Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts
A New Delicious Way To Store And Eat Brussel Sprouts
If you like pickles this is one of the best Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts I have had. I am so surprised how good they are. They are pumped full of delicious pickle brine, garlic and spices. Bring these out as an appetizer or with a meal and see how people light up on trying something so unusual. Perfect for Holidays and gift ideas, just put a ribbon around the jar and press-to there you are.
How To Prepare The Brussel Sprouts For Pickling
The key to making these Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts is to have really fresh healthy firm looking brussel sprouts. I choose the ones that have no small black dots on them or small little holes. You don’t want wormy brussel sprouts. I clean them by chopping off the dry ends and extra hanging leaves. Then I wash them thoroughly in running water.
When the brussel sprouts are done being cleaned then cut them into halves or quarters. My brussel sprouts were large so I quartered them. Some were a little smaller so I cut them in half. Although, there are some rather small brussel sprouts, so you can put them into this pickling whole.
After they are all clean and cut look for any that don’t look good. Sometimes they can be wormy with little holes. Discard any that are questionable. Just make sure to replace them to add up to 3 pounds for the recipe. Then you are going to boil them for 4 minutes. Don’t over cook them. Drain under warm water. Let them drain really well. You don’t want the extra water to dilute the brine.
Creating The Brine For Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts
The brine is really very easy for these Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts. Just put in a large pot the vinegar, water, salt and sweetener and let it come to a boil. Turn it down and simmer for 5 minutes.
While the brine is cooking this is the time to fill your jars with the herbs, lemon, garlic and spices. Put these in first because then you know they will fit in the jars. I make 7 quarts at a time and I make sure to have enough for all seven before I start. I put equal amounts of each item into the quart jars. If you want the brussel sprouts to be spicy as I do, then add some extra hot pepper flacks, chili peppers or jalapeno to the jars. This way you can make some hot and some not because you can see the peppers in the jars.
Next put the drained cooled pre-cooked brussel sprouts in each jars. It is ok to push them down into the jars a little to fit them all in. Just make sure not to make them too tight because you have to get the bubbles out later. Then fill with brine. After they are all filled use something long and thin to push down on the sides of the inside of the jars. I use a chop stick or long butter knife. Wiggle it around to get the bubbles out. This will help release trapped air to see if you need more brine.
Canning the Pickled Brussel Sprouts
I have done some research on whether or not you have to soak the canning lids in hot boiling water. Apparently a lot of lids do not have to be done that way anymore. Check the package that the lids came in and read the directions. It may be different for certain lid manufacturers. Follow the directions on the box.
Before putting the lids on make sure to wipe the rim of the jars off with a clean kitchen towel. Use a really good exorbitant towel because you want all the liquid to be off the rim before putting the lid on. Then put the lids rings on over the lids and tighten them only finger tight. Do not put them on as tight as you can. This can mess up the seal on the lid, plus you want to be able to get it off later.
Putting The Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts In A Hot Bath
We are using a water bath canner for these Zesty Canned Brussel Sprouts because they are a high-acid food. You use a bath canner for fruits, jams, jellies, pie fillings, pickles, condiments and tomatoes with added lemon juice. If you want to can low-acid foods or ingredients that are low in acid then you want to use a pressure cooker.
The water bath canner is a very large pot that has a jar rack in it. The jar rack can be loaded before putting into the canning pot. If you put the rack handles up on the sides of the pot and it sits up high in the boiling water of the pot you can also load it there. Load the seven quart jars into the boiling water and boil for 15 minutes on a medium boil.
When done turn off the burner and pull the jar rack up and out of the boiling water and rest the handles of the rack on the sides of the rim of the pot. Take the quarts out with oven mitts or canning tongs and be very carful. Put them down gently on a towel on the counter and let sit for 24 hours.
The seal on the tops of the jars will be pushed downward when they are sealed. Sometimes they seal before taking them out of the water bath or they seal after they are sitting on the counter. You will hear a pot when they seal. Check them the next day after 24 hours the see if the lids are sunken downward.
How Long Will Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts Last
Now that these delicious green pickled sprout babies are canned they will last for years. After opening the jar these Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Spout will last 5 to 6 months in the refrigerator. I have made some for friends and family for the Holidays. It is a great gift if you know someone who likes brussel sprouts. I hope you like them as much as we do. Enjoy!
Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts
Equipment
- 1 Large canning pot
- 1 Canning rack
- 7 Quart size canning jars
- 7 Quart size lids and rings
- 1 Butter knife or chop stick, to help get bubbles out of jar
- 1 Funnel, large one for canning to put veggies in jars, optional
- 1 Large Strainer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Kitchen towel, to wipe rims with
- 1 Kitchen towel, to set canning jars on when done
Ingredients
Brine
- 4 cups White Vinegar
- 8 cups Water
- 5 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1½ Tbsp Agave Sweetener
Brussel Sprouts, Spices and Herbs
- 3 Lbs Brussel Sprouts
- 7 Quartered wedges Fresh Lemon, 1 in each quart
- 14 med sprigs Fresh Dill Weed, 2 in each quart
- 24 cloves Fresh Garlic, chopped large, size of 3 whole cloves in each quart
- 7 wedges Jalapeño or small whole red chili, 1 in each quart
- 7 tsp Ground Black Pepper, 1 tsp in each quart
- Hot Pepper Flakes, desired taste in each quart, optional
Instructions
Clean Brussel Sprouts
- Make sure all of your quart jars are clean.
- Clean canning lids and rims in hot water. Let air dry on a clean towel.
- Heat two large pots of water to boil brussel sprouts in.
- Make sure you have 3 pounds or more of brussel sprouts. This will fill 7 quarts. Clean all the hanging leaves off of brussel sprouts. Cut the bottom of brussel sprout until it looks trimmed. Eliminate all bad or wormy sprouts. If you have bad ones make sure to replace them with good ones so that you can fill your quart jars. Wash them under cool water and clean thoroughly. Cut into halves or quarters if they are large.
- Put cleaned prepared brussel sprouts in boiling water for 4 minutes. Do not over boil them.
- Drain brussel sprouts in strainer and rinse under warm water. Set aside to let drain.
Brine
- In a large pot put the water, white vinegar, salt and agave sweetener or sugar in and bring to a boil.
- Boil on a medium boil for 5 minutes
- Fill canning pot all the way up to the marker on side of pot for 7 quart capacity. Cover and bring to a boil.
Spices and Herbs
- In each prepared cleaned quart jar add 1 lemon wedge, about 3 cloves of large chopped garlic, 2 sprigs of fresh dill, 1 wedge of jalapeño or medium red chili pepper or hot pepper flakes and 1 tsp ground black pepper. (hot spices are optional)
- Add the brussel sprouts to the quart jars. Pack them in a little but not a lot. Not too tight.
- Pour the brine into each quart jar. Fill the brine up to an inch below the rim.
- Clean all the rims with a kitchen towel or cloth to make sure nothing is still on the rims. Then put the lids on and rings. Tighten the rings to finger tight. Do not put them on so tight you can't get them back off.
- Set up the handles of the canning rack on the side of the large canning pot. Arrange the jars gently on the rack, starting with the middle or one on the side and then the middle. This will help balance. When done, with oven mitts lower the rack slowly into the hot bath of the canning pot. Boil for 15 minutes.
- When done take out the rack and rest handles on the sides of the pot again. Take out jars one at a time with the canning prongs or oven mitts. Set the jars on a kitchen towel. Let sit for 24 hours. Tops will be indented inward when sealed or you may hear them seal with a pop sound.
- You can store these Zesty Canned Pickled Brussel Sprouts in a cool dry place for years. When opened they can last in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 months. Just reseal them well.
- Enjoy!