Almost-Traditional Vegetable Mustard Pickles Recipe

Indulge in a truly enticing pickling treat, featuring the Canadian mustard pickle and a show-stopping creamy mustard brine.

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by Tamika Adjemian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup Dijon-style mustard
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets, broken into small pieces
  • 1-1/2 cups cubed zucchini or cucumber
  • 1 medium onion, diced large
  • 1 small spicy red pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

Directions

  • In a medium stainless steel pot, make the brine by combining all the ingredients except for the vegetables. Bring to a simmer.
  • Add vegetables and simmer 5 minutes, until they just begin to cook. Don’t worry if the brine seems a little too thick; the vegetables will continue to release liquid into the brine.
  • Spoon the pickles and brine into clean, hot jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
  • Remove air bubbles with a thin spatula or wooden spoon.
  • Wipe the jar rims, and apply lids and rings.
  • Process in a water bath canner or steam canner for 15 minutes.
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This beloved mustard pickle, which hails from eastern Canada, is a close relative of the British chowchow; both call for a paste of flour or cornstarch to thicken the brine. I shy away from thickeners in canning, so I opted to increase the mustard and lower the sugar to give this pickle brine a creamy consistency and strong mustardy backbone. Might as well double-batch this, because it’s intensely addictive.

Yield: 2 pint jars.

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