Not just for hot dogs and muffuletta sandwiches, add this homemade giardiniera to your burgers, nachos, pizzas, pasta salads and anything else your heart desires! This giardiniera recipe is simply the best and once you’ve tried it you’ll be HOOKED for life!
For more pickled deliciousness be sure to also try our English-style Pickled Onions, Sweet Corn Relish, and Pickled Pepperoncini Peppers!
What is Giardiniera?
Giardiniera, pronounced “jar-din-air-ah”, is one condiment you don’t want to be without. And once you’ve tried it you’ll understand why.
Originating in Italy, these pickled vegetables were introduced to Chicago in the late 19th century by Italian immigrants and took their place as arguably the city’s most popular condiment. It’s used on practically everything! You name it, giardiniera is just what you need to bring your hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, nachos, antipasto platters and pasta salads to life. In Chicago you’ll even commonly find it served on pizzas and, of course, no Italian beef sandwich is complete without it.
Have you been to New Orleans? Giardiniera is the magical ingredient in those mouthwatering muffuletta sandwiches.
In short, giardiniera is the ultimate pickled vegetable relish!
The popularity of giardiniera has continued to explode in Chicago with more than a million pounds of it being sold annually. Still it remains relatively unknown outside of the Windy City except among those with strong Italian roots. So if you’ve never heard of or tried it before, now is your chance to make some absolutely delectable homemade giardiniera that will bring new life and flavor to your favorite foods!
I’m also including recipes for canning giardiniera so you can store it long-term to enjoy all year round.
You can chop the veggies however large or small you prefer. In Italy the vegetables are usually left in fairly large pieces and that way it’s also more versatile. Left in larger pieces you have the flexibility of serving the giardiniera with your charctuerie/antipasto platters and when you want to use it for sandwiches, hot dogs, pasta salads, etc, you can simply diced up the finished giardiniera into smaller chunks.
But left large or diced small, you are simply going to LOVE this giardiniera!
How to Use Giardiniera
Giardiniera can be used in various ways to add a zesty and crunchy element to your dishes. Here are a few ideas:
- Sandwiches and Wraps: It adds a nice crunchy texture and a burst of flavor to the mix. And of course it’s a MUST in your muffuletta sandwich!
- Salads: Toss giardiniera into salads to provide an extra flavor and crunch. Add some to your pasta salads, potato salads, and leafy green salads.
- Pizza and Flatbreads: Sprinkle some over your pizza or flatbread before or after baking. It adds a nice bit of tang, richness, and texture.
- Antipasto Platter: Giardiniera is a classic component of antipasto platters. Arrange it alongside cured meats, cheeses, olives, and other pickled items.
- Hot Dogs and Sausages: Use it as a topping for hot dogs, brats and sausages. It’s a fun and tasty alternative to the more traditional toppings.
- Tuna or Chicken Salad: Mix it into tuna or chicken salad to give it a zesty kick of flavor and some contrasting texture.
- Omelets and Scrambled Eggs: Fold some into your omelet or scrambled eggs for flavor and crunch.
- Grains, Grain Bowls and Rice Dishes: Incorporate it into your grains, grain salads, grain bowls, and rice dishes for flavor, color and texture.
- Burgers: Top your burgers with it for a fun and tasty flavor twist.
Giardiniera Recipe
Let’s get started!
Chop up the veggies and place them in a large non-reactive pot or bowl. If you’re wondering how to get the crinkle-cut carrots, use a mandolin slicer that has that ability.
Pour 1/4 cup kosher salt over the vegetables.
Pour enough water over the vegetables to cover them. Let them soak in the salt water for at least 6 hours or overnight. This step is critical for drawing out excess water from the vegetables which would otherwise dilute the vinegar brine and lead to spoilage.
To prepare the jars, place the spices into each of the jars. I like to make some batches hot and some mild. Do that by using or omitting red chili flakes. For a true Chicago-style giardiniera you’ll want to make it hot!
Thoroughly rinse and drain the vegetables before dividing them up between the jars. Pack the vegetables in as tightly as you can. Place the garlic each jar.
Now we’re making a vinegar solution to pickle the vegetables. To play it safe Cooperative Extension Service sources recommend a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water. Some other recipes may have a lighter vinegar brine but if you’re planning on storing your giardiniera for more than 2 weeks, we recommend this ratio to create enough acidity to prevent the risk of unwanted bacteria.
Bring the water, vinegar and salt to a boil.
Pour the boiling brine over the vegetables leaving a little more than 1/2 inch headspace from the top. Pour the olive oil over the top. **Omit the oil if you are proceeding with water bath canning the jars. Wipe the rims with a wet paper towel and seal the jars.
If you plan on using the giardiniera within two weeks let the jars sit at room temperature for a day or two and then transfer them to the fridge. If you’re canning the giardiniera for long-term storage, seal the jars with the lids and rims and prepare a boiling water bath. Boil the jars for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours before moving them.
Adjustments for high altitudes:
- At 1,001 to 6,000 feet (305 to 1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 5 minutes.
- Above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 10 minutes.
If processed in the water bath, the giardiniera is best consumed within 6 months but will keep for up to a year.
Enjoy!
For more great pickled veggie and relish recipes be sure to try our:
- Dill Pickle Relish
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Sweet Corn Relish
- Sweet Pepper & Onion Relish
- Pickled Onions
- Pickled Banana Peppers
- Pickled Pepperoncini Peppers
- Pickled Carrots
- Pickled Jalapenos
- Pickled Beets
BEST Giardiniera (Hot or Mild)
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 10 ribs celery , diced
- 5 carrots , diced
- 2 large red bell peppers , seeded and chopped
- 1 cup sliced green pitted olives
- 4 serrano peppers (or more according to heat preference) , sliced
- Spices/Ingredients for EACH pint jar:
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional, for hot giardiniera)
- 1/8 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- For the Brine:
- 4 cups white wine vinegar
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the chopped veggies a large non-reactive pot or bowl. Pour 1/4 cup kosher salt over the vegetables and enough water to cover them. Let the vegetables soak in the salt water for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- To prepare the jars, place the spices into each of the jars, reserving the garlic and olive oil until after the brine is added. (I like to make some jars hot and some mild by adding/omitting the red chili flakes).
- Thoroughly rinse and drain the vegetables before dividing them up between the jars. Pack the vegetables in as tightly as you can. Place a clove of garlic (cut in half) in each jar.
- To make the brine: Bring the water, vinegar and salt to a boil. Pour the boiling brine over the vegetables leaving a little more than 1/2 inch headspace from the top. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil over the top in each jar (omit the oil if water bath canning). Thoroughly wipe the rims with a wet paper towel, ensuring no oil or other residue is on them, and seal the jars.
- If you plan on using the giardiniera within two weeks let the jars sit at room temperature for a day or two and then transfer them to the fridge. The flavor only gets better with time so wait at least 2-3 days before eating it. Will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.
- If you're canning the giardiniera for long-term storage, seal the jars with the lids and rims and prepare a boiling water bath. Boil the jars for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours before moving them.If processed in the water bath, the giardiniera is best consumed within 6 months but will keep for up to a year.Note: If you're canning the jars for long-term storage you can add the oil later to your giardiniera when you open the jar.
Notes
- At 1,001 to 6,000 feet (305 to 1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 5 minutes.
- Above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet August 21, 2017
William says
Just a quick question. Does the processing time need to be adjusted for altitude? Thanks for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi William, depending on the altitude you can take the following precaution to increase the time:
At 1,001 to 6,000 feet (305 to 1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 5 minutes.
Above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) above sea level: increase processing time by 10 minutes.
Happy canning!
John Hunter says
Love this recipe! Made some since I wanted to try it on a cheesesteak, used purple cauliflower, romanesca, red and yellow peppers, and some amazing local smoked green olives. It was INSANE good, could see putting it on pizzas or rolling it in beef rolls with sunday gravy!
I made other recipes before, but this is so much better. Main points are the olive oil and spices are a must, and what other recipes were lacking.
Thanks for sharing this!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, John, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback, thank you! The smoked green olives are a great touch.
John Hunter says
It was so good on a cheesesteak I cannot begin to explain. Just finished canning my 2nd batch and used the standard ingredients plus some red onion, but am going to try to add chard and beet stems next time for added color and texture, plus it’s something that always needs to get used somehow and I bet it would work :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, John! Yes, you can pickle almost anything and that’s a great way to make use up those items. Happy Canning! :)
Megan says
Did you let the veggies soak in the fridge?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Megan, I let them sit out at room temperature and keep them covered so no flies can get in. You can refrigerate them if you prefer though.
Anonymous says
Why do you use white wine vinegar instead of regular distilled white vinegar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I prefer the flavor.
Gary Nasca says
I am just about to brine cure some cracked green oives , I remember growing up in an Italian family an my dad and uncle did the same , they took the cured olives and made and olive salad by adding garlic celery peppers (hot & mild and seasonings . They packed this all in quart mason jars with some wine vineger and some olive oil on top. I believed they processed them using a hot water bath like we did when putting up quarts of tomatoes.What I have read is olives are a low acid fruit and should only be processed in a pressure cooker. When cured olives are put up in white wine vinegar is it safe to use hot water bath canning??
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Gary, I don’t have any experience in the realm of curing and storing olives and don’t want to risk giving you any false information. Hopefully an online search will yield some helpful information for you. Good luck!
Old Grey Badger says
Just finished putting up 15 pints. We added jalapenos to the mix and extra cauliflower. We also used pickle crisp. In our 40 Plus years of canning, we’ve found it helps. Herself and I will let you know how they turn out in a few weeks.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That sounds great and thanks for the tip!
Julie Klenn says
Why Kosher salt? Will sea salt work?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Julie, sea salt will work as well. The main thing is to avoid salts with additives (i.e. regular table salt).
Julie says
Thanks! I’m from Chicago, now in CA. I tried a few recipes and they called for much more oil. Yours sounds so much better. 🤞🏻
Catherine plankey says
Wondering is that a tablespoon per jar of olive oil or between all of the jars?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Catherine, yes, that’s a tablespoon per jar.
Carol says
When I processed it olive oil leaked out in the canner water. However after processing 10 minutes I took them out and set them on the counter to cool and heard each one ping. The lids are indented as though sealed. Are they safe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Carol, double check the seal by pulling on the lids to make sure they don’t pop off easily. If the seals feel very firm and the lids don’t come off then yes, they’re safe.
Sandy says
What if some of the oil seeped out when bouling! Are they not good at all or should they be refrigerated and used quickly?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sandy, it depends on if jars have a tight seal. The leaking oil may likely have prevented the jars from sealing properly. If the seal is broken, i.e. if the lids come off easily, then yes, store it in the fridge and use it within a couple of weeks.
Lara says
Hi there, I am a new canner and am so excited to make this soon! My question is, how do I know how long to boil these if I want to switch to quart sized jars? Is there a chart or table somewhere to help me understand how to do that safely? Thank you so much!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lara, the process time for pints and quarts is the same, 10 minutes. Happy canning! :)
Theresa says
These are to die for. I ate the first pint in one sitting. I am now making another batch but double the size this time. I was afraid I wouldn’t like all these spices because I don’t care for pickles with pickling spice (just dill and garlic and salt for me thank you). But these were wonderful just as written.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Theresa, thanks for the feedback!
Cynthia says
Can i use pickle Crisp to insure a crunch? Thank You!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cynthia, I haven’t personally used it but I don’t see why not. Happy canning!
Bill D says
Just a couple questions. How long would you process quart jars? In most canning recipies I see that you add the veggies to the brine while it is still heating and then add the veggies to the jars and cover with brine and process. Your recipie just put the veggies in the jar at room temp and cover with hot brine sounds like the veggies would be crisper but is it safe to start with cool veggies. Thank you. can,t wait to try it
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bill, yes it’s perfectly safe and it’s the difference between what is called cold pack versus hot pack canning. For quart jars process them for 15 minutes.
Mike S. says
Thanks so much for the recipe, I’ve used it for three years now and just made another batch!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mike, thank you!