Sweet & Sour Burdock Flower Stem Quick Pickles

This recipes capitalizes on the juicy, crunchy qualities of freshly peeled burdock flower stems, and their earthy flavors pairs really well with the elderberry syrup, if you've got any on hand. I was inspired to make it by the Japanese tradition of quick pickling vegetables. It goes great alongside cheese and sliced salami, in a cup of miso soup, with eggs, or on top of a sandwich. It will also keep for a long while if kept cold, so feel free to double the recipe! And save that brine, it's great for making dressings or sauces.

Sweet & Sour Burdock Flower Stem Quick Pickles

What You Need:

About 6 peeled burdock flower stems
1 cup vinegar (I use my homemade kombucha vinegar)
1/2 cup water
5 tbsp elderberry syrup (or honey, sugar, or maple syrup)
1 scallion, chopped
1 tbsp crusdhed red pepper
A generous handful of fresh fennel sprigs
Pinch sea salt
Pinch black pepper

• Chop burdock flower stems to preferred size.


• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until the sugar/syrup is dissolved. Taste and add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste (and sweetener, don't be shy to play around!).


• Mix everything together in a quart sized canning jar and pop the lid on. Shake it up and pop into refrigerator for at least 8 hours before eating.