This is the original Italian homemade giardiniera recipe made with white wine vinegar and without extra virgin olive oil as you might find in a Chicago style giardiniera recipe. Once you make this homemade giardiniera recipe you will never again wonder what to do with excess carrots celery, red bell peppers and cauliflower from the garden.
In a large pot, add the vinegar, water, salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the bay leaves, juniper berries and peppercorns as well.
Clean the cauliflower and cut it into florets, then put it into the boiling liquid and let it blanch for about 4 minutes. Remove with a hand strainer (leaving the liquid in the pot) and set aside in a large bowl.
Peel the carrots, cut them into sliced sticks and blanch them for 4-5 minutes in the pot and then remove with a hand strainer and set aside in the same large bowl with the cauliflower.
Clean the spring onions and celery and then chop into smaller bite size pieces, blanch these vegetables as well for 4-5 minutes, remove with a hand strainer and set aside.
Now clean and cut the bell peppers into short strips and clean the green beans and cut them in half. Blanch both for 3-4 minutes, remove with a strainer and add to the bowl.
Clean and chop the daikon and clean and slice the cucumbers, blanch them together for 3 minutes, remove with a hand strainer and set aside.
Stir all the cooked vegetables together until well-mixed.
Take the sterilized jars, place the cooked, chopped vegetables inside and press them down to fit as many veggies as possible inside. Place the plastic disks for home canning on top of the vegetables (this will keep the vegetables below the liquid level) and then pour in the cooking liquid vinegar solution until it is 1 cm from the rim and fully covers all vegetables.
Screw the lid on each jar as you finish it.
Once you have completed all the jars, place them in the bottom of a very large pot, and wrap a clean tea towel around the jars so they do not bump into each other while in the boiling water. Fill the pot with water so that all the jars are completely submerged and bring to a boil.
Boil for 30 minutes, which should be enough time for a vacuum to form. If it has not, keep boiling until it does. Turn off the heat, carefully remove the jars and turn them upside down to cool.
For the best flavor, store your jars in a dark, cool location and wait about 1 month before you consume your first jar of homemade giardiniera.