Heinz Piccalilli 310g

Product Information

The Vegetables:I only used three vegetables in this piccalilli: cauliflower florets cut into small pieces, sweet gherkins thinly sliced and pearl onions. As an aside, have you ever wondered why the British use malt vinegar on their fish and chips? Well, the reason is that the acid in the vinegar neutralizes the fishy taste in the fish. This is the same reason that fish is often served with lemon. Now you know! Ingredients Heinz Piccalilli is the perfect Addition to Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. The slightly sharp tangy flavour and the mixture of vegetables go together very well.

I ended up with three 12-ounce jars of piccalilli and two 8-ounce jars. I stored the piccalilli in a cool, dark place for about a month until it was ready to be enjoyed.I used Coleman’s mustard powder which is traditional English mustard powder. It’s generally readily available in grocery stores. If you can’t find Coleman’s you can use any mustard powder or dry mustard. Both mustard powder and dry mustard are the same thing. A big difference between the store-bought variety of Piccalilli and my English Piccalilli is the type of vinegar used. The store-bought variety uses spirit vinegarwhich is basically acetic acid with mixed with water. The next day, I rinsed the vegetables in cold water to remove any excess saltiness. Making the English Piccalilli The Spices:The combination of dry mustard and turmeric gives this piccalilli its distinctive taste and color. I find this a bit more tangy than Haywards, so I like it just a tiny bit less. Depends on your taste though. It's still excellent with cheese and meats. Of course, the best piccalilli comes from my home town and it's not on here (not naming names). But this is a tasty substitute.

I started by combining the cornstarch, dry mustard and turmeric with part of the malt vinegar in a measuring cup. Before I started making my own piccalilli, the Master Taste Tester used the store-bought Heinz Piccalilli. He kept suggesting that I should make piccalilli not only because of the cost of the store-bought variety, but also because he was convinced that my version would be superior. Guess what? He was correct. However, it took a lot of experimentation to get it right.The age old question is, which do you prefer, Heinz or Haywards Piccalilli. Well, for me it has to be Heinz. It is colourful, tangy and crunchy meaning it is welcome on most dishes at any time of day. Southern chow chow has similarities to English Piccalilli. However, the typical vegetables used in Southern chow chow include green tomatoes, bell peppers and cabbage. Also southern chow chow tends to use spirit vinegar, which I’ll talk about in a minute. After the vegetables have been salted, you might think about tasting the cauliflower; if it is too salty, soak in cold water for one hour. Drain thoroughly.

The Master Taste Tester likes to use the English Piccalilli in place of ketchup on for example fries and turkey burgers. However you use it, you’ll definitely be hooked if you like vinegary sauces. Yum! Anyway, when I asked him whether white vinegar could be used, he shook his head and said absolutely not. He’s a chemical engineer, and I got a science lesson and an experience lesson when he answered my question – too much information for my response to you! To easily peel pearl onions, add to pan of boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes; transfer to ice water to stop cooking. When onions are cool enough to handle, slice off root end and pinch to release onion from the peel. I’m not a vinegar person, so personally don’t know what difference, if any, would result if white vinegar were used as opposed to Malt vinegar. He did say that Malt vinegar would add some subtle flavor differences compared to white vinegar. Then, I heated the rest of the vinegar and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar had dissolved. This took about 2 minutes.Toad in the Hole: Toad in the Hole is an English classic. It consists of sausages cooked in a Yorkshire pudding batter. It is sometimes referred to as sausage toad, and is traditionallyserved with onion gravy and vegetables. Finally, I submerged the jars in a large pan of boiling water for about 10 minutes to seal them. When I removed the jars from the boiling water, I could hear the characteristic “pop” on the lid indicating that the jars were sealed.

My husband, who is from England, thinks that Malt vinegar is the only way to go. In fact, he remembers his mother making Piccalilli using Malt vinegar. He hadn’t even heard of Chow Chow until he moved to the US. The Master Taste Tester is English. Therefore, PudgeFactor includes a number of amazing English recipes. Here are a few:After that, I removed the pan from the heat, and transferred the piccalilli to sterilized mason jars. Once I had filled all of the jars, I screwed on the lids. Therefore, the day before I actually made the piccalilli, I combined the vegetables in a bowl. Then, I sprinkled on some Kosher salt. After giving the mixture a stir, I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and left it to sit on the kitchen counter overnight. When the Master Taste Tester took his first sample bite, his face lit up and he said “you’ve perfected the piccalilli – no more store-bought stuff!” The Vinegar:As I previously mentioned, I used malt vinegar as the base for this delicious piccalilli. Cheese and Onion Pie: The English are famous for their savory pies, and Cheese and Onion Pie is no exception. Its simple ingredients of tender cooked onions and sharp cheddar cheese encased in a flaky crust create an amazing pie. One taste and you’ll be hooked!