Quick Pickled Fennel + A Few Ways To Put It To Use
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Recipe type: Pickle, Condiment
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 pints
 
Pickled fennel is such a treat when added to a salad or served along seafood. It will last for a week or 2, though I doubt you'll be able to resist it that long!
Ingredients
  • ½ tsp. Fennel Seeds, slightly crushed
  • ¼ tsp. whole Cloves
  • 2 c. White Vinegar
  • 1 c. Water
  • ½ c. Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
  • a few strips Orange Peel
  • 2 large bulbs Fennel, shaved on a mandoline or sliced as thinly as possible
  • 1 large Shallot, shaved on a mandoline or sliced as thinly as possible
Instructions
  1. Place the fennel seeds in a medium saucepan and toast for a moment, until you can smell the fennel. Now add the cloves, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and orange peel. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, pack the shaved fennel and shallot into a clean jars--I had enough to pack 3 pint jars. Alternatively, you can just pickle the fennel in a big bowl.
  3. Slowly pour the hot brine through a fine mesh sieve into the jars to completely cover the fennel. Run a chopstick or a knife down around the edges of the jar to release any air bubbles and top off with additional brine, if needed. (You might have a little extra brine, depending on how large your fennel bulbs were. I had about ¼ c. extra, but I'd rather have a little too much than have to make more on the fly.) Let the fennel cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely. The fennel is best if you give it a full day to pickle before digging in.
Recipe by strawberryplum at http://www.strawberryplum.com/quick-pickled-fennel-a-few-ways-to-put-it-to-use/