Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
Brine
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups white pickling vinegar
- 1/2 cup salt (pickling salt or sea salt)
- 1 tbsp dill seed
Jars
- 6 lbs baby carrots, scrubbed or regular carrots peeled
- 5 heads of flowering dill
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
Instructions
- Food preparation begins with peeling, slicing, and trimming the carrots to a length two centimeters below the rim of a 500 ml (pint size) jar. Next, wash the dill blooms, then peel and slice the garlic cloves in half. Finally add the brine together in a saucepan and heat it to a slow simmer.
- Canning preparation always starts with filling the hot water bath canner 2/3 full of hot water. Set it to boil while washing and inspecting the jars, lids, and rings. Position the jars upside down in a baking pan and fill it to the half way point with hot water. Leave the pan in a 250 F (121 C) oven for ten minutes to sterilize the jars. Next, submerge the lids and rings in a saucepan filled with hot water. Bring it to a boil and keep warm.
- Once the jars are sterilized, use jar tongs to remove two jars from the oven. Working quickly, deposit two garlic clove halves and a dill head in each of the jars. Pack the carrots in as tightly as they will go then pour in the hot brine to just cover the carrots (1-2 cm below jar rim). Wipe jar rim with a clean cloth and cover with a jar lid and fasten the metal lid just slightly (not too tightly).
- Hot water processing is the easiest step! Use the tongs to lower the jars into the boiling water of the hot water bath canner, then process accordingly. Processing time varies, by altitude. Here in Calgary, 25 minutes at a rolling boil is recommended.
- When processing is finished, remove the jars from the hot water bath and allow them to cool undisturbed for 8-12 hours. Listen for the tell tale ‘pop’ indicating the jars have sealed.
Notes
Note: This recipe can be used as a basic pickling recipe for beans, cucumbers, beets, and asparagus.
Makes 5 - 500 ml (pint) Jars