I’m pickling again! A good friend has started a food blog, Cooking with Murloc, and her “Quickles” post made me inspired to make some more pickled vegetable combinations.
First we start with my Quart Pickle Base.
- 1 cup organic apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
This time around I really wanted to start with the Mexican Carrots from the Tart and Sweet cookbook by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler—but I like them about half carrots and half jalapeños. One of my favorite Charleston restaurants, Zia Taqueria, serves these with all their meals and I can’t get enough of them. They are so hot they’ll make you cry but you still can’t stop eating them…and now you won’t have to, since you can make them whenever you want. Of course, I had to add cumin seed because why wouldn’t you want your pickled jalapeños and carrots to be delicious?!
Mexican Carrots and Jalapeños
- 6-8 jalapeños
- 4 medium size carrots
- 2 tsp cumin seed
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp peppercorns
If you want these to be less hot, seed the jalapeños. Slice into rounds. Peel and slice carrots about 1/4-inch thick. (In the photo, I used baby carrots, but I’ve since made these many times and prefer the sliced whole carrots.) Mix with garlic in a quart mason jar and sprinkle with cumin and peppercorns. Bring Quart Pickle Base to a boil on the stove. Place mason jar in sink, and pour vinegar mixture into jar until completely full. Wipe the outside rim of the jar with a paper towel and seal tightly with lid. Refrigerate at least overnight before eating.
Pickled Radishes with Coriander and Cinnamon
Last time the radishes were too stinky, so this time I omitted the garlic and added some sweeter spices to balance them out. I’m not going to be humble here: it was a genius move.
- 8-10 radishes
- 1 tsp coriander seed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
Trim and slice radishes. Stuff into quart jar and add all spices. (The bay leaf helps the radishes stay crisp.) Bring Quart Pickle Base to a boil on the stove. Place mason jar in sink, and pour vinegar mixture into jar until completely full. Wipe the outside rim of the jar with a paper towel and seal tightly with lid. Refrigerate at least overnight before eating.
Pickled Turnips
I figured if I had such success pickling a stinky vegetable like a radish, why not keep going and pickle some turnips? I do love turnips. Cooked, they’re so sweet and delicious with butter! Such an undersold vegetable.
- 2-3 medium turnips
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 2 tsp peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 red chili
Peel and trim turnips, then slice into rounds and quarter the rounds. Stuff a quart jar and add all spices. Bring Quart Pickle Base to a boil on the stove. Place mason jar in sink, and pour vinegar mixture into jar until completely full. Wipe the outside rim of the jar with a paper towel and seal tightly with lid. Refrigerate at least overnight before eating.
Pickled Cauliflower with Fennel and Orange Zest
- 1 head cauliflower
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 Tbsp fennel seed
- 2 tsp peppercorns
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bay leaf
Chop cauliflower into smaller chunks. Peel zest in large strips using a bar zester tool. Stuff a quart jar (you might need two if you have a very large cauliflower) with all ingredients. Bring Quart Pickle Base to a boil on the stove. Place mason jar in sink, and pour vinegar mixture into jar until completely full. Wipe the outside rim of the jar with a paper towel and seal tightly with lid. Refrigerate at least overnight before eating.