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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William Valtierra
I was flooded witha crop of jalapeños & serranos, glad I found this recipe! Simply t he best...
Patrick
Thanks William! Cheers.
Ati
Best picked pepper, easy to make and very tasty!!! Thank you !!!
Patrick
Thanks Ati, so glad you tried out this recipe! Cheers.
Laura
Hello, could this recipie be used to actually can the jalapeños in mason jars for longer storage rather than use them right away?
Patrick
Hi Laura! Sorry I can't give a better answer, but I haven't tried that with this recipe yet. Cheers.
Lucy
I have made this recipe several times. I use more carrot and onion and less jalapenos but it still makes wonderful pickled carrots.
Patrick
Thanks much Lucy for mentioning your adjustments. Cheers.
Phil
This recipe is one of my favorites; turned out perfect and tastes absolutely on point. I actually like these better than the La Costena, or San Marcos canned brands. Next batch, I'll crinkle slice the carrots in the mandolin for a little extra flair. I might also sprinle a little diablo dust that I make with reapers and ghosts and amp up the heat.
Thanks again
Patrick
Ahh good to hear, thanks much for your note Phil! So glad to hear these have replaced the store-bought versions 🙂
Terry Reed
As good as it gets to authentic taqueria quality jalapeños and carrots. I keep jar in the fridge and is my to go to condiment when I want sone heat to my meal
Patrick
Thanks Terry!
Dave
I like this recipe as is. Having made it a few times I have incorporated a couple of tweaks for my taste. I like a little more pickle so I have changed the liquid to equal parts of water and vinegar. I also think the carrots remain too crunchy when the peppers are just right, so I have been holding off on adding the jalapenos until the carrots are about half done, maybe 5 minutes in, then let the mixture cook for another 4-5 minutes. Again, these are just my own personal modifications to a really good recipe. Thanks, Patrick
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Dave, it's super helpful for other peeps who are making these for the first time. Cheers.
Leslie
These are delicious and came out with the perfect amount of crunch!
Patrick
Thanks Leslie, so glad you tried out this recipe! Cheers.
Kellie
I’ve made these twice now, it’s definitely my go to. I keep them in the fridge and no issue eating till the are gone! I meant to get cauliflower at the store today to add and completely forgot and I’m so disappointed! Maybe next time! Thank you so much!
Patrick
Hey thanks for your note Kellie, so glad you found this recipe! Yeah by chance I had a sandwich today with a delicious pickled cauliflower on it and it got my wheels turning 🙂 Cheers.
Lucia
Can I use apple cider vinegar?
Patrick
Hey Lucia! Yeah you can in a pinch, but I def prefer plain ol' white vinegar. Cheers.