Pickling Carrots, a fun Spring, early summer or Fall recipe. Carrots are a vegetable that last for a really long time when stored properly. They are grow multiple seasons. Yay for carrots! Pickling carrots is a fun way to use and add flavor to your dishes. Top your favorite summer burger with homemade fresh pickled carrots, add to a charcuterie board, add to salads, enjoy on top of deviled eggs, so many fun options.
Time Saver Tip- Don’t peel the carrots! Give them a light scrub and keep the peels on. Not only will this save you time, but there are wonderful nutrients in the peels.
First let’s chat ingredients.
Vinegar: To pickle carrots one key ingredient is Vinegar. Along with Water, & Salt, Sugar is optional but balances the taste and just a little is needed. Have fun with experimenting with different vinegars, try red wine, distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar. My personal favorite is either red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. You can also use homemade apple cider vinegar when apples are in season, try this recipe.
Salt: Salt is another key ingredient, as it will help preserve the carrots. It’s best to choose top notch Salt (not iodized table salt). My two favorites are Redmond Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. They both contain minerals and are naturally sourced. Both can be used for everyday cooking, pickling and fermenting. So it’s worth the investment.
Sweetener: While not necessary, a little sweetener organic cane sugar or honey will balance out the flavors beautifully. Try using local raw honey (add to the brine once cooled to reap the benefits of the raw honey). When buying sugar, I like to look for organic cane sugar that is Fairtrade certified to ensure the workers are being paid fairly. Organic vs conventional sugar.. does organic make a difference? Somewhat, organic sugar is unrefined. Meaning it is less processed (it even looks different than white conventional sugar, it has a slightly brown color) and contains more of the sugarcane.
Spices & Herbs: This is where the flavor profile can change. Use fresh herbs of choice, dill is one of my top favorites with pickled carrots. Garlic adds a beautiful flavor as well. Get creative and experiment in the kitchen!
One of my favorite kitchen gadgets that saves time is my mandolin slicer. This one is so versatile, it slices, dices, julienne and matchstick cuts. You can also adjust the thickness of the cut. A worthwhile gadget to have to save time and your fingers in the kitchen.
Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP sea salt recommend redmond real salt or celtic sea salt
- 2 tsp whole peppercorns optional
- 1 TBSP organic cane sugar or honey optional
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar apple cider, red wine vinegar, or rice vinegar
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 lb carrots sliced into sticks or circles using a mandilion
- Spices, Garlic & Herbs of choice! Dill, cilantro, etc
- 1 Quart size or 2 pint size mason jars
Instructions
- In a small pot, warm vinegar, water, salt and optional peppercorns over medium heat until salt is dissolved. Add sugar or honey.
- Fill mason jar with carrots, pour warmed liquid over-ensuring to cover all the carrots. Leave at least 2 inches from the top.
- Cover loosely with lid, cool, then refrigerate. Consume after chilled same day or for best taste, consume after chilled for 3-5 days.
- **Will last in the refrigerator for3-4weeks.