Learn how to make some Jamaican escovitch sauce. A popular island style pickled, spicy, tangy dressing consisting of a medley of vegetables, herbs and spices with apple cider vinegar making it mildly acidic. My recipe is the non white vinegar version, yet tastes amazing!

I know a lot of my readers go crazy for my vinegar based recipes, so I decided to share this popular Jamaican dressing with you all.
Just like Haitians with their white vinegar involves fermenting ethanol from various ingredients into acetic acid in a one-step process. White vinegar aka distilled vinger or spirit vinegar is clear in colour, sharp with a neutral taste and tart flavour. On the other hand, apple cider vinegar goes through a two-step fermentation process. Fermenting apple mash is converted into alcohol after mixing it with sugar and yeast. Acetic acid is added so the bacteria that feed off the remaining sugars and turns the mixture into vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has a very strong smell with a taste of apples. It is sour with sweet notes and is dark brown or amber in colour. While both variations of vinegar can be used to make dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades and seasoning. In terms of the acetic acid levels, apple cider vinegar contains 5-6%. While white vinegar has 5-10%. This means the latter contains more than its apple based counterpart. **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**White vinegar vs apple cider vinegar
Reasons to make this sauce
The steps
Notes and tips
Recipes to pair this with
Side dishes you may like
Escovitch Sauce (Jamaican Pickled Vegetables)
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition
Seth says
Can this be water bathed processed to make it shelf stable?
Charla says
Hi Seth, I haven't tried this so I cannot confidently say whether it would work but if you do please let me know.
Richard says
Hi Charla, thanks for sharing this recipe! In the past I sort of faked my way through, based on a fish escovitch I had at a Jamaican restaurant in Brooklyn. I was missing a lot of ingredients and only made enough for a single meal instead of having a jar of pickles in the fridge. One thing I learned by experience that I will share with you: If you cut the carrots into thin coins instead of julienne sticks, the carrots absorb much more of the flavor of the pickling brine due to the exposure of the absorbent end grain of the carrots instead of the less absorbent long way. Can't wait to try your version!
Charla says
Hi Ricard, you are very welcome. I'm always keen to learn new things even from my readers so thanks for sharing that tip with myself and others. I shall try it the next time I make escovitch sauce.
Kerri says
This looks so good!!! I’m so glad you shared this recipe and informed me of the meaning behind it!! Absolutely delicious!
Charla says
You are very welcome Kerri.
Kim says
Such a unique pickle recipe! Love the flavor combination for something different. Definitely keeping some on hand all summer!
Charla says
Aww thanks a lot Kim.
Gina Abernathy says
Pickled veggies are wonderful to have on hand in the refrigerator and so tasty.
Charla says
I totally agree and thank you.
Kechi says
I rarely pickle my veggies but, am surely going to do this one. What a colorful pickle, Charla! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Charla says
Aww thank you so much Kechi.
Kushigalu says
Colorful pickled vegetables.Looks so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Charla says
You are welcome.
Diane says
Can this be eaten alone as a snack? Or would the veggies become go acidic?
Charla says
Hi Diane, eating it as a stand alone snack is fine as long as you follow the instructions and use both the lime and apple cider vinegar which counterbalance the acidic levels.