Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia / USDA-derived guidance)
Safety reviewed: 09/09/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Increase boiling-water processing by elevation: 10 min at 0–1,000 ft; 15 min at 1,001–6,000 ft; 20 min above 6,000 ft.
Source & provenance
Safety summary
Use cauliflower or Brussels sprouts as permitted, but keep the tested 5% vinegar, sugar, vegetable, and seasoning proportions. Do not use larger jars.
Processing details
- Method
- Boiling Water
- Pack style
- Hot
- Jar sizes
- Half-Pint or Pint Jars
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
- Processing time
- 10/15/20 min at 0–1,000 / 1,001–6,000 / above 6,000 ft
Tested source
Safety status: Tested authoritative recipe. This recipe follows the National Center for Home Food Preservation source. Follow its quantities and complete process exactly.
Canning timeline
- Prepare jars, canner, and ingredients.
- Prepare either cauliflower florets or Brussels sprouts, pre-cook for the source-specified time, cool, and pack with the tested hot pickling liquid.
- Fill half-pints or pints, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 20 minutes above 6,000 ft.
- Cool jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner, large nonreactive pot, colander, jar lifter, and half-pint or pint canning jars.
Visual method guide
- Prepare: Use sound produce and exact measured ingredients.
- Pack: Hot pickling liquid over prepared vegetables; remove trapped air and maintain 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process: Boiling-water canning; use the schedule for your altitude and canner type.
- Cool: Leave jars upright and undisturbed before checking seals.
Safety essentials
Tested NCHFP acidified pickle recipe. Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and retain all tested proportions.
About this recipe
Pickled Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts is a tested NCHFP home-canning recipe using hot pickling liquid over prepared vegetables and boiling-water canning.
Before you begin
- Method
- Boiling-water canning
- Pack
- Hot pickling liquid over prepared vegetables
- Jar size
- Half-pints or pints
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
Read the linked authoritative source completely before processing.
Altitude and processing schedule
10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 20 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Pickled Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 12 cups cauliflower flowerets or small Brussels sprouts cauliflower pieces 1 to 2 inches
- 4 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup sweet red peppers diced
- 2 tbsp mustard seed
- 1 tbsp celery seed
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
- 4 tsp canning salt per gallon of water for precooking
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water canner For the documented boiling-water process.
- 9 Half-pint or pint canning jars Yield about 9 half-pints.
- 9 Two-piece canning lids Use new flat lids and prepare according to manufacturer directions.
Directions
- Wash cauliflower or Brussels sprouts, removing stems and blemished outer leaves.
- Boil in salt water made with 4 teaspoons canning salt per gallon: 3 minutes for cauliflower or 4 minutes for Brussels sprouts. Drain and cool.
- Combine vinegar, sugar, onion, red pepper, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and hot red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
- Distribute onion and red pepper among jars. Fill jars with cauliflower or sprouts and pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
- Process half-pints or pints 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 20 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
Discuss this recipe with the canning community. Community comments do not replace the tested source or safety classification shown on this page.
Join the discussion
Please log in or create a free account to discuss this recipe. You will return here afterward.
Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve chilled as a tangy appetizer, salad garnish, or accompaniment to roasted meats.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the ingredients or process?
Only make changes expressly permitted by the authoritative source. Use cauliflower or Brussels sprouts as permitted, but keep the tested 5% vinegar, sugar, vegetable, and seasoning proportions. Do not use larger jars.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate promptly, or reprocess within 24 hours using a new lid and the complete tested process if the source and current food-safety guidance permit.
How this recipe compares
Cauliflower cooks for 3 minutes before packing; Brussels sprouts cook for 4 minutes. The brine and canning schedule are otherwise shared.
Troubleshooting
Do not overcook before packing; use the distinct 3- or 4-minute preparation time for the vegetable selected.
Discard any jar that is leaking, bulging, spurting, moldy, or otherwise shows signs of spoilage. Never taste food to determine safety.
Source & provenance
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Pickled Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts. Adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, revised 2015.
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Fall
Months: September, October, November
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
12–25 lb of Pickling cucumbers per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.