Pickled Carrots

My neighbor growing up cans every summer. She makes salsas, hot relish, apple butter and a variety of pickles. She pickles everything. Pickled okra, dill pickles, pickled green tomatoes, sweet pickles, spicy pickles, pickled squash and zucchini. Her father-in-law has a big garden that feeds their extended family and my family during the summer months. When I go home, I give her back her empty mason jars in exchange for full jars.

Warm weather is approaching which to me equals pickle season. I live off cucumbers & vinegar during the summer. This year I'm excited to branch out past cucumbers and make other types of pickles since I don't get home too often. 

When I stumbled across this recipe in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone I was intrigued. Pickled carrots?! A great change-up to the regular cucumber.

2 medium carrots*

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Garlic cloves, sliced

A few slices of jalepeno

Cumin seeds (Seeds give off such a nice strong flavor)

A tsp of sugar

*Depends on the size of the glass jar you're storing them in.

Cut the carrots into sticks (~ 2 inches) and boil for 3 minutes.

While the carrots are cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Add more sugar if the mixture is too acidic or spicy. Drain the carrots, put into the glass jar (or the dish you're storing them in) and close. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before eating.

They would make a great side dish or garnish to any springtime meal. Or you can eat them straight from the jar, like I do.