Wash very well all the vegetables and sterilise the jars and lids.

Cut all the vegetables into 2-3 cm cubes and transfer into a large bowl.

Cut the harder vegetables smaller and the softer vegetables slightly bigger as you’ll want to keep the crunch.

Combine all the ingredients for the pickling solution into a large pot and bring it to a boil.

As soon as it starts boiling, drop in all the vegetables, cover and cook them in the solution for 3-4 minutes.

Make sure that all the vegetables are submerged in the liquid when boiling; if they aren't, top up the pot with some boiling water until the pickling solution is at the same level as the veggies.

With a slotted ladle, once cooked, take all the veggies and place them back into the large bowl.

Pick the bay leaves and the peppercorn and divide them equally inside the pickling jars, do the same with the vegetables.

Pour the hot pickling solution over the vegetables, ensuring they are fully submerged and leaving a 1.5 to 2 cm headspace at the top of the jar.

Close well and place the jars upside down until completely cool down.

Label each jar with the date of today.

To ensure a safe and airtight seal once cooled, check the seal in each giardiniera by pressing the centre of the jar lid; if it doesn't pop back, the vacuum seal is successful.

To enjoy the giardiniera at its best, let it pickle for about 1 week before opening it.

You can keep the giardiniera in a dark and cool spot for 1 year max and 3 to 5 days in the fridge after opening.