Spicy Pickled Carrots

© shoutingforha

On a recent trip to Southern California, the hubby noticed that many of the Mexican restaurants serve spicy pickled carrots as an accompaniment to their meals.  He enjoyed them so much we decided to try and recreate a batch at home.  

The kick of the jalapeño and tang of the garlic are what makes these Spicy Pickled Carrots so tasty and addicting.  I like to use the biggest carrots I can find.  Feel free to substitute another vegetable of your choice. Among our favorites are cauliflower, green beans and baby cucumbers.  

Spicy Pickled Carrots

Pack into a 1 pint canning jar:

1 jalapeño, stem removed and halved
1 clove garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns
enough carrots to fill the jar, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal

Bring to a boil:

1 c. water
1 c. vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Pour the vinegar mixture over the carrots, screw on the lid and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Place the jar in the refrigerator and wait for the magic to happen.  Double the amount of liquid if you are using a quart-sized canning jar like I did in the picture.  

It will take a day or two for the flavors to do their thing.  Keep in mind that the heat will get more intense the longer everything hangs out in the same jar.  Simply remove the jalapeño and/or garlic if you want to halt this process.    

Enjoy!