Help Making pickled carrots?

[SC Maintenance]

I like pickled carrots. They serve them at the authentic Mexican places around here, with pickled onions.

I found some recipes. Some said blanch for 1 minute, some said 5 minutes, some said not at all. I did likely 3 minutes - were too soft.

Some said 1:2 vinegar, some 1:3, some 1:4. I did 1:2 and it was too sour.

I might have added too much dill. I didn't add any sugar - I think I should have. I also didn't include onion. I did include garlic? I only had pretty thin carrots so I I cut them lengthways rather than in chips like the Mexican place. They didn't turn out very good - too soft, too sour.

Any recommendations. I want to try again.

 

[cptbarkey]

half and half water/vinegar has been my goto.
If you are canning, no need to pre boil/blanche etc because you already are during the canning boil process.
carrots, green beans (think bloody mary), cucumbers, bell peppers, all the same in a jar.
Fresh dill if you can get it makes a big difference.
I usually take a bread/butter recipe, cut back on the sugar, but add red pepper flakes for some zip.

 

[SC Maintenance]

half and half water/vinegar has been my goto.
If you are canning, no need to pre boil/blanche etc because you already are during the canning boil process.
carrots, green beans (think bloody mary), cucumbers, bell peppers, all the same in a jar.
Fresh dill if you can get it makes a big difference.
I usually take a bread/butter recipe, cut back on the sugar, but add red pepper flakes for some zip.

I should have specified fridge pickles. I only use fresh dill.

Do you need to can pickles in a high pressure / high heat system, or with the vinegar can you do them in a water bath?

 

[cptbarkey]

I should have specified fridge pickles. I only use fresh dill.

Do you need to can pickles in a high pressure / high heat system, or with the vinegar can you do them in a water bath?

nope, for acidic stuff just a 45 min constant boil in a big pot is good enough. I havent tried pressure canning, too much risk.

Looking forward to doing a bunch of canning this summer, jars are still cheap (about $12 a dozen for 32oz)

 

[Quattro Pete]

Most recipes I've seen suggest a 1:1 ratio of water to vinegar.

I'm thinking of trying this recipe myself:
https://www.platingsandpairings.com/mexican-pickled-carrots/

 

[SC Maintenance]

nope, for acidic stuff just a 45 min constant boil in a big pot is good enough. I havent tried pressure canning, too much risk.

Looking forward to doing a bunch of canning this summer, jars are still cheap (about $12 a dozen for 32oz)

My mother used to can all summer. Canned the whole garden I think. Her pressure cooker would hold 7 full quart mason jars. That thing ran all summer it seemed.

 

[jhellwig]

The Ball Blue Book or Balls website has several recipes that aren’t just canning ones. There are several pickling ones if I remember right.

Here is a couple recipe from another website I like for finding how to preserve stuff. https://foodinjars.com/recipe/pickled-carrots-and-a-quick-brine-recipe/ https://foodinjars.com/recipe/multi-colored-carrot-and-green-radish-pickles/ These are fridge pickles.

 

[Shel_B]

https://www.seriouseats.com/dilly-pickled-carrots-recipe
https://www.seriouseats.com/charles-phans-pickled-carrots
https://www.loveandlemons.com/pickled-carrots/

 

[97prizm]

I like pickled carrots. They serve them at the authentic Mexican places around here, with pickled onions.

I found some recipes. Some said blanch for 1 minute, some said 5 minutes, some said not at all. I did likely 3 minutes - were too soft.

Some said 1:2 vinegar, some 1:3, some 1:4. I did 1:2 and it was too sour.

I might have added too much dill. I didn't add any sugar - I think I should have. I also didn't include onion. I did include garlic? I only had pretty thin carrots so I I cut them lengthways rather than in chips like the Mexican place. They didn't turn out very good - too soft, too sour.

Any recommendations. I want to try again.

Safeway has a pickling mix hanging up in the produce section that made decent dill pickles/veggies. I seem to remember pickled veggies having seeds (carraway maybe?) In the solution.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Most recipes I've seen suggest a 1:1 ratio of water to vinegar.

I'm thinking of trying this recipe myself:
https://www.platingsandpairings.com/mexican-pickled-carrots/

I made this yesterday. Turned out great - not soft, good amount of crunch. I used 3 jalapenos and 3 cayenne peppers. If you like it more spicy - use more hot peppers.

This recipe doesn't include any sugar. If you like it sweet - add sugar.

 

[y_p_w]

I can't say that I've ever seen just pickled carrots. Typically I've seen them in the same trays as pickled jalapeños. I've even seen some people who liked the carrots so much that they fished out all the ones at the salsa bar.

Addendum: Some canned/jarred jalapeños include carrots and maybe onions.

 

[Quattro Pete]

I made this yesterday. Turned out great - not soft, good amount of crunch. I used 3 jalapenos and 3 cayenne peppers. If you like it more spicy - use more hot peppers.

This recipe doesn't include any sugar. If you like it sweet - add sugar.

I made this again yesterday, with some modifications: I replaced most of the jalapenos with serrano peppers and also added 2 tablespoons of sugar. Now this thing has some potency and the sugar nicely balances the sourness of vinegar. Delish!