This month, I’ve been making a lot of my usual preserves – raspberry jelly, elderflower cordial and the like. One I’ve not made before is piccalilli.
Growing up, a jar of piccalilli was always prominent on the Christmas dinner table. It used to be a staple accompaniment to the roast ham – and the cold meat sandwiches, cheese and pies in the following days.
I found numerous recipes in my collection of cook books; all much the same, with slight variations on the ratios of spices. I’ve made the recipe my own by adding mustard seeds and a couple of chillies for bite and colour.
The preparation takes place over two days – the veg needs to be soaked in salted water (the brine) for 24 hours.
Once that’s done, cooking is a quick 20-minute affair before decanting into jars.
The piccalilli is best left for at least 3 months before using to allow the flavours to develop. That leaves plenty of time before Christmas!
Save my recipe to Pinterest here.


- 1.4kg/3lbs vegetables (I used 800g cauliflower, 300g courgettes, 160g onions, 125g fine beans, 15g red chillies)
- 2l/3½pts water
- 200g/7oz salt
- 1l/1¾pt distilled white vinegar or malt vinegar for pickling
- 140g/5oz Demerara sugar
- 1tbsp mustard seeds
- 1tbsp mustard powder
- 2tsp turmeric
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp mixed spice
- 1tbsp plain flour
- Dissolve the salt into the water
- Into a large mixing bowl, cut all the vegetables into even sized pieces
- Pour the salted water (brine) over the vegetables making sure they're all submerged. Weigh them down with a plate and cover the bowl over with a tea towel. Leave to stand for 24 hours
- Drain and put the vegetables into a large pan with the vinegar, sugar and spices. Simmer for 10-20 minutes depending on how soft or crunchy you like your veg
- Using a slotted spoon or ladle, decant the vegetables into hot, sterilised jars (I needed 5 mayonnaise-sized jars)
- Mix the flour into the spiced vinegar and boil for 1 minute before pouring into the jars of vegetables
- Seal the lids tightly on to the jars
- Store in a cool, dry cupboard for at least 3 months before using
yes I like it but I have not had any for years, as its not something I keep in the cupboard as no one else in the household will eat it.
awful stuff cant even look at it
I love piccalilli with pork pie or cold meat and chips.
It’s one of those foods I can’t make up my mind about I had some homemade at a food festival with a lunchbox recently and I think I liked it. My Auntie Audrey used to make it and so I associate it with her.
I’ve never tried piccalilli but it seems like an acquired taste or something you’ll either love or hate
Can’t honestly remember trying it…but it sounds different and quite tasty so really should give it a go. x
I like it with stilton and crackers
Yuck, horrible.
I’m not a big fan of piccalilli but I’d try it without onion. It might lose it’s zing though.
Looks yummy, never made my own
Love to eat piccalilli with a ploughmans lunch. Its goes perfectly with cheese.
I love home made piccalilli, you can make the cauliflower florets big and crunchy and I love eating it with ham.
Love the stuff simply with Ham.
We always used to have piccalilli in the house during winter when I was growing up and my dad loved it. I remember being very young perhaps about 5 and deciding to eat my way unsupervised through an entire jar of it. I was horribly sick and can still remember the smell and taste. Even just looking at it now makes me shudder.
nope can’t stand even the sight or smell of it!
Yum! I love piccalilli with lots of crusty breads and cheeses. I’ll definitely have to try making my own.
How fab to see a recipe for piccalilli again. My grandmother used to make it and I enjoyed it with cold meats and cheese.
No I don’t like it although it’s a nice colour lol x
Love piccalilli but only tend to have it at Christmas with pork pie.
Not a fan of it myself
I’m not a huge fan of piccalilli