Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Never Refrigerate Giardiniera ... Here's Why

More and more people are discovering the great taste of giardiniera, and it's becoming more commonplace not only as a condiment in restaurants but also in people's homes.

One aspect of giardiniera that's not too well known though, is how to store it.

Most people think that since giardiniera is a food product with vegetables and peppers and such, it needs to be refrigerated ...

A Simple Giardiniera Truth ...

Do NOT refrigerate your giardiniera!

Why?  Because the colder temperature will distort the oil.  The oil will change to a dark color over time, almost a murky, muddy color.  This in turn will negatively affect the taste ...

Giardiniera is a shelf stable product; just store it in your spice cabinet or on a shelf.  It will remain fresh for about a year, although I have personally never seen a jar of giardiniera last that long without being devoured!

Chilling Your Giardiniera ...  

Sometimes people prefer their giardiniera chilled, which is quite understandable when it's being added to a hot sandwich like an Italian beef or meatball sandwich.  While refrigerating your giardiniera will have an adverse effect on it's taste, chilling it for a few minutes won't make any difference.  The best way to do this is to put a few forkfulls in a seperate container and chill it for 20-30 minutes before serving.