Cauliflower - Preserving
Fermenting:
I have found a great recipe booked called Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey, they have some great ideas and recipes, here are two ideas:
How about Caulikraut? I am sure you will have heard of sauerkraut make with cabbage, but here is something different.
Curried Caulikraut. This is another recipe from Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey
I love the salty crunchy sour taste of sauerkraut, but I have never had a go a fermenting cauliflower. It is on my 'To Do' list this coming cauli' season. I have tried their carrotkraut recipe though - yum!
Pickling
Vinegar pickling is another great way to use your cauliflower throughout the year, especially into the summer month when it might be too warm to be able to grow them. A favourite way that I enjoy cauliflower in the summer months is in a pickle called 'Piccalilli'. Ploughman's Lunch with piccalilli at a country pub, sitting in the beer garden, sun warming your back, sunnies on....oh, took me back there a moment. Sorry I digress. I do love Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Veg Everyday recipe book, but his piccalilli recipe can be found here
Freezing
Fresh Cauliflower
To successfully freeze fresh cauliflower, you will need to blanch in boiling water or steam for 2 - 5 minutes, depending on the size of your florets. Do not overcook. The heat will destroy the enzymes and kill the bacteria, helping the cauliflower to maintains its flavour and texture longer. Prepare a dish with cold water and ice to cool the cauliflower quickly once blanched and stop the cooking process. Lay the florets out on a baking tray in a single layer and freeze. Once frozen you can bag up in a container or zip lock bag for later use.
Cooked Cauliflower
Of course you can cook you cauliflower before freezing. I will sometimes make up a base cauliflower soup, freeze it then finish this off later on by adding in extra flavours from the garden depending on what is available at the time. This way I can enjoy cauliflower soup through out the year.
You can of course also freeze cauliflower rice for future use, especially if you are cooking up a big batch. Here is Pete Evans cauli' rice recipe
So enjoy your cauliflower year round. Explore the different recipes and ideas, you will never look at cauliflower as a boring veggie again.
Happy cooking.
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