Fermented Giardiniera with Cauliflower, Shallots and Peppers

Giardiniera is a mix of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil in Italy, but here we used wild fermentation to create a delicious fermented Giardiniera recipe.  In Italian, it is pronounced jar-din-AIR-ah, meaning “from the garden.”

Choosing the Right Vegetables for Giardiniera Fermentation

• Pickled Italian Giardiniera usually includes bell peppers, celery, carrots, cauliflower and gherkins (tiny pickles).
• Good options for sourcing quality vegetables for fermentation are your local farmers market, Whole Foods Market, sprouts market, and open-aired produce stands. Many grocery stores have a fresh produce section, the key here is to use fresh vegetables not packaged in plastic.
• Make sure the vegetables are crisp, hydrated, and fresh. They should be free of any mold spots.
• For this recipe I used yellow bell peppers, red bell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, jalapeno, shallots and carrots.

Equipment You Need to Make Fermented Giardiniera

Here’s all the supplies and equipment you will need to make this recipe:

• 32 ounce Wide Mouth Mason Jar
• Fermentation Weight
• Standard Metal Mason Jar Lid (this can rust in the presence of salt)
• OR Rust Free Plastic Lid
• or you can use a Weck Jar (without the gasket; only use the clips to secure the lid)
• Sea Salt
• Scale
• Mixing Bowl 

How Do You Eat Italian Giardiniera?

Traditionally in Italy, Giardiniera is served with antipasto, a first-course appetizer consisting of pickled vegetables, brined olives, artichokes, and cured meats. Giardiniera is also very popular in Chicago, where it is used more as a condiment.

Giardiniera is terrific on sandwiches, on pizza, in omelets, in frittatas, on veggie burgers, and in salads. You can even use it to top sourdough focaccia. I highly suggest mixing it with pasta, brined olives, red wine vinegar, and olive oil for a delicious pasta salad.

The Difference Between Pickling and Fermenting

Pickling and fermenting are very different processes. Pickling is a sterile process for preserving food. This means there are no microorganisms involved in the pickling process. This process utilizes hot acidic liquid to sterilize and preserve vegetables. 

Fermentation is a living process relying on acid production by beneficial microorganisms. Fermentation takes time and requires a specific salt concentration for consistency and safety. To read more about salt and fermentation, click here.

Fermented Giardiniera Conditions

• 4 weeks of fermentation
• Approximate 3.0% total salt concentration
• Room temperature (60-78° F)
• Final pH around 3.8
• Store in refrigerator after fermentation for up to 2 years

More Fermentation Recipes to Try

• How to Make the Healthiest Naturally Fermented Garlic
• Simple Wild Fermented Shallots Recipe
• How to Ferment Sauerkraut with Orange, Sesame, and Ginger

Fermented Giardiniera with Cauliflower, Shallots and Peppers

Print Recipe

Save Recipe Recipe Saved

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 6 reviews

Giardiniera is a mix of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil in Italy, but here we used wild fermentation to create a delicious fermented Giardiniera recipe.  In Italian, it is pronounced jar-din-AIR-ah, meaning “from the garden.”

• Author: Kaitlynn Fenley
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Fermentation Time: 4 weeks
• Total Time: 672 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings
• Category: Fermented Vegetables
• Method: Fermentation
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 120 grams cauliflower
• 100 grams cucumber
• 100 grams bell pepper
• 50 grams jalapeño
• 30 grams shallots
• 50 grams carrots
• 500 grams water
• 28 grams salt
• 2 bay leaves

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Lightly rinse all your vegetables in cool water and chop them to your desired consistency. I sliced the bell peppers in thin strips, broke apart the cauliflower, sliced the jalapeno in half, and sliced the cucumber, carrots, and shallots.
2. Make sure all of your fermentation equipment has been cleaned and sanitized well.
3. Dissolve the sea salt in the water to create a brine.
4. In a clean mason jar add all of the vegetables and the bay leaves.
5. Add all of the saltwater brine to the jar.
6. Place a fermentation weight in the jar to keep all of the vegetables submerged. Place the mason jar lid on the jar and secure it in place.
7. Ferment for 4 weeks at room temperature. About 2 to 3 days into fermentation, you will notice a lot of bubbles. Set the jar in a glass dish to prevent messes. Every 24 hours loosen the lid to burp the jar and let the gas out. This particular fermentation can get very bubbly. You can rinse the lid daily before replacing it to keep it clean.
8. After 4 weeks of fermentation, remove the fermentation weight and check to make sure the pH is around 3.8
9. Then move to refrigerated storage.

Notes

• this recipe is sized to fit a 1-quart mason jar
• You can use any ratios of vegetables you want, as long as the total weight of vegetables combined is 450 grams.
• fermented vegetables should keep for about 2 years in the fridge

Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist

Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.

See Full Bio

fermentation food microbiology sourdough sauerkraut fermenting at home fermented foods fermented drinks