Why I’m Making My Own Piccalilli Again (The Maths Don’t Lie)

In this video I make proper British sweet piccalilli from scratch, using simple veg and cupboard staples — and the whole lot cost under £10.

That £10 made nine full jars.
In the supermarket, sweet piccalilli is often around £3.50 per jar before any loyalty cards or “special offers”.

Do the maths:
• Shop bought: ~£31.50 for nine jars
• Homemade: under £10
• Better ingredients, no fillers, and far more flavour

This isn’t about being extreme or “prepping”. It’s about practical resilience — learning to make everyday foods cheaply, stretching household budgets, and taking a bit of control back from rising prices.

Homemade preserves like this store well, reduce reliance on the supermarket, and taste better than anything off the shelf. It’s old knowledge, but it still works.

If you care about:
• saving money
• feeding your family properly
• storing food with intention
• and doing things the sensible, British way

you’re in the right place.

Thanks for watching, and as always — keep it practical.

FULL RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS HERE

This makes roughly 3–4 standard jars.

First, the vegetables.
You want crunch that survives winter.

1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 medium courgettes, diced
2 tbsp salt (for brining)

Put all the veg in a large bowl, sprinkle over the salt, mix well, cover, and leave overnight or at least 8 hours. This pulls out water so you don’t end up with soggy sadness.

Next day, rinse thoroughly and drain very well. Really well. Damp piccalilli is a crime.

Now the sweet, yellow magic.

In a large pan combine:
500ml white wine vinegar
300g caster sugar
2 tbsp mustard powder
2 tsp ground turmeric (this is the colour of cheerfully radioactive sunshine)
1½ tbsp cornflour
1½ tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cloves

Whisk everything cold first so you don’t chase lumps around the pan like a man fighting wallpaper paste.

Put on a medium heat and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring constantly. It will thicken into a glossy, golden sauce that smells like a pickling shop exploded in a good way.

Add the drained vegetables, stir well, and simmer gently for 5–10 minutes. The veg should soften slightly but still crunch. We’re aiming for “confident bite,” not baby food.

Spoon into hot sterilised jars, seal immediately, and let cool.

Storage & patience (the hard bit):
It’s technically edible after a week.
It’s excellent after 4 weeks.
It’s borderline smug after 3 months.

Uses:
Cold ham, pork pies, strong cheddar, sausage sandwiches, or eaten straight from the jar while standing in the kitchen pretending you’re “just checking it.”

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