Pickled Blueberries and Goat Cheese Salad | Nik Snacks
I love blueberries. I'm really into them right now and lucky for you, I've got a new way to try them. Have you ever had pickled blueberries?
Have you ever quick-pickled something? Essentially: make a brine, bring it to a boil, pour it over whatever fresh fruit or vegetable you want to pickle and when the brine cools, you have a new condiment and snack all in one!
I was inspired by Vivian Howard on Instagram to revamp this recipe. She does this #JustTheTipsTuesday thing and I usually see it on Wednesdays. When I saw her giving quick pickling tips, my mind ran to these little blueberries.
Today: not only do you get a recipe for pickled blueberries, I've also added a salad recipe so you can try out your new skill immediately. If this salad isn't creative, I don't know what is!
The star of the salad is the aromatic sweet and sour blueberries which burst and pop in your mouth as you crunch down on the sliced red onion, crisp matchstick apples and the creamy goat cheese crumbles.
THESE BLUEBERRIES, Y'ALL!
We pickle EVERYTHING in the South. If it can fit in a pot or a jar, we're gonna pickle it and put it up for the season so it does not go to waste.
Fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and dill provide an aromatic base along with black peppercorns, vinegar and granulated sugar make those blueberries pop. If you don't have 1 or more of the herbs, don't worry about it. Experiment with different vinegars, if you need to. Do you only have balsamic? Okay! Use that! Don't have blueberries? Use any other kind of berry or grapes or raisins!
Ready to make the salad?
Me too.
This recipe was originally published May 2017
I was inspired by Vivian Howard on Instagram to revamp this recipe. She does this #JustTheTipsTuesday thing and I usually see it on Wednesdays. When I saw her giving quick pickling tips, my mind ran to these little blueberries.
Today: not only do you get a recipe for pickled blueberries, I've also added a salad recipe so you can try out your new skill immediately. If this salad isn't creative, I don't know what is!
The star of the salad is the aromatic sweet and sour blueberries which burst and pop in your mouth as you crunch down on the sliced red onion, crisp matchstick apples and the creamy goat cheese crumbles.
THESE BLUEBERRIES, Y'ALL!
We pickle EVERYTHING in the South. If it can fit in a pot or a jar, we're gonna pickle it and put it up for the season so it does not go to waste.
Fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and dill provide an aromatic base along with black peppercorns, vinegar and granulated sugar make those blueberries pop. If you don't have 1 or more of the herbs, don't worry about it. Experiment with different vinegars, if you need to. Do you only have balsamic? Okay! Use that! Don't have blueberries? Use any other kind of berry or grapes or raisins!
Me too.
Pickled Blueberries and Goat Cheese Salad
Yield: 4-6
Have you ever quick-pickled something? Essentially: make a brine, bring it to a boil, pour it over whatever fresh fruit or vegetable you want to pickle and when the brine cools, you have a new condiment and snack all in one! I was inspired by Vivian Howard on Instagram to revamp this recipe. She does this #JustTheTipsTuesday thing and I usually see it on Wednesdays. When I saw her giving quick pickling tips, my mind ran to these little blueberries. Today: not only do you get a recipe for pickled blueberries, I've also added a salad recipe so you can try out your new skill immediately. If this salad isn't creative, I don't know what is!
Ingredients
Pickled Blueberries (1 pint)
- 1 cup champagne or white balsamic vinegar
- 1 Cup water
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon black peppercorns
- 3 to 4 sprigs each:
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- fresh sage
- fresh dill
- 1 Pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries
Goat Cheese Salad
- 7oz. mesclun salad mix
- 1 cup pickled blueberries
- 3oz. goat cheese crumbles
- 1/2 apple (Pink Lady, Gala or Granny Smith), cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Pickled Blueberries
- Add the vinegar, water, sugar, peppercorns and rosemary, thyme, sage and dill to a medium saucepan and bring it a boil.
- Rinse the blueberries and add them to a clean quart jar.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the brine over the blueberries, covering them entirely.
- Allow berries to macerate for at least 3 hours or until the brine has cooled.
- The berries will keep up to a year in the refrigerator.
Goat Cheese Salad
- Toss the mixed greens, blueberries, goat cheese, apples and red onion in a large bowl.
- Toss until evenly coated.
- Season with salt.
- Serve with dressing of choice.
Calories
266.87Fat (grams)
4.95Sat. Fat (grams)
3.17Carbs (grams)
43.87Fiber (grams)
3.23Net carbs
40.64Sugar (grams)
36.52Protein (grams)
5.35Sodium (milligrams)
1053.66Cholesterol (grams)
9.78Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
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About the author
Nikki Miller-Ka
Ms. Miller-Ka is a classically trained chef with a BA in English from East Carolina University and a Culinary Arts Associate Degree from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami.
Formerly, she’s worked as a researcher, an editorial assistant, reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has also worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker. Presently, she is a food editor, freelance food writer, and a tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.
Saw this and was intrigued. Never heard of pickling blueberries. Rushed out to get some ingredients and just finished putting a batch in the fridge. The brine smells heavenly. Can't wait to try them with the local (Prodigal Farm) goat cheese I also bought.
ReplyDeleteOk. Gave the blueberries a couple of weeks to adequately macerate. Worth the effort. Transformed the salad. Have a little left and may try on some vanilla ice cream.
ReplyDeleteI put these on baked brie. Insanely good.
ReplyDelete