Got that? Carrots.
When Doris and Jilly chose “carrots” as the February assignment for Tigress’ Can Jam, I admit to trembling just a little. Carrots are not exactly a high-acid food, and therefore more susceptible to going bad on you if you don’t know what you’re doing, preserving-wise. And I readily confess that I don’t know what I’m doing.
This is only my second time ever, canning anything, the first being last month’s marmalades. The warnings were issued: follow an established recipe to the letter! Don’t alter the ingredients, don’t get all creative if you’ve never done this before, because you might alter the acid-balance! Sure – scare me witless with the “B” word (Botulism, to you)! Okay, okay!
After last month’s positive experience, MJ came back from one of his numerous forays to the used bookstore with a couple more books on canning, and one of these little gems was Preserving the Taste by Edon Waycott. As this book is well out of print, I’ll share my adapted version of Ms. Waycott’s recipe for
(Makes 2 pints)
Ingredients:
1 pound baby carrots
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
2 tsp. kosher or pickling salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
3 Tbs. honey
4 sprigs fresh young dill (I used 2 pinches of dried dill)
Blanch the carrots for 2 minutes in boiling water and drain. Pack the hot carrots into the two hot, sterilized jars.
In a small saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the dill, and bring just to a boil. Pour the liquid over the carrots, leaving 1/2″ of head space. Add the dill. Cover with new lids, screw on rings, and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Well, so far, so good! After an agonizing several minutes after removing the jars from the boiling water, I heard the reassuring ping! of the lids sealing themselves into place. Now we wait. It will be at least two weeks before we can open one of these guys and see what we’ve got.
Now, what goes with pickled carrots? Hmmm? No, really. I’m asking.
The Can Jam Roundup is up! WooHoo!
Pickled Carrots are a relish to be served as a side dish or appetizer. I'm hoping J. will like them but I doubt he will even give them a taste.
How cool is that?! Canning scares me, because of that "B word." But I've got a friend who's willing to help me learn, so I may have to give it a try.Love the carrot pickles!
I enjoyed reading your post. No idea about the intended use of pickled carrots, though. I just don't like pickled carrots. That's why I leaned towards the sweet side and made 2 jams.
I like the Waycott book. I need to buy it. I think Pickled Carrots would go well on an antipasto platter or if you had made longish ones, as a stirrer in a Bloody Mary. I made a pickle, too…a Vietnamese Carrot and Daikon pickle:http://motherskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/vietnamese-carrot-and-daikon-pickle.html
Yours look great! I still need to do mine before Friday – eek! 😛
Ha! I made sure to keep the volume down as well–only two pints for me. Some of these left you with six or seven pints, and as you say, not sure what to do with even two of them!
We made three pints of carrots, and are now ready to double or tripple the batch.The use of these for me is a nice answer to the grazing I do when I come home from work. Open the fridge, grab a couple carrots and munch on them. Or just take the whole jar out and eat them.Also good for a side to a snack, plate of cheese and crackers.. add carrots! Also good as a back end to popcorn.
i am jealous about that book! it is out of print and i have been trying to find it on line forever!and those little carrots look mighty nice in there! 🙂
Your carrots look delish! I would serve them with cheese and crackers and olives. Yummy appetizer!Sounds like you did a great job. "Preserving the Taste" is a great book! Now, I wonder what we will be making next month for the CanJam?!
Yummy! They look so pretty! I bet they would taste great with melted cheese and bread. Like a rarebit sandwich. Ok now I am so hungry!
Ok, rough day, I am reading the comment and I say "eww" listen to this one honey – then proceeded to read aloud about "grazing on the carrots after work, snack and a nice follow up to popcorn – that sounds gross" to which Woodman says, honey did you read who posted that one? Oops!!! My husband has no taste. Of course I didn't like the pickled carrots anyway so maybe it is me!
By the way, the carrots look beautiful – love the addition of honey. Mine were too tart honey would have been good and I have lots of local honey.