Recipe Atlas
← Back to United Kingdom

Piccalilli

United Kingdom

Piccalilli is Britain's take on Indian pickles, brought back by colonial traders in the 18th century. The yellow colour comes from turmeric and mustard.

A bright yellow, mustardy British pickle of crunchy vegetables in a sharp, sweet sauce. Made for pork pies, cheese and cold meats.

Authentic United Kingdom Piccalilli recipe
Prep
30 mins
Cook
20 mins
Difficulty
Medium
Calories
35 kcal
Serves
12
Calories are an estimate based on ingredients used

Ingredients

300gcauliflower, cut into tiny florets
200gsmall onions or shallots, chopped
200gcucumber, diced
100ggreen beans, chopped
40gsea salt
500mlwhite wine vinegar
150gcaster sugar
2 tbspEnglish mustard powder
1 tbspground turmeric
1 tspground ginger
3 tbspplain flour

Method

1

Toss the vegetables with the salt in a bowl, cover and leave overnight. Rinse well and drain.

2

Mix the mustard, turmeric, ginger, flour and sugar with a little of the vinegar to make a smooth paste.

3

Heat the rest of the vinegar, whisk in the paste and simmer, stirring, for 5-8 minutes until thick.

4

Add the vegetables and simmer for 3 minutes so they stay crunchy.

5

Spoon into sterilised jars and seal. Leave for 2-3 weeks before eating.

Chef's Tip

Don't overcook the vegetables. They should still crunch after the pickling.

Couldn't load comments right now — please refresh.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Some recipe photos courtesy of Openverse and Wikimedia Commons contributors, used under Creative Commons licenses.
Recipe Atlas
© 2026 Recipe Atlas. All rights reserved.Celebrating food from every corner of the world.