Pickled Radicchio

Pickled radicchio recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed

• 1 head radicchio, preferably the long, red Treviso variety (its sturdy spines hold up to pickling)

Instructions:

Chop the radicchio leaves crosswise into a few segments of around 1 1/2 inch long. You can keep the tiny inner leaves whole. Arrange the leaves into a wide mouthed jar or jars so that they are wedged firmly in there (but not crushed). Put the vinegar and other ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then shut off the heat. Pour into the jar(s) over the radicchio until the leaves are covered. Close and leave at room temperature for a couple of days, then move to the refrigerator.

*Pickling notes: You can also seal the jars in a water bath. I am lazy and tend to make small batches, so I just move them to the refrigerator. This is a full-vinegar pickle so yes, it is quite tart! I like it that way for my winter recipes, but you are welcome to dilute the vinegar with water, up to a 50/50 vinegar/water split—just make sure to refrigerate within a couple of days if you do this.