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.

Ginger Pickled Carrots

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Why You’ll Want To Make Ginger Pickled Carrots

I have a confession. Canning intimidates me a little. So when Katie asked if I was interested in reviewing Rebecca’s cookbook, Not Your Mama’s Canning Book, I said, “suuuuure,” while covertly nodding my head noooooo.

The canning process is always a little scary for me but I decided to face my fears, jump in and make these ginger pickled carrots.

It was hard to choose a recipe to start with, but I was drawn to the ginger pickled carrots. Maybe because I had just bought a ton of carrots at the farmer’s market, but then I started thinking that they may be good on a charcuterie board or to top off Chicken Lettuce Wraps or in a homemade Banh Mi, and then I couldn’t start making these pickled carrots fast enough.

If you are a seasoned pro at canning then you’ll definitely want to first pick up a copy of this book, next make these carrots that we have today, and lastly, you should also check out our new recipe for simple Rhubarb Compote with Ginger and Cardamom. It’s another great recipe that can be canned!

Ultimately I realized that the process was familiar, pretty simple and with Rebecca’s awesome instructions not too scary. Just boil the vinegar, ginger, star anise, a few other seasonings and sugar until the sugar melts.

Then simmer the carrots in the brine for a quick 2 minutes and you’re off to the canning races! Afterwards, I was the proud owner of three gorgeous pints of bright orange pickled deliciousness!

So if you are on the fence, let me tell you, these carrots are worth getting over your canning fears and they can be used in a wide variety of recipes. Or you can eat them straight out of the jar because they are that good!

Ginger Pickled Carrots

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.

Ginger Pickled Carrots

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.

Ginger Pickled Carrots

More Pickling, Sauces, and Condiment Recipes to Try

Carrot Recipe Love

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. 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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Ginger Pickled Carrots | Cookbook Giveaway | Canning | Fall | Vegetarian | Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Ginger Pickled Carrots Recipe


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5 from 4 reviews

Description

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 this Fall then you have to try this delicious vegetarian canning recipe!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds (908 g) of peeled carrots
  • 2 cups (475 ml) unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) water
  • 9 long strips (about 3- to 4-inch [7.6- to 10-cm] each) of peeled, fresh ginger root
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 3/4 cup (144 g) raw or granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp (5 g) crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Wipe down the jars, remove the rings and label before storing in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Notes

Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar rather than seasoned rice vinegar. Seasoned rice vinegar has sugar and salt added already. We prefer to control the amount and type of sugar and salt we add to our carrots.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Canning
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Calories: 54
  • Sugar: 8 g
  • Sodium: 76 mg
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 10 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 1 g
Ginger Pickled Carrots