Don't Throw Out Your Cauliflower Cores, Use Them To Make This Crunchy Snack Instead

Lately, almost everyone has been adding to their list of ways to reduce food waste in an effort to reduce their grocery bill, their carbon footprint, or both. High on that list is purchasing large quantities of foods you know you'll actually eat: pantry staples that transform easily into your favorite vegan chickpea salad sandwich or fresh heads of cauliflower that easily become a nutty, roasted side dish for grilled chicken. Yet, even with something as versatile as cauliflower, there's the potential for waste — most of us never give a second thought to tossing out the stem.

Tough, fibrous, and much chewier than the tender florets, cauliflower stems are less than appealing when putting together a deliciously garlicky batch of cauliflower mash or dairy-free Alfredo sauce. However, they're just as full of flavor and vitamins as the florets; they just need a touch of TLC to become a bit more palatable. While you could certainly saute the diced stems within an inch of their life to soften them, pickling them is more fun and produces a beautifully tangy topping for dishes such as fish tacos and jerk chicken.

Once submerged in a warm pickling brine of vinegar, sugar, and spices, the cauliflower stems begin to soften slightly, becoming that perfect pickle-y combination of crunchy and tender rather than just tough. You need to let them steep for at least eight hours, though they stay fresh in the fridge for about two weeks (provided they stay submerged in the pickling liquid).

Though cauliflower has a peppery nuttiness all its own, it's also well-known for easily soaking up the flavors of whatever seasoning is added to it. That means you have a wide range of choices when deciding how to assemble the brine for your waste-free pickles. You can even take things a step further and make your own giardineira blend from the odds and ends in your crisper drawer, such as some leftover celery ribs, that last handful of baby carrots in the bag, and the half a bell pepper you weren't sure how to use. Perhaps pickling as a way to avoid waste will become your new favorite cooking habit!

Whether you're using cauliflower stems alone or combining them with other veg, start with a lighter-colored vinegar, such as white wine vinegar, ACV, or plain old white vinegar. A pinch of sugar curbs the vinegar's astringence, and seasonings such as mustard seed, peppercorns, smashed garlic cloves, and thinly sliced jalapeños offer a ton of beautiful flavor. Rice wine might also be delicious if your flavor preferences lean Asian. In this case, some red pepper flakes and soy sauce could produce some truly tasty results. Bring the vinegar, sugar, and your seasonings to a boil and pour the hot liquid over the chopped stems, stuffed into clean glass jars. From here, you can water-bath can your pickles to make them shelf stable, or pop them in the fridge to enjoy the next day.