Mexican Carrots Pickle & Canning Recipe

Prepare jars. Wash your jars and place them in a boiling water canner. Boil the jars for at least 10 minutes prior to canning. Do NOT boil the lids it can compromise their sealing ability; wash in soapy water and rinse well.

Prepare brine. In a non-reactive stainless-steel pot combine 6 cups of white 5% vinegar, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon pickling salt, 2 tablespoons of Mexican oregano, 3 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons minced garlic. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Cut the stem ends off of all of the vegetables and discard or mulch. Slice carrots on an angle. Slice jalapeno into 1/4-inch coin slices. Slice white onion into slivers. Carefully remove jars from the canner a couple at a time. Add 3-5 peppercorns per jar then start filling with the vegetables. Layer the vegetables in, to your liking. If you want a lot of heat add more jalapenos. The vegetables will cook and soften during the 20 minutes of canning and will still be cooking in their jars for some time after they have been removed from the canner.

Remove the bay leaves from the brine solution. Pour the hot brine into the jars leaving 1/2-inch head space.

Using a butter knife or air bubble tool, make sure there are no large air bubbles in the jars that are trapped around the vegetables. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean paper towel or cloth so that they are free of any debris that would cause them to not seal.

Place the lids on and finger tighten the bands onto the jars. The tightening of the bands can be tricky, they need to be tight enough to not wiggle loose during canning but also loose enough to allow air to escape. Typically, the band coming loose isn't an issue in water bath canning but can be in pressure canning.

Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water bath canner. Put the lid on the canner. Once the jars are in the canner, wait for the water to start boiling and begin counting 20 minutes. Once 20 minutes is up, remove the canner from the heat source and remove lid. Allow the jars to sit undisturbed in the water for 5 minutes. Next remove the jars from the canner to a clean dishtowel lined countertop. Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Lids can take hours to seal; however, they usually seal within 30 minutes and may even seal during canning. If any of the jars don't seal, refrigerate them and use within 1 month.

Once jars have sealed, store them in a dry cool place for up to a year. This will be difficult but allow a few days or even a week for the carrots to become fully seasoned in their jars before opening. Enjoy!