You’ll be amazed how easy it is to pickle carrots (or other veggies for that matter!), and how good they are. The play of sweet carrot and sour juice is a great combination, plus the added benefit of vitamin A, K, B6, and potassium.
Pickling is a way to preserve food by letting it sit in an acidic liquid, such as vinegar, which changes the texture and makes the food taste more acidic. In this recipe I’m using a quick pickling method by combining vinegar, salt, and honey and heating the mixture.
While it’s popular to pickle veggies and fruits in the summer and fall when there is a large harvest or they are in season, you can pickle any time of year.
With a few simple ingredients and a few steps, you’ll have jars of pickled carrots in your refrigerator in no time.
Pickled Carrots
Yield 16 servings
I usually use Kosher salt or course salt. In a pinch you can use finer sea salt.
They'll be crunchy carrots if you leave them in the hot boiling water for 2 minutes. If you'd like them a bit softer to the bite, boil them for another few minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots (about 8 carrots), peeled and cut into sticks or coins
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dill seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil.
- When the water boils, drop the carrots in and simmer for two minutes. Pour them into a colander to drain thoroughly.
- In the same pot, heat the remaining ingredients. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and add the carrots. Cool until room temperature, about 10 minutes, and then put into jars and chill.
- Store in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
Could you water bath can these?
Yes, I don’t see why not. I just haven’t tried it.
Does the 1 1/2 T. salt go in the water in the first step? Or does salt go in step #3?
The 11/2 T of salt is for Step #3. Sorry for the confusion. Just removed the salt from the 1st step. Not really necessary.