Meal Prep - Pickling Day - Pickled Mexican Carrots - Recipe - And More!

Ingredients 

(This recipe fills 4 pints or 2-quart jars)
• 2 lbs. fresh 1/4 inch diagonally sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced jalapeños
• 1 thinly sliced medium-sized onion
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (omit if canning)
• 6 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

• Peel and slice carrots and onion into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Cut the stems off jalapeños and thinly slice. Set aside.
• In a large stock pot add the garlic, vinegar, water, oil (omit if canning), bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano, salt. Bring to a boil and add the carrots, onion and jalapeños. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered. If more liquid is needed to cover carrot mixture add equal parts water and white vinegar.
• Allow to cool completely, if you are not canning the carrots. Store the carrots along with the seasoned cooking brine in canning jars with lids in the refrigerator.
• Let sit in the refrigerator for 3 days before serving.

Preserving:

• If canning, omit the oil.
• Wash jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse well. Dry bands and set aside. Heat jars and lids in the hot water bath(180°F). DO NOT BOIL LIDS. Allow jars and lids to remain in hot water until ready for use.
• Hot pack the sterile jars with carrot mixture, leave 1/2-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars before putting lids and bands on.
• Water bath pints for 15 minutes and adjust for altitude. Add 5 minutes to water bath time for every 1,000 feet in altitude. (I had to process my pints for 55 minutes.)
• Remove from the canner, place hot jars on a towel and let cool for 24 hours. Check to make sure the jars have sealed, remove bands, label and store in cool dark place.
• Store in the refrigerator after opening for up to 1 month.

I gave the carrot peelings to the chickens.

Everything is ready to go into the vinegar brine.

Cook for 15 minutes.

I had to make extra brine to cover the vegetable mix.

Readying my jars, lids and bands.

Hot water bath for the filled jars.

Cooling the jars.

I also made a sweet pickling brine to pickle a few other treats.

Cabbage mixture and beef sausages.

The sweet brine is cooling.

I added the sweet brine to the cabbage mixture then I added a 1/4 cup of hot sauce to the beef sausages along with the brine. I used my new pickling weights. They are very handy!

I put these jars in the fridge for three days before serving.

I had enough brine left for one more quart, so I did a pepper cabbage blend.

I must say that the colors are very vibrant. 

For the sweet pickle brine recipe follow this link: Pickling Brines

Things To Be Happy About:

The way a full moon lights up the night sky

The beautiful patterns on ceramic knives

Sticky tape

Bootstraps

Cool calendars 

Chinois strainer

A carpet of Periwinkle flowers in the woods

Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith