Pickled Lilly Pilly

Pickled Lilly Pilly taste like a little explosion of spices in your mouth. The pickling liquid enhances the natural clove flavour of the fruit. There are over 60 varieties of Lilly Pilly and they all have differences in fruit size, colour, and flavour. They fruit inconsistently over Summer, although seem to flower and bear heavily in a dry season. It means I can not rely on availability for any type of consistent yearly produce. For me that makes it even more exciting and worthwhile to preserve the harvest. Even if you only have a small amount, enjoy foraging for them and try pickling them with this small batch recipe.

Pickled Lilly Pilly

Makes 1 x 500mL jar

Ingredients

200g Lilly Pilly, whole

125 ml white wine vinegar

125ml water

125g white sugar

1 cinnamon stick

12 cloves

6 all spice berries

To make the pickle, rinse the Lilly Pilly and gently pack into a sterilised jar. Place the remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil ensuring the sugar has dissolved as it heats. Pour the pickling liquid over the fruit, including the spices. The fruit will lose their colour almost instantly. Leave for 1 week to develop flavour. Refrigerate after opening.

If you have a big harvest, do try this Lilly Pilly jam. And if you are interested in learning more about foraging for food, see my practical guide and recommended resources.