The pickling process preserve you vegetables for months if stored correctly. Pickled vegetables are fantastic served with cheese, cold meats or simple as pre dinner nibbles with olives and pretzels.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cooking and cooling time 2 hours

Makes 2-3 Medium size Kilner Jars, roughly 1.5 litres

450mls white wine or cider vinegar

100g caster sugar

1 tsp salt

2 inches ginger, peeled and cut into fine match sticks (julienne)

200g Cauliflower, cut into small florets

150g green beans cut into 2cm pieces

2 carrots, peeled cut into 2.5cmx.5cm match sticks or simply diced

100g seedless grapes, (this sounds strange but i promise it works really well)

150g cucumber, seeds removed and cut into 1cm dice

2 bay leaves

6-8 whole peppercorns

• Pour the vinegar into a sauce pan with 300mls of water. Add the sugar, ginger, bay leaves, peppercorns and the salt and bring to the boil.

• Add the vegetables into the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes before removing from the heat and pouring the entire contents of the pan into a non metallic bowl. Leave to cool completely.

• Once cooled, dived the vegetables and the liquor between your sterilised jar, seal well and store for later use. I would recommend leaving the vegetable to marinade for at least a week before using.

TIP To sterilise your jars, either boil them in clean water or simple put them into the dishwasher on the highest setting.

You can make this with pretty much any vegetables or hard fruit you wish so please don’t feel you have to sick to my recommendations.