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. Â 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. Â It’s used on practically everything! Â You name it, giardiniera is just what you need to bring your hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, nachos, antipasto platters and pasta salads to life. Â 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? Â 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. Â In Italy the vegetables are usually left in fairly large pieces and that way it’s also more versatile. Â 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. Â 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
Rosanne Haughey says
I have made giardinera in the past and canned it. The veggies got soft and did not stay crunchy. Is the soaking the veggies in the cold water with kosher salt the trick to make the veggies crispy after canning them?
I also make pickles. I soak them in lime overnight to make the cucumbers crispy. Would either method work to keep the veggies crispy?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rosanne, it’s really hard to keep veggies crunchy when you process them in a hot water bath for canning. There is a product called “Pickle Crisp” that helps mitigate the effects and keeps the veggies a little crisper.
Dale Jack says
Anything that has tannin in it (usually leaves) will help with the crispiness – horseradish, oak, cherry or grape leaves all work. Or tea.
Michael M Pawliski says
add a few grains of calcium choloride to each jar. this will help add a crispness to the vegetables.
Petet says
Tulhe one tablespoon. I assume you mean one per jar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Petet, are you referring to the olive oil? If so yes, EACH jar gets one tablespoon of olive oil and all of the spices in the list. The measurements for the spices and oil in the list are PER JAR.
Erica says
I’m so happy with this recipe! After reading some of the comments, I went back and read the directions carefully and found all my questions answered. I used a whole small cauliflower (I didn’t want leftovers) and found that it perfectly filled 6 pint size jars. I did use plain vinegar and plan on giving some away, since we can’t eat all of this in two weeks and I’ve never canned before. Thanks for the recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Erica, thank you!
Andy says
Great recipe on a really helpful web site. After making it a half dozen times, I made a couple of tweaks.
Add one or two fennel bulbs cut into chunks.
3 fresh bay leaves per jar.
Toast and gently crush the coriander seeds.
Gently crush the fennel seeds.
3 garlic cloves halved.
Add 1/4 cup of plain white sugar to the brine
Christoph G. Olesch says
Hello … your instruction to leave in salt water for 6 hours to overnight does not specify at room temperature or under refrigeration. Please advise? Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Christoph, don’t refrigerate, just leave it sitting out.
Mario Bucacci-Pezzullo says
Hi, I want to make this and Hand out to my non Italian friends hear in sunny Palm SDprings, Ca. for Christmas gifts. I want to make the refrigerated recipe. If they last only two weeks in the fridge, how close to Christmas do I have to make this? Won’t it last at least three weeks in the fridge? Thank you, Mario
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mario, it probably will, yes, as long as you ensure the vegetables are covered in the brine. Just look and smell for any signs of spoilage.
Jessica Mullin says
Question my olive oil solidified in the fridge how do I prevent this or fix it. It took forever to chop the veggies lol
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jessica, there’s no way to prevent that, that’s just what olive oil does. Simply leave the giardiniera at room temp for about 30 minutes before serving.
Andria Shevetz says
What do I do with the extra brine nothing ,right? Dump it? I used larger jars and had brine leftover, that’s why I’m asking. Thanks for some good ideas, enjoy Everyone!!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Andria, if you have excess brine then yes, just dump it unless you have some other veggies you want to pickle with it.
Danielle says
I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing. Can I substitute the oregano to an Italian seasoning herb? I’m a little hesitant to try it because I’m enjoying the flavor as is but, it’s been a hit a miss lately with finding the oregano being stocked. Ty!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Danielle, yes that’s no problem at all. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Judy says
I also found that this recipe does not yield 8 pints. I doubled the recipe and ended up with 10 pints. I can’t wait to try it, though. So easy and it looks delicious!
Jeffrey Isbell says
Stuck to the recipe for this first batch, except that I used a little more salt in the soak (just shy of 3/4 cup) because I cleared out the crisper drawer. Smells awesome. The pre-vinegar pieces seemed perfectly salty.
Susan Koda says
Hi, just a few questions prior to using this recipe for canning what my Russian decent husband calls “Chow Chow”. Should I sterilize the quart jars that I am using in a water bath before filling and canning them in another water bath? I plan on doubling this recipe and using pickle crisp as suggested by another canner.
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Susan
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Susan, yes, when you’re canning the jars should always be sterilized first. You can either boil the jars for 10 minutes in the water bath (make sure they’re fully under water) or some dishwashers have a sterilizing setting.
Rina says
Can I substitute apple cider vinegar for the white wine vinegar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rina, yes, but it will yield a different flavor profile.
Paula Gurnsey says
I followed the recipe exactly, and only had 4 full pints. I diced the Serrano peppers, the instructions did not specify how to prepare them. I can’t wait to taste but bummed it didn’t yield more!
Diana says
I also followed the recipe and even doubled only got eight pints.
loretta says
In the middle of this right now, so your answer will follow my results. Have whole olives, pits in and I’m gong to go for it. Worried the pits will disfigure the taste somewhat. Your thoughts?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Loretta, I doubt the pits will impact the flavor but do be careful that you don’t break a tooth eating the giardiniera! ;)