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British

Piccalilli

Vegetarian

Crisp cauliflower, onion, green beans and courgette, salted overnight, then folded into a thick, bright-yellow mustard-and-turmeric vinegar sauce. A punchy British relish for cold meats and cheese.

Piccalilli is a British pickle from United Kingdom, ready in about 12 hours 40 minutes and made with cauliflower, malt vinegar and mustard seeds. It serves 45 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
15 min
Rest
12 h
Total
12 h 40 min
Serves
45
Level
Intermediate
Calories
28

Plus 12–24 hours salting the vegetables, and 2–4 weeks maturing for the best flavour.

Ingredients

45 servings (about 30 g)

Vegetables

Sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cut the cauliflower (opens in a new tab) into small florets, quarter the shallots (opens in a new tab), cut the beans into 2 cm lengths and dice the courgette (opens in a new tab).

    Vegetables being chopped on a board
    How it looks · Photo: Sarah Chai on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Toss the vegetables with the salt in a large bowl, cover and leave in a cool place for 12–24 hours. The salt draws out water so they stay crunchy in the pickle.

  3. Step 3

    Tip into a colander (opens in a new tab), rinse well under cold running water to remove the salt, and drain thoroughly. Meanwhile sterilise your jars.

    Food safety: Use scrupulously clean jars (wash in hot soapy water, then dry in a 120 °C oven for 15 minutes or boil for 10 minutes) and always serve with a clean, dry spoon.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the mustard powder, turmeric (opens in a new tab), ginger and cornflour (opens in a new tab) with 100 ml of the vinegar to a smooth paste. Bring the remaining vinegar and the sugar (opens in a new tab) to the boil in a large saucepan (opens in a new tab), stirring until the sugar dissolves.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the paste into the boiling vinegar and simmer for 3–4 minutes, whisking, until thick, smooth and glossy yellow.

  6. Step 6

    Add the drained vegetables and simmer 2–3 minutes, stirring, just to heat through; they must stay crunchy.

    • 3 min
    • medium heat

  7. Step 7

    Pack into the hot sterilised jars, pressing out air pockets, and seal at once. Store for 2–4 weeks before opening so the harsh mustard and vinegar mellow.

About this dish

Origin
United Kingdom · Well documentedRecorded in English cookery from the mid-18th century (Hannah Glasse's 'Paco-Lilla, or India Pickle'), inspired by Indian pickles. This is a standard modern home recipe.Also popular in Ireland, NetherlandsMore food from United Kingdom
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Pickles & ferments · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
tangy, spicy (chilli heat), sweet & sour
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
With the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Batch cooking · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Cauliflower · Malt vinegar · Mustard seeds · Shallot · Green beans · Zucchini
Techniques
Simmering · Pickling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom malt vinegar
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

28 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 31 g · recipe makes 45

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 7%
  • Carbohydrate 83%
  • Fat 10%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy28 kcal88 kcal
Protein0.5 g1.7 g
Carbohydrate5.7 g18.2 g
Net carbohydrate5.1 g16.4 g
Sugars4.1 g13.1 g
Added sugars3.3 g10.7 g
Fibre0.6 g1.8 g
Fat0.3 g0.8 g
Saturated fat0 g0.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium349 mg1122 mg
Salt equivalent0.9 g2.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
74 mg
Calcium
8 mg
Iron
0.3 mg
Magnesium
7 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
2 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
9 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Malt vinegar: USDA SR Legacy has no malt vinegar; cider vinegar (FDC 173469) is a close stand-in for an unsweetened brewed vinegar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Cut the vegetables small and even; piccalilli should be spoonable, not a jar of large florets.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the overnight salting, which leaves the pickle watery and the vegetables soft.
  • Cooking the vegetables in the sauce for too long.

Serve with

  • Ham, pork pie and cold cuts.
  • Ploughman's lunch with mature cheddar.
  • Sausages, Boxing Day leftovers and cheese sandwiches.

Food safety

  • Use scrupulously clean jars (wash in hot soapy water, then dry in a 120 °C oven for 15 minutes or boil for 10 minutes) and always serve with a clean, dry spoon.
  • Discard any jar with a bulging lid, fizzing, mould or an off smell.

Storage

  • Unopened in sterilised jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year; once opened, refrigerate and use within 1 month.

Variations

  • Dutch piccalilly (Netherlands): Smoother and sweeter, eaten with fries and snacks in the Netherlands.
  • Chow-chow (United States): Southern US and Canadian mustard-vinegar relish with cabbage, green tomato and peppers.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Vegetables

  • Cauliflower, cut into small (1.5 cm) florets400 g
  • Shallot, small shallots or pickling onions, peeled and quartered150 g
  • Green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 cm lengths150 g
  • Zucchini, courgette or marrow, deseeded and cut into 1.5 cm dice200 g
  • Salt, fine, for brining40 g
Used in steps 1, 2, 6

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

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