me this time as I had to trim off some spots on the cauliflower since one of them was from the prior week's CSA distribution.

Pickled Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 2 large heads (3 quarts) cauliflower florets
• 1 1/2 cups peeled pearl onions
• 1/4 cup canning salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp mustard seed
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 quart vinegar
• 1 hot red pepper

Directions:

Combine cauliflowerets, onions and salt. Cover with ice; let stand 2 to 3 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric and vinegar in a large saucepot. Cut two small slits in hot red pepper. Add pepper to vinegar, if desired. Bring to a boil. Add cauliflowerets and onions; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Discard hot red pepper. Pack hot vegetables and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1⁄4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Notes:

NOTE: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned.

Source: Ball