After using up some of our home-grown courgettes in a loaf cake, the plants are producing yet more. Pickled courgettes are a good thing to make, so we can enjoy the mid-summer bonanza all year round.
I found a simple ‘pickled zucchini’ recipe on the Bon Appetit website to which I made just a couple of little tweaks. I couldn’t find any dill seeds or saffron threads in the supermarket, so I used fennel seeds in place of the former, and omitted the latter completely.
Instead of simply slicing the courgettes with a knife, I used our mandoline which gave the slices attractive grooves.
We’re really looking forward to trying the pickle – served on the side or incorporated into the dishes themselves. We’re thinking burgers, sandwiches, salads and stir fries.
They need to steep for at least a week, but we’ll probably wait till the autumn before tasting ours.
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Pickled courgettes
Ingredients
- 1 kg/2lb small courgettes preferably about 4 or 8 inches long, trimmed
- 4 tbsp coarse sea salt or pickling salt divided
- 12 sprigs fresh dill
- 2 tsp yellow or brown mustard seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp dill seeds
- ¼ tsp saffron threads
- 4 cloves garlic halved
- 4 red chillis split lengthwise
- 600 ml/21fl oz white wine vinegar
- 50 g/1¾oz sugar
Instructions
- If you're using 10cm/4-inch courgettes, halve lengthwise. If using 20cm/8-inch courgettes, halve crosswise, then quarter lengthwise
- Put them into in a large bowl. Add 2 tbsp of the salt and 4 cups of ice. Add cold water to cover. Top with a plate to keep the courgettes submerged. Allow to sit for 2 hours. Drain and rinse
- Divide the dill sprigs and next 6 ingredients between 2 clean, hot 1-litre glass jars and set aside
- Bring the vinegar, sugar, remaining 2 tbsp of salt and 300ml/10½fl oz water to a boil in a large saucepan
- Working in batches, add courgettes and cook, stirring occasionally, until khaki in colour and slightly pliable, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the courgettes to jars
- Divide the hot syrup between the jars to cover courgettes, leaving a 1cm/½-inch space on top
- Wipe the rims, seal and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes
Allow at least a week to pickle before eating