Spicy Fancy Carrots

So, I discovered something great this year, carrots come in many colors; white, golden yellow, orange, a rosy pink, red, and even purple. All of which have their own unique flavors, some more delicate, some more pungently "carroty".  Who knew! Probably a lot of people, but let's not get hung up on that.
I, and most of the people I know, love the pickled carrots at Mexican restaurants and taco stands. So when I started seeing this beautiful rainbow of carrots at the farmers markets, I got an idea. It came to me that the gorgeous colors of the organic local carrots and the flavors of the spicy, jalapeno/onion/carrot pickle were a natural match.

So, I did a cold-pack vinegar pickle with several colors of carrots, each in their own jar. I am not normally a proponent of segregation, however in this one case, it seemed best. The darker carrot colors are quite strong and will dye anything you put in with them, which is great if you want all-purple pickled something. However, in this case, I wanted to see each of the beautiful carrot varieties shine in it's own right. What came from this experiment was, in a word, wonderful. The jewel-toned jars of spicy carroty goodness are fabulous. Pickling each color separately really showcases all the diverse beauty of these carrots and it's so exiting to share them. Friends, family (and our customers) are fascinated by the variety of colors. This enthusiasm encourages conversations about bio-diversity, favorite foods and pickling, all favorite topics of mine. The flavor is delicious, crunchy, spicy and tangy, the jalapeno, garlic, and onion pieces add spice and richness without being overwhelming.
Here's the recipe, as always adjust liberally, but not on the amount of vinegar. Acidity levels are vital in pickling. If you know you don't like spicy, leave out some of the red pepper, if you like more jalapenos, substitute a half a cup of the carrots for more peppers. If you hate cumin, leave it out.  As long as the basic proportions of vegetable to pickling brine, and acid in that brine, stay the same, you can do whatever you want! Your jar is your canvas!
If you've never canned before PLEASE consult this website for all the beginning tips on how not to poison your loved ones.
Spicy Fancy Carrots
3 lbs. Carrots cut 1/4 inch slices
4 jalapenos cut in 1/4- 1/2 inch slices
1 onion chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic sliced
Brine
6 cups distilled white vinegar (the cheap kind)
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tbsp. salt
8 bay leaves
1 tsp. cumin
1 sprig of fresh marjoram or oregano
1 tsp, whole black peppercorns

- First, prep your jars. Then prep the veggies. Please wear gloves while you slice the peppers, jalapeno on your hands and in your eyes is unpleasant at best. Peel and slice carrots, onion and garlic.
-Put the Brine ingredients together in a large pot. Bring the brine to a low simmer for 5 minutes, turn off and let sit, stir making sure all the sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Pack your veggies into your jars, cover completely with the brine, leaving about half an inch headspace between the top of the brine and the lid of the jar. Wipe your rims, put on your lids and screw on the bands, not too tight.
Water-bath process: 15 minutes.
Pull out your jars with a jar lifter or tongs and set on a clean dishtowel overnight.
When they go POP! that's the sound of success, an oddly addictive sound actually, I love the sound of my jars sealing. If a jar doesn't seal, put it in the fridge and eat those ones first.
By the way, I tried these as refrigerator pickles, it didn't work as well, they need that processing time to soften up and soak in all the delicious flavors in the brine.
Remember, use fun colors, organic, local etc. if you can, but it's most important to enjoy the process so instead of driving 3 hours to find the perfect carrot, or stressing on the finer points of sustainable vs. organic; buy or grow some, chop, pickle, enjoy, repeat. 

Discover It, Pickle It, Live It, Love It!

Jamming - the new crack/ Pickle me this Batman...

So here again is an example of something I said I would not do because it is simply too trendy and now that I have, I am hooked. Summer practically demands that we think ahead, the sheer volume of beautiful produce screams to be enjoyed, and saved for the future.

It all started with a sale on blueberries. I thought a bitter pink grapefruit marmalade with blueberries would be wonderful and after the consulting the source of all knowledge (google) it turned out that a woman in Brooklyn thought so too and had a nice recipe on her lovely blog. Of course I played with it and added some of my favorite things, brown sugar and Tahitian Vanilla Bean and voila! my Jam Addiction was born.
The marmalade is fantastic, so much so that I will have to make more because I keep eating it all, but there's so much more.
Now my sister-in-law and I are actively making new seasonal jams and pickles all the time and selling them to friends and family and at private events.

                

Now we are officially Preservation Society! In the spirit of a true addict I cannot put down my jamming or pickling for long. I can swear off (with or without a solemn oath) and find myself back in the kitchen within 72 hours sterilizing jars and prepping produce. 

So, pickle me this Batman - what's the new Crack? Jam, pickles, marmalade! Preservation is the new Crack.  

More to come...