If you caught yesterday’s TasteMakers interview with Delilah Snell, then you’re likely as convinced of her awesomeness as I am. She’s a rare breed as she’s one of a handful of Master Food Preservers in the nation and spreads the good word about preserving via her numerous endeavors from her store and blog to her line of preserves. Needless to say, when we met, it was quite clear Delilah and I were equally food obsessed and we have quickly become friends.
A few weeks ago I attended one of her pickling classes, which was a whirlwind of a day in which we made everything from kimchi and sauerkraut to preserved limes and spicy green beans. Of them all, this recipe for Mexican-style pickled carrots was a crowd favorite so Delilah is sharing the recipe here.
Hot Mexi-Pickles Recipe
Recipe courtesy Delilah Snell, Master Food Preserver
A few notes from Delilah: The veggie portion can be changed if you want less heat, just adjust the veg so that you still have enough for the jars. As for salt, do not use iodized salt as it will alter the taste and color of your final product. Go for any variety of salt from kosher to sea salt so long as it is free of chemicals and additives.
Ingredients
1 pound jalapeno peppers
1/3 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
3 medium yellow onions, quartered and thinly sliced
1 medium head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
4 cups cider vinegar
2 tablespoons salt*
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar or agave (optional)
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme (optional)
Instructions
Wash the jalapenos, trim and discard the ends then slice the remainder into thin rings. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. When it shimmers, add the carrots, onions, and jalapenos, and garlic and cook until the veggies are warmed — do not burn! (You may want some windows open because it can get pretty pungent pretty quickly.)
In a separate, large nonreactive pot, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. When it boils, turn off heat and set aside to steep until you can just taste the spices, at least 5 minutes. Add the veggie mixture to the vinegar mixture and simmer together until the chiles are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Fill prepared jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace, and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. (Here are a few pointers on canning and processing.)
