HOMEMADE Chicago-Style Giardiniera (Italian Pickle Condiment)

Giardiniera is life. Giardiniera is happiness. Giardiniera is peace. In Chicago, giardiniera is a lifestyle, from Italian Beef Giardiniera to the spicy and hot giardiniera options. To my surprise, it's not easy to find a proper, real deal Chicago-style Giardiniera recipe on the internet... this video was created to fix that. It's easier to work by weight here to calculate the brine. Enter: the Gød condiment! From homemade giardiniera to pickled giardiniera, I’ve tested the best giardiniera options, including mild giardiniera and the classic Italian giardiniera. Let's dive in and create a delicious giardiniera mix that'll make your taste buds dance 🤘🏻 Adam
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#giardiniere #giardiniera #chicagofood #chicago #italianpickles #pickles #fermentation #italianfood #americanfood #italianbeef #spicyfood #condiments

[@ibzstratcat]

Greatest condiment, dare I say side dish ever made.

[@NightOwlPal]

I am sooo happy i found this video. No one knows what i'm talking about when i ask for giardiniera and the small selection my publix carries just isnt the same. Thank you!

[@johnmal801]

Great video! Just what I am looking for... This I'm going to try soon.

[@nickgibson5715]

Made this for the family this week. Sharing with all the neighbors now too. It's so good my pregnant wife has eaten half of the jar already. On bagels with cream cheese, on mashed potatoes, on steak, by the spoonful! Thanks for helping me win brownie points!

[@AdamWitt]

Let's go NICK! Love to hear that. So stoked that you guys all love it. Thanks for watching.

[@alanthomas8817]

Thanks Adam you have made this look so much easier than other vids I've seen. Love it

[@AdamWitt]

Got you Alan!

[@Thunderbahl]

Been looking for this. Thanks.

[@montanasojourn]

The BEST recipe. Love the salt ratio,... love that you process the veggies in a food processor before the oil. Love that you explain olive oil solidifying. Thanks for posting.

[@chickentender4037]

Never heard of it. Something new to try. Love it!

[@montanasojourn]

It's a Chicago thing. Moved to Montana and cannot find anything close.

[@tanyamiller6275]

Looks delicious

[@joekalwitz]

I have been down the internet giardinara rabbit hole, and this is great. Spot on for what I look for in terms of a giardinara recipe, tons of great technique, entertaining. This video was made for me. Thanks!

[@quantumhelium]

I'm going down the hole right now and this actually seems like the simplest, most fun way to do it without having to buy extra equipment (fermentation this blah blah blah)

[@AdamWitt]

Righteous! Just seeing this for some reason. Happy to help.

[@tomynoks]

He basically fermented them overnight on the counter. I've been geekinh out on giard videos for weeks....seems like a million different ways to make this, but Adam is def one of the best!!

[@elizabethbrown1276]

My company sent me to work in Chicago several times and I got hooked on this delicious condiment. I'm no longer going to Chicago so I have to make it myself but my giardiniera doesn't compare to the authentic Chicago version, I really miss it. Thank you for this recipe.

[@yes-ik1it]

Best Giardinera vid on YT Adam. Pasta la Vista Goomba!

[@torreyholmes7205]

Came over from Not Another Cooking Show. Nice job on this. Subscribed.

[@TheOn3LeftBehind]

Thank you! Great recipe. I miss being able to get it from a grocery store :( I moved to the Boston area and I miss being able to get an Italian beef literally anywhere. When my mom visits me for my birthday she brings the frozen beef from Portillo’s ❤

[@susanpurcell7085]

Great recipe, thank you! I do use olive oil, I don't care if it solidifies a bit in the fridge. It's still easy to spoon out of the jar.

[@jc8733]

I use sliced and diced onions and red bell peppers but this is the EXACT way to make it at home. have fun

[@recordman555]

This video got you my subscription! Rock on!

[@Bigilly0220]

Man I’m from Chicago and I love Giardinera. This is the absolute BEST video I’ve seen on how to make it. Awesome job

[@tombrown03]

Nice. I always buy mine since I live in Toronto, but I’m pumped to make it myself. I much prefer the minced style

[@seantaylor2046]

Adam you da man! My love for the G in all forms is immeasurable, but the relish dice is a cut above. By extending surface area with all of the veg, the taste (flavor profile 🙄) is more unified. It doesn't spill as easy either making for more unmolested divinity in my mouth. I'm gleefully subscribed.

[@AdamWitt]

Exactly! You nailed it.

[@nativemeatsbbq4546]

Food Freak sent me your way via the Italian Beef wedge video. Glad to have found your channel!

[@AdamWitt]

Dude amaze! Stephen is the man. Welcome.

[@devotion_emotion]

my mouth watering 😋

[@jingde2012]

Thank you!

[@JpStudiosDesign]

Just an FYI, your insta on here is wrong. Some guy with no posts is getting all your love! I found ya, but just to let you know. And a super big thank you for this AWESOME recipe. This Chicago girl is in the PNW at the moment where they are all "giardaWHAT?" I converted my ex and he would eat it as a side salad he loved it so much (ha!) but can't find whatever recipe I was using and so happy to have found yours! Looks pretty dang close to what I was doing. I haven't had it minced up before, but that looks so much easier to spoon on stuff, especially following tips from your pizza video. I super appreciate all the measurements by grams!

[@AdamWitt]

Julie. Legend. Looks like I have a lot of video description editing ahead of me. I'm glad you dug the giard.

[@pault7135]

Thanks! Living overseas now and reminding me of the the sandwiches I had in the Chi during undergrad....Blue Demons! Giardiniera is what always stood out to me...that and f'ing up my shoes and outfit after a binge. I dig the the olive addition to the relish....but, texture wise, I like my G like I like my women bro...chonky and thak🤣

[@dee_dee_place]

A Calabrese friend of mine used to make me pickled carrots & button mushrooms. She wouldn't give me the recipe & I've been trying to find it. I going to use this recipe & see if it tastes the way I remember it. Thanks, Adam.

[@AdamWitt]

Right on! Sharing is caring, tell your friend to loosen up!

[@humblepie37]

Did you make the recipe? How did it turn out?

[@michaelgoorsky2209]

Holy cow! We used to go to Chicago and buy jars to let us get through the year... Game changer!!!!

[@humblepie37]

Did you make this recipe?

[@michaelgoorsky2209]

@@humblepie37 yes! It was great! I gotta add in some more peppers for the heat tho!

[@montanasojourn]

Me too. Took jars on a plane to Nebraska.

[@enriquedossantos3283]

dont dump the vinegar brine, jar it and toss some sliced cucumbers or onions, wait 3 days thank me later

[@leshopkins45]

I make my own, but never thought of using a blender to chop!

[@carolhewett3756]

Please tell us what a very long time is for storing this wonderful product.

[@Tocomaco]

Awesome!...just a thought to add, showing that if olive oil is used, in the final canning, flip the jar upside down in frig, so the solidified oil is then on the bottom!...this is also recommended for cream cheese, and sour cream containers.

[@willschmit436]

I make mine with a coarse meat grinder, and 3.5% salt. I let it ferment for 1 to 2 weeks, then replace the brine with olive oil. It never goes into the fridge...

[@enriquedossantos3283]

No vinegar?

[@ThickUmmz86]

Cute kitchen

[@TheExcile009]

How long while it store in the fridge and can you store it out of fridge?

[@Knebelcm1986]

Thanks

[@quantumhelium]

Very good video. I think I'll make one of each, chunky and relish.. The relish is a lot easier on pizza.

[@AdamWitt]

Thank you, amigo!

[@quantumhelium]

@@AdamWitt I mean as I mentioned in my other comment, this is probably the best video for what most people on KZbin are looking for. It isn't pretentious, I don't need a fancy knife or an expensive fermentation valve and don't show me a video where you're in some multi-million dollar kitchen and tell me "It's so easy you can do it at home!" If that was true I would fix every problem in my life with ONE SIMPLE TRICK!

[@Madasafish2]

Great recipe, can you re-use the soybean oil for the next batch of Giardiniera ?

[@Vonnegut84]

you're doing god's work

[@chipete1]

How long can these peppers be stored at room temperature?

[@RED-if5xx]

A little late to the game, but I made your Chicago-Style Giardiniera and have one question. When you drain the vegetables the final time, do you leave the herbs in the container, and rinse them out prior adding the vegetables back in along with the olives? It was very tasty by the way.

[@tomynoks]

I'm pretty sure the herbs are not rinsed out.. they are left to further flavor and infuse once the oil is added. There are 1000s of ways to make giardiniera.

[@TheAtlasKerr]

Could you also mince the veggies before the brining step or would that just ruin everything?

[@AdamWitt]

Hmm, I wouldn't they'd probably hold onto the brine moreso than big chunky guys once drained which could make them salty. But you can certainly try.

[@chrismorse2096]

It’s a beautiful thing…

[@BravingTheOutDoors]

Made a few batches already. It is hard to stop =]

[@AdamWitt]

Heck yeah! Stoked to hear that. I'm glad you dig the recipe.

[@lobstahchowdah8920]

Oh boy, gonna make this soon to go on meatball subs, etc. How long can you keep this in the fridge? Not that I expect it will last that long at our place. Thanks for the recipe.

[@AdamWitt]

No probs! it'll stay good in the fridge for a long time. Think about it - pickles sitting in oil. Much of the water is coaxed out of the veg. Then it sits in oil which acts as a barrier against oxygen/oxidization. Botulism is a thing, though extremely rare. Short answer - a month plus. Use clean spoons to serve every time!

[@lobstahchowdah8920]

@@AdamWitt Thanks for the tip! Enjoying your channel.

[@HealthyMarshmallow]

Can we use mustard oil instead of olive oil?

[@BradYaeger]

Does it actually need to be refrigerated though since it's pickled? Either way this seems like the style I'm looking for

[@tomynoks]

Most say to refrigerate, but I've seen a few say it's shelf stable for weeks... I would say, if you want to store outside the fridge, can it properly. Several videos on canning giardiniera on YT

[@maxwell-style4584]

Man this looks good, but I don't know how I feel about the minced Giardi, this might be a game changer on tacos not gonna lie, I gotta try this asap

[@AdamWitt]

Give it a go. I can't go back.

[@sunnylifecrochet]

Any other veg can be used? Like cabbage, fresh green beans, anise. Ty

[@linuxgirl_]

You could definitely pickle all those things using the same method, but the result would not be giardiniera, or anything remotely like it. In fact, if you're using anise you might as well use sugar, and a totally different recipe.

[@stillifewithcrickets]

New follow via food freak. also, at the risk of being dense headed, when calculating pickling liquid: if you pour our your brine and it's, say, 1000g, you would use 500g vinegar and 500g water?

[@johnnybracciole5490]

Soy!!! Ohh Madonn'

[@WhiteThunderBBQ]

hahaha - I use painters tape for the same thing. Cheers!

[@VR-Trooper]

Option to leave the brine and skip the vinegar/water? I prefer fermentation over cooking. It may help it to keep even longer. Fermented pickles keep for months.

[@jamescampolo7824]

I buy EVOO by the 3L can or jug. That's all I use for everything. Any cardiologist will thank me for lots of garlic and EVOO. By the way, I also dice up garlic in my giardiniera.

[@peppep1704]

You should throw jalapenos in to make it milder, pure serano is too spicy for most. If you don't mind a little red in the mix, you could also use cherry peppers. Green olives are also a great additional. When you chop them they look fancy, when you blend them you can't tell it apart from the cauliflower.

[@jt8566]

When you're ready for the food processor step, scoop the veg out of the vinegar solution and discard the herbs. If you include the herbs in the final product it's like eating sand. Also, use olive oil. It's healthier. The temperature thing is not a big deal. Scoop a couple of tablespoons of giard into a small bowl and let it sit there while you make your sandwich. It comes up to temp quickly.

[@Murraych2]

Are chili flakes the same as crushed red pepper flakes?

[@kevinlee45]

I have always treated them as the same

[@MattH479]

Homemade is certainly always better, but have you tried the Mezzetta Giardiniera? Is it a good standard when it comes to Giardiniera? I've been too afraid to try it.

[@AdamWitt]

No, I usually buy Marconi. Never heard of it.

[@tfries72]

Try Marconi giardiniera the go to store bought giardiniera

[@linuxgirl_]

I think you mean Mezzenetta, right? If so, NO, that is not Chicago style giardiniera in any way! It's Italian style, which is just pickled whole vegetables meant as a side dish. Chicago style was created as a condiment (although I recommend eating it plain at every opportunity, like most of us around here!) and tastes totally different.

[@MattH479]

@@linuxgirl_ much appreciated!

[@brock9872]

Mezzetta is the brand. I have a couple jars of Mezzetta hot Chicago style giardiniera sandwich mix in my cabinet right now. I Mezzetta makes both the Italian style and Chicago style. Make sure it says Chicago style sandwich mix. I like the hot mix. I don't live near Chicago anymore but I buy several bottles when I go back home. I use it on all kinds of things like frozen pizza, salads, hamburgers, and hot dogs.

[@naturallynature1559]

CAN SOME ONE PLEASE TELL ME THE MEASUREMENTS FOR THE SECOND BRINE? THE WATER AND VINEGAR PLEASE?

[@elizabethsmith38]

😋

[@phillipstafford2410]

I like mine on some pasta Get the big veggies in a vinegar salt water brine

[@artlover7638]

Giardiniera is not originally from Chicago but from Italy. It means from the garden and it started as a way for farmers to preserve their vegetables by pickling what they had just harvested.

[@RolexBabyy]

He never said it was from Chicago lmao

[@allroundlad]

@@RolexBabyy he never said that he said it was from Chicago lol. Think he just wants to inform anyone who doesn't know because knowledge is power.

[@gregsavchuk3239]

Gangsters are originally from Chicago...

[@allahbless2278]

Chicago style better than Italian style lil bro

[@Joey-Zaza]

​@gregsavchuk3239 actually they were originally from Sicily

[@jnsmith111]

Al's Beef in Chi uses the relish style. Portillos and the other majority of places use the crunchier form. I actually prefer the relish form as it can dig in to the bread and stuff/season the sandwich. Also, I prefer Al's to Portillos in general.

[@AdamWitt]

Me dos.

[@yoholmes273]

Save that marinate juice and add it to pot roasted and for marinate, which is perfect for foods like chicken on the bone.

[@conniefi]

I was looking for a recipe for with olive oil and no soybean.

[@Mir_Teiwaz]

Just tried going to your website and it's showing a "website expired" error :(

[@AdamWitt]

fixed!

[@litahsr.8226]

i think you where suppose to use the brim with a little bit of oil so it wont get thick

[@lmaLittIeTeapot]

I’m from Chicago and the the relish style is definitely not standard. But Chicago is known for people mixing and mashing food styles so it is definitely welcome. The soybean oil may be a bit of a stretch though lol

[@thedude5940]

Marconi literally bottles in soybean oil.

[@bigdchi]

olive oil is rarely used. too expensive and it solidifies in the fridge. @@thedude5940

[@PolizeiPaul]

I tried the oily stuff (I believe the brand was Louie's) and didn't like it, Too greasy for me. I prefer the Mezzetta stuff..It's chopped whole veggies but you could run them through your blender if you want relish. I just like to munch on these with a fork so I eat them whole all but the baby onions (they don't taste too good).

[@peterme7265]

Adam great recipe except for soybean oil another cheap oil you recommend that's a little bit healthier

[@Smegma_pirate]

If you do t mind the hit to your immune system use soybean oil if you love your body then Use olive oil

[@minnow1337]

Why would soybean oil affect your immune system?

[@jonniangel3764]

Omg I’m stopping at the calculator

[@fglend73]

You're channel is amazing, keep it up. Question. I've researched a number of giardinera recipes, and yours by far calls for the highest amount of salt. Why so high? 8% salt seems crazy lol. Typical amounts I've seen is 2-3% for a basic fermentation.

[@enriquedossantos3283]

, a lot of it is wash off in the vinegar brine when you dump it, thats the reason

[@kevinlee45]

This isn't fermented.But you are right if that's what you want ...minus the vinegar

[@fglend73]

@@kevinlee45 even sitting on the counter overnight will induce some fermentation.

[@cortlynwilliamson3898]

Hey

[@stephensonselina48]

Negative I believe I can just buy this at Harris Teeter, over by the sauces and pickles ail

[@jess4337]

make it spicier next time 😉

[@mississippiapple1078]

I cannot find real olive oil

[@verisimilitudeteller]

I'm just going to say this use olive oil extra virgin and don't refrigerate it. It does not need Refrigeration as long as you keep the oil level above that of the contents in the jar it does not need to be refrigerated. Making this with soy oil is a sacrilege.

[@ml.2770]

No red bell peppers? Are we animals now?

[@spitalhelles3380]

nice but the soybean oil grosses me out

[@JordonBeal]

Why?

[@spitalhelles3380]

@@JordonBeal because soybean oil is a highly processed product.

[@maragrace820]

1. Soybean oil is toxic just like canola oil. 2. Real Olive oil should not freeze like that. 3. giardiniera is so much better Italian style

[@nicholaslandolina]

Lol

[@JJ-wg4zw]

Recipe pretty similar to what I've been using for years so should be on spot but no thanks on the relish. You're not a toddler. You can chew😁

[@Cyril29a]

1:37 Why does the weight of the veg and water have to be in grams when you multiply by .08? The weight can be in anything, it can be in dead cats as long as you measure out your salt using the same unit the measurement will be accurate. Very weird

[@tommann4978]

Capiche

[@tanyamiller6275]

I'd rather olive oil

[@phillepe101]

From Milwaukee, so obviously hate Chicago. But man, the food. Definitely will try this while disdaining the Cubs. You and your amazing Italian Beef sandwiches.... pshh. Just to spite you, I will throw this on Cheese curds.

[@sidneybear]

ONLY QUALITY GIARDINIERA USED OLIVE OIL...NO SUBSTITUES.

[@cortlynwilliamson3898]

Second

[@ameliac3337]

ok but green olives >

[@SirFancyPantsMcee]

If you cant handle heat, why are you using serrano's and not jalapenos or Anaheim?

[@leo.girardi]

Soy boy.

[@georgemegalis6912]

Divide this , divide that , seriously ? There’s something called metric system , weigh and give us amounts .

[@djtblizzle]

Weight varies on the amount of veggies and containers. You have a phone, bust out the calculator and a scale. It’s not that hard

[@DANVIIL]

I have a half gallon of this wonder relish. However, to prolong my life to enjoy the Giardiniera, I use olive oil and not the killer soy oil. Plus, who wants to be a Soy-Boy?

[@itchy-scratchy]

Dude no self respecting Southsider would macerate it. It's chunky for a reason.....say buff sandwich again...........well you get the picture.

[@linuxgirl_]

I always liked the relish form because the flavors blend together better that way . . . also you can get more in a neat bite than with the falling-off vegetable version.

[@TRON0314]

Thank God he didn't include green olives. Ruins G every time. And yes, Relish form is superior. Edit: Spoke too soon. Sullied with Green Olives. 😞

[@hitters07]

Ok so why the relish? haha

[@richardchilds5405]

OMG!!!!! you scraped the seeds?????? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OMG!!!!! you boiled all the nutrients out. Forga bout it!!!

[@johntaroli9159]

I'm of Italian decent and this is typical chicago mush. Sorry slappy.

[@enriquedossantos3283]

chunky is better

[@ukrandr]

You lost me at relish.

[@joshuarayborn]

use olive oil, soy is gae

[@pedleyt1987]

You watch joshua weissman by any chance? Hahaha copycat