Canned Autumn Salad
Canned autumn salad (осінній салат) is many things: salty, sweet and sour. It’s full of flavor and a combination of many healthy vegetables. This is a great winter salad that will be your favorite during cold days. It’s the perfect comfort food!
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Canned Autumn Salad Recipe:
This is a very old recipe from my mom’s book. The name of this salad speaks for itself; when we think of fall, we think of that beautiful mixture of red, orange, yellow, green and yellow colors.
Back in the days, I think it was common for the ladies to cook with such huge portions because this recipe I had to divide into 4 and it’s plenty for my family of 4, but technically just me and my husband.
Canned Autumn Salad Ingredients:
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Green cabbage
- Yellow onions
- Granny smith apple
- Red bell pepper
- Orange bell pepper
- Yellow bell pepper
Salad Marinade Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup oil (I used grapeseed)
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar or to taste*
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt or to taste*
- 9-10 black peppercorns
What you will need:
- 6-7 pint jars with lids (preferably with wide mouth for easier canning)
- Large pot (I used 10 gallon)
- Food weight scale
- Benriner Mandolin
- Grater
*When it comes to marinating this salad, it’s sometimes impossible to get it right every time. In here I’m using tomatoes from my garden. Tomatoes are sweet and full of flavor comparing to store-bought. If you end up with a bit sour tomatoes from store, there’s a high chance you’ll need less salt or sugar. This is why I’d recommend maybe mixing a bit less of salt and sugar in the marinade process at first and after 10 minutes of boiling the salad, test taste to see if it needs more seasoning.
This salad is suppose to be salty, sweet and sour – everything at the same time; in other words, it’s suppose to be strong and sharp. I made it 3 times in 2 days and ended up with a bit of difference in salt and sugar every time, but I provided the best, the closest in this recipe.
How to Sterilize Jars and Lids:
1. Wash all jars and lids with warm soapy water. Boil lids in a medium pot for 4-5 minutes; carefully paper towel dry lids. Preheat oven to 215°F and place jars upside down onto oven racks and dry for 20 minutes or until completely dry (20 mins was always enough for me). (Thanks to Natasha’s Kitchen for this tip).
How to Make Canned Autumn Salad:
2. Weigh out all your ingredients. Wash all vegetables and fruits (except onions and carrots). Cube 2 lbs tomatoes into 1” pieces, slice 1.5 lbs cucumbers onto Benriner Mandolin about 2-3 mm thickness and then thinly shred 1 lb green cabbage. Peel, wash and grate 1 lb carrots onto a big hole and cut 1 lb onions into half and slice into 2-3 mm thickness strips. Peel, core and grate 1 large granny smith apple onto a big hole. Now for the 3 beautiful peppers, take out the mushy interior stuff, slice peppers into half vertically and half horizontally. You can manually slice them into 2-3 mm thickness strips OR (like me) use Benriner Mandolin (I think it’s faster – at least it seems that way to me 🙂 ).
3. Next, I usually start with tomatoes on the bottom as they are the juicy ones and work my way up, doesn’t matter what order as you’re going to stir it all together anyway. Transfer cubed tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, grated carrots, shredded green cabbage, sliced onions, grated apple and 3 sliced peppers into a large (at least 10 gallon) pot.
How to Make Marinade:
4. In a medium bowl, combine and stir together 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (canola and vegetable are fine too), 2 tbsps sugar, 2 tbsps distilled white vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsps salt and 9-10 black peppercorns. Pour the marinade over the salad. Gently, but as thorough as you can, stir everything with spatula. Oooh check out those colors, I could just eat that photo 😀
5. Turn heat to low (3-4) and let it cook until you start seeing little bubbles. Let it bubble/boil for 10 minutes, then taste for salt and sugar. If it needs more, add then check again 1-2 mins later. (You want it strong so that it tastes strong once you open the jars to eat either next day, a week or month from now on).
6. Carefully (as it’s hot) spoon the salad (including juices) into jars fully to the top leaving about 1/2″ unfilled. Close lids tightly. Cover filled jars with towels until cooled. It’s best enjoyable when it’s out of fridge, cold. Place a jar into fridge before opening and enjoy with any meal!!
Store the salad in cool place such as garage. It doesn’t need to be in fridge all the time.
More Canning Recipes to Try:
Canned Autumn Salad (осінній салат)
Ingredients
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lbs tomatoes
- 1.5 lbs cucumbers
- 1 lb carrots
- 1 lb green cabbage
- 1 lb onions
- 1/2 lb granny smith apples, (1 large apple)
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large orange bell pepper
- 1 large yellow bell pepper
MARINADE INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil, (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fine salt, or to taste
- 10 black peppercorns
Instructions
- STERILIZE JARS AND LIDSWash all jars and lids with warm soapy water. Boil lids in a medium pot for 4-5 minutes; carefully paper towel dry lids. Preheat oven to 215°F and place jars upside down onto oven racks and dry for 20 minutes or until completely dry (20 mins was always enough for me).
- Weigh out all your ingredients. Wash all vegetables and fruits (except onions and carrots). Cube 2 lbs tomatoes into 1” pieces, slice 1.5 lbs cucumbers onto benriner mandolin about 2-3 mm thickness and then thinly shred 1 lb green cabbage. Peel, wash and grate 1 lb carrots onto a big hole and cut 1 lb onions into half and slice into 2-3 mm thickness strips. Peel, core and grate 1 large granny smith apple onto a big hole. Now for the 3 beautiful peppers, take out the mushy interior stuff, slice peppers into half vertically and half horizontally. You can manually slice them into 2-3 mm thickness strips OR (like me) use Benriner Mandolin (I think it’s faster – at least it seems that way to me 🙂 ).
- Next, I usually start with tomatoes on the bottom as they are the juicy ones and work my way up, doesn’t matter what order as you’re going to stir it all together anyway. Transfer cubed tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, grated carrots, shredded green cabbage, sliced onions, grated apple and 3 sliced peppers into a large (at least 10 gallon) pot.
- TO MAKE THE MARINADE: In a medium bowl, combine and stir together 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (canola and vegetable are fine too), 2 tbsps sugar, 2 tbsps distilled white vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsps salt and 9- 10 black peppercorns. Pour the marinade over the salad. Gently, but as thorough as you can, stir everything with spatula.
- Turn heat to low (3-4) and let it cook until you start seeing little bubbles. Let it bubble/boil for 10 minutes, then taste for salt and sugar. If it needs more, add then check again 1-2 mins later. (You want it strong so that it tastes strong once you open the jars to eat either next day, a week or month from now on).
- Carefully (as it’s hot) spoon the salad (including juices) into jars fully to the top leaving about 1/2" unfilled. Close lids tightly. Cover filled jars with towels until cooled. It’s best enjoyable when it’s out of fridge, cold. Place a jar into fridge before opening and enjoy with any meal!!
- (Store the salad in cool place such as garage. It doesn’t need to be in fridge all the time.)
Notes
- Salt: When it comes to marinating this salad, it’s sometimes impossible to get it right every time. In here I’m using tomatoes from my garden that are sweet and full of flavor comparing to store tomatoes. If using store-bough tomatoes, adjust salt and sugar to taste as they will most likely need more. This is why I’d recommend maybe mixing a bit less of salt and sugar in the marinade process at first and after 10 minutes of boiling the salad, taste and see if it needs more. This salad is suppose to be salty, sweet and sour. I made it 3 times in 2 days and ended up with a bit of difference in salt and sugar every time, but I provided the best, the closest in this recipe.
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olga says:
Very delicious and easy to make. I dont have a scale so I eyeballed the proportions and it still turned out great. Thank you.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
You’re very welcome, Olga! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this salad 🙂
jessica says:
I don’t have homegrown tomatoes or cucumbers anymore, do you think store-bought would work for this recipe? Thanks
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Hi Jessica! Yes store-bought would work as well, but will more likely need more salt, sugar and/or vinegar since homegrown is always sweeter. You can adjust the dressing to taste in the pot before filling the jars. It’s suppose to be more on the salty side and strong in taste. When the salad cools and sets, it tends to absorb the strong dressing and the salt is just perfect (not bland). Hope this helps 🙂
Rebecca says:
This salad is phenomenal! I even like it warm, before canning. Works so good with any dish. A winter-must!!!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you, Rebecca! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Brittany says:
This is the best salad I’ve ever pickled. I forgot to leave the comment last year, but I will this year. This is second year I’m pickling your salad recipe. The fact that I always have salad ready during the cold days is just the best thing. It’s incredibly delicious, full of flavor, beautiful autumn color..now I know why it’s called autumn. Totally reminds me of fall. Thank you thank you!!!!!!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thanks Brittany! That’s also what I love about this salad the fact that it works great with winter. It’s very tasty with fried potatoes 🙂