Giardiniera

By Cathy Barrow

Giardiniera
Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour, plus 3 days’ pickling
Rating
4(312)
Notes
Read community notes

Making giardiniera (pronounced jar-deen-YAIR-uh and Italian for “from the garden”) is a tradition in many Italian American households, but it does not require the work you might expect of a long-handed-down custom. This is preserving with no lids to seal; it takes only an hour or so of preparation and two or three days of waiting, and keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. In many ways, what follows is more technique than recipe, with flexibility to suit your mood or tastes. If you love carrots, add more. Or introduce zucchini, eggplant, onions or green beans. If you want it extra-spicy, add more serranos, red pepper flakes or even a bird’s-eye chile. Chop the vegetables uniformly so that the brine will work its magic evenly: mincing makes a great relish for a hot dog, while larger pieces are better for a side dish.

Featured in: Moving Into the Refrigerator for a Long Winter’s Stay

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 quarts
  • 4serrano chiles, thinly sliced, with seeds removed
  • 2red sweet peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 or 2celery ribs, sliced or julienned
  • 1 or 2carrots, sliced or julienned
  • 1medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • ½cup salt
  • 2cloves garlic, slivered
  • 3teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
  • 1cup white vinegar
  • ½cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
  • ½cup grapeseed or safflower oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)

161 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 244 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the vegetables and salt until well combined. Cover the vegetables with water. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to sit, unrefrigerated, for 8 to 12 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Drain the vegetables and rinse thoroughly. Sterilize 2 quart-size glass jars, with lids, in the dishwasher or by submerging them in boiling water for 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    In one sterilized jar, combine the garlic and all the herbs and spices; add the vinegar and oil and shake well to emulsify the dressing. Pour half the dressing into the other jar.

  4. Step 4

    Pack the vegetables into the jars. If vegetables are not completely coated, make and add more dressing. Screw lids onto jars and refrigerate. Allow the mixture to mellow for a couple of days before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
312 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Diane

Jess is correct, there's a huge difference. Warning: Measure Your Salt By Edward Schneider April 28, 2010 3:00 pm https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/warning-measure-your-salt/ So I got out a one-cup measure and a scale... Morton’s kosher: 250 grams (8 3/4 ounces) Diamond Crystal kosher: 135 grams (4 3/4 ounces) Table salt: 300 grams (10 5/8 ounces) Coarse sea salt: 210 grams (7 3/8 ounces) Malden sea salt: 120 grams (4 1/4 ounces)

kate

This was wonderful but the advice about mixing with your hands is insane. I wasn't paying attention so didn't wear gloves, and had the worst burns all over my hands for hours when I made it last summer. So warning the rest of you not to make my mistake!

Jess

-10 points for not specifying table salt or kosher salt (or specifying a weight)

Monica

I made this a few days ago. It's so delicious I've eaten nearly half myself. But one question: how long does it last in the refrigerator? Days? Weeks? More?

Dean

Used this recipe as a guide for 3 seasons now. Love it. I use far more hot peppers (that's my thing) and double the garlic. I fermented per-recipe first year, 24 hours last year, and 48 hours this year. I think 24-36 hours is probably the way to go, but 48 hours is still very good. As another commenter suggests, mixing the salt and veggies with your hands is a bad idea (obviously). Aside from that, this is an excellent recipe that I will continue to use as a guide from here on out.

Morgan

Embarrassing question: I don’t think I’ve ever owned plain olive oil, and I’m not sure my fancy-pants grocer even sells it. Is it specified purely as a cost-saving measure, since the relative quality of the oil is masked by the vinegar? Or does the standard oil bring a specific benefit to the finished product that extra virgin would not?

Eileen

No onions! After many trials and errors using other recipes, I finally tried this one. It produced exactly what I was looking for. The difference, I discovered, was the omission of onions. For whatever reason, the pickled onions— I tried both red and white—produced an off taste and an unpleasant after taste. So if you’re looking for a Giardineria recipe to try, this is the one. (Up the heat to 6-8 Serrano. They mellow after a time.)

Christopher Collette

Definitely use kosher salt, and let the vegetables rest in the water for at least 12 hours. Also -- follow the instructions and put the vinegar mixture in the jar FIRST before adding in the vegetables. I did it in reverse and had a mess on my hands because I packed the vegetables too compactly and the dressing had a difficult time making it to the bottom of the jars!

Kate

A big hit at our house! Will make it again, and try different fruit/veggie combinations with the odds and ends of fresh produce from our CSA. Saw the notes about the salt...I assumed that pickling salt or something close to it would be the go-to in pickling, but I guess being specific is helpful in guiding new cooks. Fortunately, the salt percentage in a short term brine solution that is then rinsed off probably doesn't have much effect, if any. So fear not, new cooks, this is easy & delicious

Eileen

I’ve tried a couple other recipes for giardinieria before finally coming on this one. The secret, I believe, is to NOT include onions, though it seems like a slam-dunk addition. This didn’t call for them and the result is a better flavor. My other addition to this recipe is to add a jar of green, pimento-filled olives (sliced) along with the dressing. I use Trader Joe brand. Like several others I also up the spicy peppers and frequently will use a combo of Serrano, jalapeño and red Fresno.

inessa

Second time around for me.So delicious.

James A

I added a little sugar, about 1.5tsp to each quart jar. Didn't have cauli so used salad turnips and cukes. Was generous with the spices Added a few cloves and juniper berries to each jar. Crazy delicious

janisani

the salt measurement isn't so important since it is rinsed off. I made this with no oil, and I like it very much. The carrots were a little hard, so next time I will blanch only them. All the other veggies were tender after salting.

Edie

Too much oil. This is like pickling in Italian salad dressing. I water bath processed and am very disappointed. Sadly - I’m going to dump them all and re process with an oil free brine.

janisani

I used equal parts water and white vinegar, no oil.

The Mayers

Hi, so I’m not sure if this is supposed to set on counter two days. When refrigerated the oil just solidifies. I did refrigerate immediately. I will use a lot less oil next time.

R. Wilson

Consider making with only half cup of oil — look at other recipes to see if they’re more fermented — include grape or maple leaves to retain crunch?

Too Much Oil?

I have made this recipe to the T 3 times now and I always end up with a thick oil base. The first time I did it, I had to rinse my vegetables to make them edible. Has anyone else figured out how to better mix the dressing? I have continued to add more vinegar, but maybe there is something I am missing. Is it just a matter of letting it sit out at rook temp before serving? Or am I missing a whole step/ingredient?

Michelle

The store bought ones I buy in Chicago are typically very oily. Sometimes I scoop out the giardiniera w a fork so the oil can drain off a bit before I use it. Sometimes I want the oil so I use a spoon. I use mine as a condiment for Italian beef, tuna sandwiches, hot dogs etc. So I don’t think you are doing anything wrong, but you would need to adjust the recipe and use less oil or just strain it a bit to suit your taste.

kalinky

I saw a couple of comments about the use of oil and decided to make this in equal batches of one with oil and one without. The "without" was far better and more authentic to my experience with giardiniera. The "with" coagulated in the fridge and, as someone else said, was more akin to Italian dressing. I will make this recipe again many times, but never with oil.

Justine Aurelia S.

Just made this with some Ellen’s and carrots from my garden and the other veggies from my local FM. Wondering if this can be water bathed. Anyone?

Jeremy

Does the salt amount really matter if they aren't staying in the brine and you wash the salt off?

JT

I'm guessing the choice of regular olive oil vs. EVOO is the dramatically lighter flavor doesn't overwhelm the other ingredients. I made this much closer to minced for sandwiches and it's ridiculously delicious, but once opened, the oil in each jar solidifies at fridge temp. It's still easily scoopable and quickly liquifies again at room temp, but it's still annoying and I'd love to find a ratio of oil-vinegar that prevents that (if that's even possible).

Rose Cedars

Can someone explain why the jars must be sterilized? How are the food safety issues with this recipe different from the common practice of putting dinner leftovers into a sealed storage container and then into the fridge? I though sterilization was for items that would be stored outside the fridge.

Roseanne

It never hurts to sterilize.

Nicola

Hey Cathy, thank you for the technique. Only one question: why the oil shouldn’t be EVO?

Ann

Made with end of summer leftover garden produce: carrots, celery, variety of peppers both spicy and not. Used slightly less oil in dressing but otherwise followed dressing recipe. Love this. Will probably be my go-to way to use those odds and ends of garden veggies.

Gabe

A lot of explanatory gaps in this recipe

Eileen

I’ve tried a couple other recipes for giardinieria before finally coming on this one. The secret, I believe, is to NOT include onions, though it seems like a slam-dunk addition. This didn’t call for them and the result is a better flavor. My other addition to this recipe is to add a jar of green, pimento-filled olives (sliced) along with the dressing. I use Trader Joe brand. Like several others I also up the spicy peppers and frequently will use a combo of Serrano, jalapeño and red Fresno.

janisani

the salt measurement isn't so important since it is rinsed off. I made this with no oil, and I like it very much. The carrots were a little hard, so next time I will blanch only them. All the other veggies were tender after salting.

janisani

and by the way, for the pickling liquid, I used equal parts white vinegar and water.

michaelpinsea

Need almost double the amount of dressing the recipe called for. Also, difficult to separate between jars as it separates quickly after shaking to emulsify. Next time I’d make separate dressing for each jar. And ditto on the salt??….how much Diamond Crystal to use?

James A

I added a little sugar, about 1.5tsp to each quart jar. Didn't have cauli so used salad turnips and cukes. Was generous with the spices Added a few cloves and juniper berries to each jar. Crazy delicious

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