Season: June to early July. Tall, willowy, feathered sweet Florence fennel, with its creamy-white, bulbous bottom, has to be one of the most alluring vegetables to grow in the garden. It’s not easy to cultivate in every soil, but if it likes your particular situation, you should be able to grow plenty to use with gay abandon in the summertime, with some left over to preserve for later in the year. It’s only really worth making this pickle if you have a supply of freshly harvested bulbs when they are pale green and tender. All too often, the imported stuff is yellow and coarse. You have to discard much of the outer bulb, and it certainly isn’t worth the expense or trouble of pickling. This lovely light pickle is delicious with smoked or oily fish and in winter salads. It nearly always makes an appearance at our Boxing Day lunch.

　　

Ingredients

makes three to four 8-ounce jars

　　Salt

　　2 1/4 pounds fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced, a few feathery fronds reserved

　　4 1/4 cups cider vinegar

　　1/2 ounce peppercorns (black, white, or pink)

　　1/3 cup granulated sugar

　　Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

　　3 or 4 bay leaves

　　1 teaspoon celery or fennel seeds

　　3 to 4 tablespoons olive, hempseed, or canola oil

　　

Step 1

Pour about 10 cups of water into a large pan, salt it well, and bring to a boil. Add the sliced fennel and blanch for no more than 1 minute. Drain in a colander, cool under cold water, then drain and pat dry.

　　

Step 2

Put the vinegar, peppercorns, sugar, lemon zest, bay leaves, and celery or fennel seeds into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for about 10 minutes, until the liquid reaches a syrupy consistency. The vinegar vapors will create quite a pungent atmosphere in the kitchen.

　　

Step 3

Pack the fennel into wide-necked, sterilized jars (see p. 21), lacing a few fennel fronds between the slices. Remove the vinegar syrup from the heat and carefully pour it over the fennel. You may well find all the spices remain at the bottom of the pan. If this happens, distribute them between the jars, poking the peppercorns and bay leaves down through the fennel slices. Pour sufficient oil into each jar to seal the surface. Seal the jars with vinegar-proof lids (see p. 22). Use within 1 year.

　　The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin.Pam Corbin has been making preserves for as long as she can remember, and for more than twenty years her passion has been her business. Pam and her husband, Hugh, moved to Devon where they bought an old pig farm and converted it into a small jam factory. Using only wholesome, seasonal ingredients, their products soon became firm favorites with jam-lovers the world over. Pam has now hung up her professional wooden spoon but continues to "jam" at home. She also works closely with the River Cottage team, making seasonal goodies using fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers from her own garden, and from the fields and hedgerows.