These curry cauliflower pickles are perfect for snacking, as a topping for salad or served with grilled meats. This easy pickling recipe with cauliflower  and story was originally published in 2012. You can see Sierra when she was still young. She passed in 2020. Now we’ve updated  the recipe with a new video for you to follow along when making the recipe. Enjoy!

curry cauliflower pickles in garden setting
curry cauliflower pickles on table

Curry Cauliflower Pickles

I love me plenty of good pickles. Anyone else here in the pickle-loving camp? Please chime in because I’d love to know that there are other obsessive picklers out there. When I eat something off the grill, bbq or a sandwich, I crave a fresh and salty crunch. If the pickles have some extra spice, unique flair or flavor, then I’m double happy! Yes, admittedly I’m addicted to pickles and if you crack open a new jar of fresh homemade pickles, I’ll devour the whole jar in one sitting. These curry cauliflower pickles are definitely too easy for me to eat.

Party Perfect Pickles for Appetizer

A few months ago (in 2012), Todd and I hosted a fun luncheon at our studio for local food bloggers hosted by KitchenAid. The attendee list was filled with some familiar faces, but mostly brand new people that we’ve never met and have always wanted to meet outside of our social media circles.

At the lunch, we served up our homemade trio of pickles: spicy korean kim chi, crisp celery and curry cauliflower. All three pickles were a hit and each jar had their dedicated fans. But the pickled curry cauliflower was a major hit and so many of the guests. Many of the attendees noted that they’ve had pickled cauliflower before, but never like my pickles.

todd and sierra in garden

Curry Cauliflower Pickles with Flavor and Spice

These pickles are not boring or bland. That’s why everyone at the luncheon were obsessig over them. Maybe it was the spice? The intense bright yellow color of the cauliflower? or maybe it was from the depth of flavor of the soy sauce based brine that made everyone coming back to a practically empty jar.

Either way, I re-made this recipe again several times and actually remembered to write the recipe down. Each time, I ate the pickles and realized that my pickle recipe is very flavorful and balanced with spice. I do love spice and flavor and when it comes to pickling, I always want to have each jar chock full of crisp fresh veggies and bright with fun flavors.

todd and sierra in garden

How Spicy to Make the Pickled Cauliflower

The spice level of these pickles is all up to you. Though I used red jalapeños, each batch was different based on how spicy the chiles were. So before you pickle, please taste your chiles to test their heat level. Or if you don’t want to add spice, this recipe is great even without the spice!

Non-Spicy Curry Cauliflower Pickles

You don’t have to add chilies. A non-spicy version of these are just as great. But for color, add some chopped sweet bell peppers. The mini-snacking bell peppers are small enough to slice thick. And best of all, they gave great color. Pickled baby sweet peppers are a great addition to the cauliflower.

Curry Cauliflower Pickles

Yield: 8 servings
Total Time: 20 minutes
The curry flavor in these cauliflower pickles adds a nice savory crunch. Cut the cauliflower in small bite sized pieces. Don't cut the cauliflower too big like you see in our photos cause they take up too much jar space. Since the photos, we've been cutting them into much smaller bites and find it is even better.
Use whatever chili you like to determine the spiciness. It can be anything from a mild sweet bell pepper to a spicy habanero. A red jalapeño is a nice middle ground.
If you have any leftover brine, use it to pickle other veggies! If you need more brine then just add a little more water.
5 from 17 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium head Cauliflower , cut into bite small sized pieces (about 1 lb. or 4 cups)
  • 1 large Jalapeño or chli pepper (or sweet peppers), sliced
  • 2-3 cloves Garlic , finely minced
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 cup Distilled White Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar , (omit for low carb/keto version)
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Curry Powder

Instructions 

  • Cut the fresh cauliflower into small 1" bites and slice the chili pepper. Frozen cauliflower doesn't work for this recipe.
  • Make pickling brine. In a large bowl or mixing cup, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, soy sauce, curry powder. Whisk until fully combined and to mix curry powder well into brine.
  • In jars, layer cauliflower, jalapeños, and garlic to the top of the jars. Using a large measuring cup (or other easy pouring vessel) fill jars with pickling brine to cover the cauliflower, jalapeños, and garlic.
  • Close lids on jars and refrigerate. Allow pickles to brine refrigerated for about 7 days for best flavor and texture. I shake the bottle occasionally to make sure the brine stayed evenly mixed. Yes, if you want you can use the traditional canning methods to preserve the cauliflower to seal the containers.

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 24kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1014mg, Potassium: 121mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 12IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 24

Storing The Pickles

After assembling the pickles, i usually like to keep them in the fridge for at a least a week before eating. This allows the flavors and color to penetrate into the cauliflower. This makes each bite super yummy and crunchy.

More Easy Pickle Recipes