I'm on a pickled craze lately so I'm re-posting these Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots. Have you tried these yet?!
These beauties work wonders on tacos, tostadas, eggs, even sandwiches, and there's also a good chance you'll find yourself munching on the pickled carrots throughout the day.
The quick pickling technique is so simple and you can apply it to loads of other veggies. There are 9 recipes on the site that use this technique -- I'll list them all at the bottom of this post or you can always type "pickled" into this recipe search box.
Please give these a go if you're new to them, I think their little burst of acidity will brighten up any dish (or kitchen) 🙂
How To Make Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots
This recipe will make enough to fill a quart-sized Mason jar to the brim with pure zip -- you can also use two pint-sized jars if you want.
Note: these instructions are not designed for long term canning.
Please consider the following ingredient pic a reference point only. The veggies and vinegar are doing most of the heavy lifting, so if you don't have all the spices on hand go ahead and make them anyway; most likely you'll be happy with the results.
Start by giving the jalapenos a good rinse and peeling the carrots, cutting both into 1/4 inch sized coins.
It's always best to use caution when handling hot chili peppers, and that includes jalapenos! A final hand washing is usually enough for me, but some peeps with sensitive skin may prefer gloves. More info on working with hot chiles.
Saute a sliced onion and 4-6 roughly chopped garlic cloves in a glug of oil over medium heat.
As this the onion softens you'll have time to gather the dry ingredients.
So in the above pic you've got:
8-10 cracked black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano What is Mexican oregano?
I usually give the spices a quick crush in the molcajete and then briefly saute them before adding the jalapenos, but this is optional. And if like me you're frequently out of bay leaves then just skip it, as I've made this recipe without a bay leaf dozens of times and it still turns out awesome.
Add the jalapenos and carrots to the saucepan.
Along with the spices if you haven't added them yet.
Saute briefly and then add:
1.5 cups of white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Kosher or sea salt
Note that Kosher or pure sea salt are most commonly used for pickling. The additives in iodized salt will sometimes affect the brine so it isn't recommended.
Let this simmer for a few minutes or until the jalapenos turn army green.
Once the jalapenos are changing color you can load up the jars. Glass jars work best for this vinegar-based brine so I always default to Mason jars.
Each jar gets loaded with the jalapeno-carrot mixture and filled to the brim with the brine.
You should have plenty of brine but if you run out you can always top them off with a splash of water.
I usually let the jars cool on the counter a bit before capping and storing in the fridge.
You can take a taste now and you'll get a good preview of their final flavor, but the jalapenos won't be fully pickled until they rest in the brine overnight.
And the next day you'll have some serious zippppp!
They're so good and they act as the perfect final garnish on your tacos, tostadas, sandwiches, etc.
These pickled jalapenos will keep in the fridge for a month or so, after which you can take the afternoon off of work to make a new batch. Priorities right?
And if you like these Pickled Jalapenos then you can use this quick pickling technique to make any of these:
Extra Hot Pickled Jalapenos with Habaneros
Buen Provecho!
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Taqueria Style Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots
Ingredients
- 8-10 jalapenos
- 2 carrots
- 1 small onion
- 4-6 cloves of garlic
- olive oil
- 1.5 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon salt (Kosher or sea salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8-10 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Give the jalapenos a rinse and then cut into 1/4 inch slices. Peel the carrots and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
- Peel and quarter the onion, chopping into thin slices. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
- Heat a glug of oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes.
- Add the spices: 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 8-10 black peppercorns. I usually give the spices a quick crush in the molcajete but this is optional. And feel free to use powdered spices if you don't have seeds or peppercorns on hand.
- Add the jalapenos and carrots. Briefly saute and then add 1.5 cups white vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt, and 1 bay leaf (optional). Simmer until the jalapenos are just turning army green in color.
- Fill two pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies and fill to the brim with the vinegar mixture. You can also use a single quart-sized Mason jar. You can give them a taste test now for a preview, but they won't have full flavor until they rest overnight in the brine.
- I usually let the jars cool on the counter for a bit, then cap and store in the fridge where they will keep for weeks at a time.
Notes
You can easily modify the above recipe to make a tiny jar of Pickled Serranos:
And here's an easy way to make some Pickled Onions.
Or you can use a similar technique to make some Pickled Tomatillos.
Still hungry?!
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Edgar Michael Sandulo
I make this all the time, usually by taste. It’s nice to have such a simple recipe. I tend to cook the jalapeño less. I like a bit of a crunch. Also would never skip the bay leaf. The best description of bay leafs I ever had was “you’ll never missed them, but you’ll know when they’re there.”
Thanks for the reminder to toast the spices make such a lovely difference!
Patrick
Thanks Edgar, so glad to hear you are enjoying this recipe. Cheers.
Josie
Hey, I want to try this recipe but I was wondering how long is the recommended shelf life?
Patrick
Hi Josie, I usually just keep them in the fridge for a few weeks. I haven't experimented with any long term preserving yet. Cheers.
Cheryl
Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. Your instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the photos are helpful. We’re used to having pickled hot carrots from the taco shops here in San Diego and I wanted to try making them myself. I’ve made this twice already, doubling the recipe each time. They’re so delicious!
Patrick
Thanks Cheryl! So glad you tried these out, I still make them once or twice per month 🙂 Cheers.
Lori Milovanovic
This recipe is amazingly delicious. Prep takes some time, I enjoyed it, because cooking and preparing food for my family is, personally and spiritually relaxing to me. Nourishing food for me, and my family is so important. I enjoy trying new recipes, for them to taste and experience. The little things, sides, pickled vegetables, scones and biscuits ... spicy morsels of deliciousness ... a keeper I'll be making this frequently
Patrick
Thanks Lori!
Feriba
Soooo easy and so good .I have not bought store bought pickled peppers since I started using this recipe for pickled peppers
Patrick
Thanks Feriba! I still make these about once a month, so yes, I feel the same 🙂
Margaret
Is there any way to make these shelf stable? They are absolutely delicious!! I caned them with my homegrown veggies! We have made our garden bigger this year and I'm hoping for plenty of vegetables to can more foods! Thank you!
Patrick
Hi Margaret! I haven't tried any long term preserving with this recipe yet, sorry I can't give a better answer. Cheers.
MiaM
I used this recipe, and mine has kept in the fridge for over a year.
John Robert Small
Second time making this seriously simple recipe...this time I'm using home grown carrots and peppers. Every Sunday I cook for the ill and elderly of our tiny mountain village in Coatepec Veracruz. This was a well loved "side" first time - do I'm making again this week. By the way this scares superbly - I'll do another 5X this week. Thanks VERY much for helping me learn to cook Mexican dishes! ❤️
Patrick
Hey thanks for your note John, so glad you found this recipe as it is one of my favs on the site. Looking forward to visiting that part of Mexico one day! Cheers.
jimAND ROSE nashwinter
love these recipes;
Patrick
Thank you! Cheers.
Lynn
This is my second time using your recipe and I love it. I was out of cumin seeds but they still came out delicious.
Patrick
Thanks Lynn!