Ginger Pickled Carrots

I have three words for you… ginger pickled carrots! If your farmer’s market is flooded with gorgeous locally grown carrots right now like mine is then you have to try this delicious recipe!  And if not, you still need to try this recipe. Yes, it’s that good.

Ingredient Notes

Carrots

You will need 2 pounds of carrots that have been peeled. From there, get out your mandoline or cut by hand into 1/4-inch thick by 3-inch long matchsticks. We do not recommend buying pre-cut carrots as they do not have enough flavor.

Rice Wine Vinegar

For the acid in the brine, we use rice wine vinegar which is moderately acidic. Do not use seasoned rice wine vinegar as that has added sugar and sodium in it.

Seasonings

• fresh ginger root
• star anise
• granulated sugar
• crushed red pepper flakes
• garlic, peeled and minced
• kosher salt

How To Pickle Carrots

Step 1: Cut Carrots

Use a julienne blade on a mandoline or a vegetable peeler to cut the carrots into ¼-inch (6-mm) matchstick pieces about 3 inches (7.6 cm) in length.

Step 2: Make Brine

In a stainless steel or other non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, water, ginger, star anise, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved. Use a slotted spoon to remove the star anise from the boiling brine and divide them evenly between the jars.

Step 3: Cook Carrots In Brine and Place in Jars

Add the carrot sticks to the boiling brine. Bring the liquid back to a boil, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Immediately use tongs or a slotted spoon to divide the carrot sticks between the jars, also putting 3 strips of ginger in each jar, packing if necessary to fit them all in, leaving ½ inch (13 mm) of headspace. Use a ladle to pour the hot brine over the carrot sticks, being sure to cover them.

Step 4: Prep Jars For Processing

Insert a sterile chopstick or knife into the jars to release air bubbles and add more brine if necessary to maintain the ½ inch (13 mm) headspace. Moisten a paper towel with vinegar and wipe the rims of the jars. Center a lid over each jar and screw on the rings to fingertip tightness or fix the clamps in place.

Step 5: Process Jars of Carrots

Place the jars in a boiling water canner filled with boiling water to cover the jars by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a full rolling boil and process for 10 minutes. Using canning tongs, carefully transfer the jars to a cooling rack or towel-lined counter to cool, undisturbed for 24 hours.

Step 6: Store

Wipe down the jars, remove the rings, and label them before storing them in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Expert Tips for Canning Carrots and Other Vegetables

If this is your first time canning vegetables, welcome to the club! Don’t fret if you’re a little nervous to try canning for the first time, I was too. To make sure these pickled carrots turn out perfectly every time, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

1. Don’t use chipped jars—chipped or cracked jars might introduce bacteria into your canned goods, which isn’t good for you! Plus, chipped jars might lead to leakages.

2. Sterilize your jars before canning—sterilizing your canning equipment before making these ginger pickled carrots is crucial. Again, you don’t want any bacteria or mold spores making their way into your canned goods. Use stainless-steel appliances if possible, and thoroughly clean the glass jars before starting the canning process.

3. Get rid of air bubbles—you can dislodge any air bubbles in the jars by inserting a knife or sterile chopstick into each and wiggling it around.

4. Boil the jars for roughly 10 minutes—when canning vegetables, do not try and take any shortcuts. The canned vegetables need lots of time and heat to properly kill all the bacteria and pickle properly. After you’ve boiled the pickled carrots for 10 minutes, you’ll need to let them rest on a towel for 24 hours.

5. Check for an indentation in the lid—after these ginger pickled carrots have rested on the countertop for 24 hours, check to make sure there’s an indentation in the lid. This will indicate whether or not the jars sealed properly.

More Pickling, Sauces, and Condiment Recipes to Try

• Pickled Beets are a favorite summertime side dish to make.
• Maple Pickled Onions are a great topper for burgers and to add to cheese boards.
• This recipe for Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Warm Pickled Onion Dressing is an outside-the-box recipe.
• This Basil Pesto is a great way to preserve the basil harvest. Store jars of it in the freezer all winter long.
• This Peach Maple Barbecue Sauce is finger-licking good!

Carrot Recipe Love

• If you are a big fan of carrots try this recipe for Mashed Carrots and Parsnips.
• This Roasted Carrots and Onions recipe is great for meal prep.
• Our Roasted Baby Carrots are an easy side for a holiday meal or a weeknight dinner.
• These Maple Glazed Carrots are sweet and savory and not syrupy like some recipes.
• Our recipe for Carrot Salad with Lemony Dressing is a burst of bright flavor.
• This Carrot Ginger Soup with Oregano Croutons is clean eating at its best.
• Have you tried this recipe for Maple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting yet? It’s one of our all time favorite desserts.
• These recipes for Carrot Cake Waffles or Morning Glory Muffins are two ways to get in your carrots at breakfast!

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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