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I make my own version.
We Armenians refer to it as 'toorshi'........pickled vegetables.
I use my mother's recipe, using cauliflower, cabbage, carrots and celery.
I put it in a big stoneware crock pot, let it sit for a few days...then jar it up for the holidays. Keep it in the fridge.
In fact my sister was just asking me if I would be making it this year.
In my experience it’s a must for Italian beef sandwiches.
Yah. A beef without giardiniera is kind of like a pizza without cheese. It really perfects the sandwich. There are so many great uses for it too.
Giardiniera is a very versatile condiment that can be used on a variety of different foods such as bratwurst, bruschetta, burgers, pasta salad, eggs (omelets), hot dogs, tuna salad, sandwiches, and much more. In the U.S. it is not uncommon to use giardiniera even on pasta or, in the Chicago area, pizza. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardiniera
I was Born and Raised Southside of Chicago. Loved my Taylor street italian ice and beans.... Hot giardiniera is a staple for me lol. I always have a bottle in the fridge. I moved to Texas a few years ago and nobody out here knows what it is. Theres 0 Italian culture out here. I always keep a bottle in my fridge . It usually goes on my Italian sausage, Italian Beef (shipped in from chicago), and bratwursts.
When we first moved here we went to the store and asked for Italian beef and aju . They looked as us like we were crazy
I actually just made a pizza the other day with Italian Beef and Hot giardiniera on it. It was amazing lol
When I run out, I usually grab a bottle at pot belly . Theirs is pretty good.
Location: The Land Mass Between NOLA and Mobile, AL
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Love giardiniera. Learned to love it in WI (close enough to Chicago), and then it was in the stores everywhere in NJ. And it is similar to olive salad on a muffaletta.
I've made my own and actually canned it in small batches when good fall vegetables come in. Ball has a pretty good basic recipe, though you could certainly just make it with any quick-pickle brine as others have suggested. We like it spicy/hot, so we tend to cut the sugar somewhat in our brines and add banana peppers and even jalapenos to our vegetable mixture. Love pickles of all kinds!
I’ve only had it in brine, never seen it in oil.
I prefer the Mexican/California way using carrots, jalapeños, a little garlic (onions and cauliflower are optional) in a salt & vinegar brine.
Debsi, we lived in Phoenix for 25+ years and part time in Mexico for a couple of years. I know exactly what you are talking about and I like it. But it's more like like pickled, not really like gardinieria.
DH introduced me to gardinieria on a visit to Portillo's in Chicago, his home town. I instantly fell deeply in lust with this stuff. The HOT version of Marconi's is in the fridge at all times.
Purchased from World Market.
And I've learned how to make a good version of the Italian beef in the instant pot, although it's more shredded than sliced. If i could get the proper bread it would be a terrific copy.
The "Chicago Style" Hot giardiniera is different from the stuff I see in stores most everywhere else, it's sort of a dark green, heavy on the chunks of sport peppers. Also has extra doses of small olives, sliced celery and red pepper flakes.
The stuff Potbelly sells as "hot peppers" (available in jars) is a close approximation.
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