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Pickled Everything

April 24, 2019 By Patrick 9 Comments

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Last week I got a kitchen penalty for not having freshly pickled goods in the fridge.  Minus ten points!

But instead of making individual batches of Pickled Jalapenos or Pickled Tomatillos, I took a shortcut and made a batch of Pickled Everything.

So this quart-sized jar is loaded with Jalapenos, Carrots, Onions, and Tomatillos — all pickling together in harmony.

Here's my recipe for a batch of Pickled Everything -- jalapenos, carrots, onions, and tomatillos. Yes, tomatillos! mexicanplease.com

Sure, some of the individual pickled recipes on this site have their own preferences (like adding sugar to Pickled Onions), but overall they are similar enough to take a shortcut like this.

It’s also a good way to introduce pickled something to your kitchen if you’re new to the process.  Compared to canned goods you’ll get a massive upgrade in flavor, and it takes so little time that it’s become a regular routine in my kitchen.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

5-6 jalapenos
3-4 tomatillos
1 small carrot
1 small onion
4 garlic cloves

Ingredients for pickled goods.

And here’s how it all looks after chopping:

Jalapenos and tomatillos chopped up.

I usually cut the onion into longer strips, half-moon style.  And yes, all of that somehow fits into a quart-sized jar!

Here’s a look at the spice mixture I used:

Spices for pickled goods

So in the above pic you’ve got:

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Kosher salt

But don’t sweat the spice mixture too much.  If you don’t have Mexican oregano on hand you can omit it and still get a good result.

I usually give the cumin seeds a quick crush in the molcajete to release some of their flavor.

And note that Kosher or sea salt is recommended for pickling.  Table salt will frequently have additives that can affect the brine.  I use this foodie-approved Kosher salt for just about everything in the kitchen and you can find it super cheap in most grocery stores:

Kosher salt Diamond Crystal

(More salty advice.)

Start by adding the following ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil:

1.5 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt

Instead of simmering the veggies we’re just going to give them a quick saute — this will prevent the tomatillos from getting too mushy.

Briefly cook the onion and roughly chopped garlic in some oil over medium heat.

Cooking onion and garlic

Then we’ll add the rest of the chopped goods along with the spices.

Note that it’s best to use a non-reactive pan for this recipe — don’t use your favorite cast iron pan because the acidity of the vinegar will eat away the seasoning.

Adding chopped jalapenos and tomatillos.

Saute briefly and then add the hot brine mixture.

Pickled goods simmering in brine

Combine well and then add everything to a quart-sized Mason jar (or two pint-sized jars).

If you don’t have any of these jars it’s worth picking a few up at the grocery store — they are super cheap and and a non-reactive container (like glass) is best for storing the brine.

Quart sized Mason jar of pickled jalapenos, tomatillos, onions, and carrots.

Yes, everything will be slightly pickled at this point, so feel free to take a bite!

But it will take a few hours to fully pickle so I usually tuck it away in the fridge and try to forget about it until tomorrow.

At which point you can open the fridge and have Pickled Everything to choose from.

Jar full of pickled goods.

The jalapenos take on a delicious flavor from the brine and spices — and some of their heat will infuse into the tomatillos and onions.   Nice!

Here's my recipe for a batch of Pickled Everything -- jalapenos, carrots, onions, and tomatillos. Yes, tomatillos! mexicanplease.com

These pickled yummies will keep in the fridge for weeks at a time.  (Note:  this recipe is not designed for long term canning.)

I use these pickled delights on all sorts of dishes:  Tacos, Chilaquiles, and yes, even Pizza!

And keep in mind that once you get familiar with this process you can always revert back to the individual recipes if you want.  Here are links to those recipes:

Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots

Easy Pickled Onions

Pickled Tomatillos

Okay, I hope this Pickled Everything recipe will get Pickled Something into your kitchen.  The fiery blast of acidity is a great finishing touch on a wide range of dishes, and if you find yourself munching on them straight from the jar then Everything has gone according to plan.

Buen Provecho.

Here's my recipe for a batch of Pickled Everything -- jalapenos, carrots, onions, and tomatillos. Yes, tomatillos! mexicanplease.com

Pickled Everything

Here's my recipe for a batch of Pickled Everything -- jalapenos, carrots, onions, and tomatillos. Yes, tomatillos!  (Note:  this recipe is not designed for long term canning.)
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 26kcal
Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 5-6 jalapenos
  • 1 small carrot
  • 1 small onion
  • 3-4 tomatillos
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1.5 cups white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher or sea salt
  • olive oil
  • pinch of sugar (optional)

Instructions

  • Add 1.5 cups vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. 
  • Give the jalapenos a rinse and cut them into 1/4 inch slices, discarding the stems.  Peel the carrot and cut into similar sized pieces.  Peel and cut the onion in half, chopping it up into half moons.  Remove the husks from the tomatillos and give them a good rinse. De-stem the tomatillos and cut them into quarters (or eighths for the bigger ones).   Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves. 
  • Saute the onion and garlic in some oil over medium heat for a couple minutes. 
  • Add the chopped jalapenos, carrots, tomatillos and the spices: ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, and some freshly ground black pepper (approx. 1/4 teaspoon).   I usually give the cumin seeds a quick crush in the molcajete but this is optional. 
  • Saute briefly and then add the hot brine mixture.   Combine well and add everything to a quart-sized Mason jar (or two pint-sized jars).  Partially cover and let it cool down on the counter. 
  • Once cooled, store in the fridge and let them pickle overnight for full flavor.  They will keep for weeks at a time in the fridge. 

Notes

I normally add a pinch of sugar to Pickled Onions, but usually not to Pickled Jalapenos.  For this batch of Pickled Everything I didn't add any sugar but feel free to experiment with a pinch.   
Kosher, sea or pickling salts are the most common salts used for pickling vegetables. Iodized salt isn't recommended as sometimes additives will affect the brine.
It's also best practice to use a non-reactive pan when simmering veggies in the vinegar.  I have mistakenly used my beloved cast iron pan in the past and the acidity eats away at the built up seasoning. 
Similarly, it seems that glass containers are the best choice for storage of this vinegar based brine. 
Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

Our latest recipe is a batch of Papas con Chorizo:

Here's an easy recipe for a satisfying batch of Papas con Chorizo. I made this batch extra spicy but feel free to dial back on the chipotles if you want! mexicanplease.com

 

 

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Filed Under: Appetizers/Sides, Mexican Cooking 101, Most Recent, Tacos, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ralph

    September 8, 2020 at 12:15 pm

    Have you tried just using a salt brine for pickling? I have done a few and rarely had a problem with it acidifying and storing well in the fridge. And it can be done with raw ingredients. Have you ever come across a lime habernaro salsa? I had some in Mexico and it just seemed to me a hab blended in lime juice. Hot and tasty.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      September 8, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      Hey Ralph I haven’t tried that salt brine method yet. Yeah I’ve had a simple Habanero Salsa like that on my recipe to-do list for awhile now, I’ll use your note as a sign that it’s time to fiddle with a recipe for it 🙂 Cheers.

      Reply
  2. S Russo

    August 20, 2020 at 6:51 am

    5 stars
    I was excited to find this recipe to help use up the hoarde of hot pepperes coming out of my garden right now. I made a mix of onion, carrot, pickling cucumbers, hot banana peppers, garden salsa peppers, and tomatillos. Oh my goodness! We just couldn’t wait a whole night (it was just after 7am this morning) to try these and WOW! Spic-y! And oh so yummy. Can’t wait to pile these on grilled pizza this weekend!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      August 21, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      Yowsa that sounds like a great mix, so glad you found this recipe! Cheers.

      Reply
  3. Mike McDonald

    May 28, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    5 stars
    Big Thanks,
    I lived in Mexico for awhile a long time ago. The food memory’s never go away.
    Mike

    Reply
    • Patrick

      May 29, 2020 at 12:55 pm

      Cheers Mike 🙂

      Reply
  4. Chris Davis

    January 28, 2020 at 5:10 am

    5 stars
    easy and great to have in the frig for toppings.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      January 29, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      Thanks Chris!

      Reply
  5. Ann

    October 19, 2019 at 5:26 am

    Great idea✌️

    Reply

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