Ploughmans Pickle – Britains Favorite Pickle Recipe

This post has been sponsored by TRISCUIT. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

crackers and toppings on a table
It has been a slew of years since living in the northwest of England, but sometimes, I’ll hear a song or taste something that takes me right back in an instant. Some of those things I miss, and others…. not so much. What I do miss is the rich history and culture, trivia night at the local pub, the beauty of the countryside, and even kayaking on the canals. I learned how to have a proper afternoon tea, order chips instead of fries, and fell in love with the ploughmans lunch.

Ok, so you might be wondering, “what in the world is a ploughmans lunch?”, and yes, it does sound like it’s a beef and potatoes kind of meal. The fact is, that it is simply a cheese and pickle sandwich, nothing fancy at all. The British enjoy this straight forward meal, not with bread and butter or dill pickles, but with a ploughmans pickle. To me, it is actually more of what I would consider a savory-sweet chutney or even relish. You might have heard it referred to as a ploughmans pickle or a branston pickle, but regardless, it’s always great served with a sharp cheese.

cracker with toppings
In order for me to bring a bit of the “mother land” back home, I’ve started making my own version of this pickle recipe. It’s really straight forward, makes plenty for now and later and will keep for up to 6 months because of the vinegar base, that is if you can resist staying out of it long enough.

I have found that this relish, chutney … pickle, is absolutely gorgeous paired up with a nice sharp cheese and my all time favorite crackers since childhood, TRISCUIT Crackers! I love it, not only as a snack, but this ploughmans pickle gently topping off TRISCUIT Crackers (a serving is 6 crackers) makes for a great appetizer any time of the day or year.

boxes of triscuits

Just as much as I have great memories associated with the living in the UK and ploughmans pickle, I also have great memories of TRISCUIT Crackers throughout my early years. My mom always had them at hand, and we would enjoy them straight out of the box, and she could fancy them up a bit and make an easy charcuterie board for the inevitable drop in guests.

Recently I was enjoying a bit of a jaunt, and decided to stop off at my local Kroger to pick up a few of the basics before heading home. While there I had one of those spontaneous moments while perusing the aisle with all the crackers. I indeed saw those glorious 3-ingredient TRISCUIT Crackers and before I knew it, I had all of the pickle ingredients to make a batch of ploughmans pickle. Whoa Nellie! It’s like I’m on autopilot every time, I know that store like the back of my hand! Albeit, they do know me well at Kroger, what keeps me going back is that I love that they always ask how my kids are getting on, or if my groceries intrigue them enough, they also ask what I’m going to be making.

I totally recommend checking out your closest Kroger to pick up the ingredients for this Ploughmans Pickle recipe, specifically TRISCUIT Crackers.

crackers on a plate
close up of crackers with toppings

Enjoy making your own batch of Ploughmans Pickle!

Enjoy making your own Ploughmans Pickle, Britains favorite pickle! Serve it on TRISCUIT Crackers with a nice sharp cheese! Get the recipe at Little Figgy Food. #ad #TriscuitCharcuterie

Ploughmans Pickle

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Delicious Ploughmans Pickle is perfect as a snack and taste great served with any sharp Cheese and TRISCUIT Crackers!

Ingredients

  • 16 oz malt or apple vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 7 - 8 oz pitted dates, chopped
  • ½ medium cauliflower (about 2 1/2 - 3 cups), finely chopped
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 2 apples, finely diced
  • 2 zucchinis, finely diced
  • 20 cornichon Pickles
  • 5 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 - 3 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 - 2 tsp dried), optional

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, mix together everything from the vinegar through salt, bringing it to boil.
  2. Add in the remaining ingredients and reduce the heat to simmer. Continue to simmer 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Transfer into clean pint jars, leaving about a half inch room at top, wipe the rims clean if needed, and seal with lids.
  4. You can process in a water bath if desired, or store in refrigerator for 4 - 6 months.
  5. You can enjoy right away, but just like any pickle, it is best the longer you allow the flavors to blend together. I try to save opening a jar or two after about a month.

To Make the Appetizer:

Enjoy your the ploughmans pickle, with your choice of sharp cheese and top off your favorite TRISCUIT Crackers, you can garnish with additional fresh Thyme leaves or fresh green sprouts.

Enjoy!

crackers on a plate

Similar Posts

15 Comments

  1. I have never heard of Ploughman’s Pickle before but the list of ingredients sounds super delicious! I bet it is delicious paired with some smoked gouda on a cracker!

  2. I’ve never heard of ploughmans pickle! But the way you describe the savory sweet flavor + cheese sounds AMAZING. I love little cracker appetizers like this. I grew up on Triscuits but I haven’t had them in forever… and I don’t know why! Can’t wait to try these for lunch over the weekend.

  3. Being an expat I have so many amazing memories of Branston Pickle. Cheese, branston and toast for afternoon tea at my grans house.
    Also Bridgett Jones eating it straight from the jar in the movie 😀

  4. I am so intrigued by this recipe! What a lovely combination of flavors. They sound like they’d make a great little snack with the cheese and crackers!

  5. I love all of the flavors in this! I’ve never had ploughmans pickle but that’s going to have to change real soon!

  6. I’ve never heard of Ploughman’s Pickle but those flavors sound amazing together! Love traditional recipes like that and I’ll bet this IS great on a Triscuit; they’re my favorite cracker!

  7. I remember seeing a popular brand of this pickle in a jar all the time when I visited my grandma in England. Good to know there is a recipe for them in case my grand ma come to visit and asks for some of these.

  8. I’ve never heard of a “ploughmans pickle” before but a savory, pickley chutney sounds right up my alley! I love pickled, vinegary veggies – sounds so good on top of a triscuit!

  9. While your recipe sounds delicious, I am lazy, and my local Publix carries Branston Pickle. I end up just buying the jar and calling it a day! One of these days I’ll make my own.

    1. Hi Snarky Jay! Thank you, I’m glad you think it sounds delicious. Although I wouldn’t call it lazy but rather a “time saver”, I’ve had my fair share of “saving time”. 😉 If you do ever have a chance to make your own, I’m sure it’ll be brilliant!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.