Sweet Pickled Bilberries is a traditional British recipe for a classic way of preserving fresh bilberries for winter by covering in salted and sweetened vinegar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Sweet Pickled Bilberries.
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It's the end of June and bilberry season once again. This time I want to preserve some for winter, so decided to give this recipe for preserving bilberries in a sweetened and salted cider vinegar base a go.
Ingredients:
300g Bilberries
240ml White wine vinegar/Cider vinegar/white vinegar
1 tsp Salt
6 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method:
Prepare your jar — wash thoroughly, but don't dry, before Sterilising in the oven. Pop the jar and lid onto a tray and put it into the oven, for around ten minutes (160-180ºC/Gas Mark 3-4). Then remove them and let them cool a little. You want them warm (not hot) for the pickling itself.
Put the vinegar, vanilla extract, sugar and salt into a pan and put onto the hob and bring to the boil. Boil for around three minutes before turning off the heat.
Wash the bilberries and discard any soft/damaged fruit. Place the clean berries into the jar (no need to cook for this recipe).
Carefully pour in the liquid, using a funnel. Fill to the top, and fasten the lid. Leave to cool.
The berries will need about a week for the flavours to mature, but then they'll keep in the fridge for three months or so. If they last that long!
