Pickled Dilly Carrots Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should I blanch carrots before pickling? ›

Do I have to cook carrots for pickling? For my pickled carrots, I do a quick blanch before adding to jars and processing in the water bath. This softens the carrots slightly and allows the pickle flavor to absorb better. It also reduces enzyme activity, which means the flavor is better preserved.

To a small saucepan add distilled white vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir to fully dissolve salt and sugar. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt or sugar to taste. Pour the brine over the carrots, ensuring they are fully submerged.

You won't find a more refreshing snack. So, if you've never tried pickled carrots before, make this recipe! It's insanely easy—the prep takes under 15 minutes—and it's so delicious. These quick pickled carrots keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but you'll polish them off way sooner, trust me.

It may be a normal reaction during fermentation caused by bacteria. If the pickles are soft, they are spoiled from the yeast fermentation. Don't use them. Using too weak a salt brine or vinegar solution may cause soft or slippery pickles, as can using moldy garlic or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.

Fill a large pot with sixteen cups of water and one to two tablespoons of salt. Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add four cups of raw carrots to the pot of boiling water. Set a timer for three minutes for sliced carrots or five minutes for whole baby carrots.

Can you freeze carrots without blanching? Blanching is optional, but helps ensure that carrots retain their nutrients, texture, color, and flavor. You may absolutely skip it, but just be aware that your frozen carrots will be best enjoyed incopproated into a recipe verse on their own.

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.

Check for Signs of Spoilage: Examine the pickled carrots for any signs of spoilage, such as a foul odor, mushy texture, or unusual discoloration. If they appear normal, they may still be safe to eat.

Pickling doesn't have to be a long process involving canning and special supplies. If you have vegetables that would be good pickled, like onions, garlic, carrots or green beans, toss them in the jar of leftover pickle juice, and see what happens. They'll make a nice addition to a charcuterie platter or Blood Mary.

No, there are other methods for pickling, including quick pickling and refrigerator pickling. But this pickling method does call for boiling the brine. This process helps bloom the flavors of the ingredients and help speed up the pickling process when it's added to the fresh vegetables or fruit.

Why do pickled carrots turn white? ›

Yes, it's perfectly normal for your lacto-fermentation brine to become slightly opaque and whitish. It's not dangerous! Some vegetables, like beans or pickles, will turn the brine white in a few days. This means that the good bacteria are doing their job!

As I said, pickled carrots are a tasty addition to all kinds of salads and sandwiches, as a topping for a bowl of ramen or Asian noodles, or as a side dish for savory roasted meats. They're also great for charcuterie boards, relish trays, or eaten straight of the jar as a quick and healthy snack.

When asked why the word isn't on the front of the jars, all three companies provided nearly the same answer: They feel the word “pickle” isn't necessary on pickles packaged in clear glass containers.

Better yet, grow them in the garden and ferment the day you pick them! Tasting the stem end can give you a sense of whether the pickle will be bitter since that's the end where bitterness concentrates. Soaking your cucumbers in ice water 30-60 minutes before fermenting seems to help keep crispness.

The fermentation process will resume. After a few hours at warm temperatures, some carbonation may develop in the jar, leading to a fizzy or tingling sensation on the tongue.

radishes. beets. green beans and asparagus are also fun but benefit from blanching first. The other veggies can go into the jar raw.

RAW PACK FOR CANNING Carrots

Raw packing simply means placing the peeled and chopped (or whole) carrots in the jars without precooking them. You'll then fill the jars with boiling water and process them in the canner.

Leave small carrots whole. Cut others into thin slices, ¼-inch cubes or lengthwise strips. Water blanch* small whole carrots for 5 minutes, diced or sliced for 2 minutes and lengthwise strips for 2 minutes. *Water blanching: Use 1 gallon of water per pound of prepared carrots.

We'd strongly recommend you blanch your carrots first, as they have a high water content doing so ensures they stay crisp and crunchy when defrosted. Make sure your carrots are looking crisp and blemish free. We don't recommend freezing carrots that are past their best.