Kitchen Garden Forum

Does anyone have an idiot proof Picalilli recipe they wouldn’t mind sharing?

I make it, but not always successfully, but use my old school cook book. Not the original book, just came over with just a suitcase; I asked a friend to buy me a new one when she went to OZ for a holiday. OZ uses 'cups' not 'weights', but the only cups I could get were from the USA & I don't think they are quite the same volume.

Looking forward to other answers as would like constant success!

Didn’t realise you were from Oz Westi.

I’ve never made it Westi but my Mum loves it and I’d like to make some for her Christmas as she’s never in need of anything anymore. I’d use a cookbook recipe but they tend to be a bit hit n miss, I always find myself adjusting the spices or something else in them and really want something that is tried and tested for her.

Just looked at the 2 really old books I have, Day to Day Cooking was my old school book & hubby has 1,000 Recipes UK from the 70's. Both have similarities but different. In OZ they are called mustard pickles & in my book it states mustard, turmeric & curry powder. In hubbies book it is just mustard & turmeric & but includes chopped chillies. Hmm?

Is it worth a look on Pinterest? I know you get way too many recipes, some a bit bizarre, but can also find well known UK tv chef recipes - mind some of them can be bizarre! I tend to target those that have had feedback so can see the comments or the have pictures of the end product being used so I can judge set etc.

Just out of curiosity I looked up the origin which was a Lady Anne Blencowe's in 1694 when she wrote a recipe she called 'to pickle lila' which was shared with her by Lord Kilmor. Being actually called piccalilli is from 1772 by a Mrs Raffaid & also called Indian Pickle. No recipe included sorry.

From my late wifes'"LittleRed Book".
8oz cauliflower florets
8oz courgettes sliced into rings
4oz chopped green tomatoes
4oz peeled baby onions
1 red pepper cubed
1 cucumber diced
2 tbs salt
1 tbs dry mustard
2 tps turmeric
2 tps ground ginger
1 tbs plain flour
1 pint white or cider vinegar
1/2 tps celery seeds 2oz sugar,optional

Put all vegetables in large bowl and sprinkle with salt,leave overnight
Next day wash vegetables of salt and drain well
Mix mustard,turmeric and ginger with the flour and a little vinegar and make a smooth paste.
Put into saucepan with remaining vinegar,celery seeds,and sugar(if you want a sweet pickle),bring to boil,then simmer for 15 minutes,stirring well until sauce thickened.
Pack clean,warm jars with the vegetables and cover with the mustard sauce making sure that there are no air pockets.
Seal the jars store for 1 month before opening.Should keep well for 3months.

Not the definitive recipe as there is probably as many variations as there are cooks!Substitute other vegetable for ones which are not liked,carrots,for instance instead of ,say,courgettes.My sister makes a batch adding tomato puree after cooking the vegetables for 5 minutes.
Each to their own!!However you make,enjoy.
And,Sod's Law,knowing my wife,she fiddled with the above recipe!!

I've never made picalilli.

There are some chefs/cooks/bakers whose recipes I absolutely trust, eg Paul Hollywood for baking and to some extent cooking. When it comes to cooking some just seem nuts to me. Mary Berry, for example, I suppose she can bake but she can't cook for peanuts. Urgh.

I'm not a fan of The Hairy Bikers on the telly - too scripted and false-sounding, ie not natural, enforced jollity, them having 'fun', just cringeworthy. That said I have several of their books because their recipes and ideas are good. Some of the photos in their books are very stupid and annoying. I've glued or otherwise stuck pages together, eg with a paperclip, so I don't have to see them again.

I searched for "Hairy Bikers picalilli" and this recipe came up. I notice they call it "hot mustard pickle". BBC Food recipes are usually trustworthy. It's from the HB's "Best of British" which I don't have.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/hot_ ... ckle_87973

I'm not entirely sure if hot mustard pickle is actually picalilli so I also looked for the latter on the BBC site and found this.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-piccalilli

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Thank you Snooky. I am going to try that this weekend. Will report back, I’m sure your wife will have made it better but I’ll try and do her proud.