Oregon Bull Kelp Pickle Recipe

For information regarding how to salvage Bull Kelp on the Oregon Coast please head to the last article, Salvaging Seaweed on the Oregon Coast.

Pickling bull kelp once you have the kelp itself is relatively straight forward. You do it almost exactly the same as pickling cucumbers or anything else worth pickling. Being that the stipe is hollow and round, kelp pickles are very aesthetically pleasing, crunchy, and delicious! 

Continue reading below for a delicious bull kelp pickle recipe! 

32 oz mason jars, or multiple smaller jars.

1-12in stipe of freshly salvaged bull kelp

Ingredients:

⅔ cup Water

2 cups White vinegar

2 tsp Sugar

4 tbsp Pickling spice (or mix of mustard seed, celery seeds, bay leaves, star anise, etc)

4 bay leaves

1 small onion

4 garlic cloves

Lemon juice 

Processing steps: 

• Be sure you have clean, sterilized glass jars - the lid and jar can be sterilized by boiling in hot water for a minute. 

• After harvesting, rinse bull kelp stipe in cold fresh water and rub off any debris or sand. 

• Cut stipe into ¼” rings

• Cut onion into ¼” rings and cut rings in half

• Combine kelp rings and onion in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix together to draw out liquid, add ice and mix again, keep in bowl while processing the rest of the steps (can leave this for as little or long as you wish, up to 3 hours, depending on how crispy you want the pickles - sometimes I skip this all together)

• Combine your pickling brine- water, vinegar, sugar, and spices- in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil together for one minute.

• Rinse salt soaked kelp and onions in freshwater and tightly pack them into the jar.

• Pour hot pickling brine over the top of the kelp and onion rings and cover with a sterile lid.

• Refrigerate for at least 48 hours before serving.