by Megan Winfrey

A few years ago, JBG hosted a Pickling Workshop in their greenhouses, taught by Austin's own Kate Payne - author of The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking and co-founder of Salud! Bitters Co. Ada, our very own CSA Manager, revived the recipe from the workshop and sent it my way. Being the pickle fan that I am, I couldn't wait to get together with my good friend and recreate Kate's pickled carrot recipe. I knew they would be good, but I had no idea they would be knock-you-on-your-arse, finish-a-jar-in-one-sitting good! And the leftover brine is perfect for shaking up into a martini. I enjoyed them on a cheese plate with Pogue Mahone garlic-dill pickles and thinly sliced on venison tacos.

Pickling Workshop in our Greenhouse. Keep your eyes peeled for our 2017 Spring Event Calendar! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Pickling Workshop in our Greenhouse. Keep your eyes peeled for our 2017 Spring Event Calendar! Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Asian-inspired Pickled Carrots Recipe by Kate Payne

1. Place 6 half-pint (8oz) jars in your canner pot, cover to just below the rims with water and bring to a boil.

2. While your water boils, wash and trim 2 lb carrots into preferred pickle sized pieces. Slice them in thin rounds for sandwiches or in sticks to munch right out of the jar or off the pickle platter.

3. Combine in a stainless steel saucepan 4 cups white wine or distilled white vinegar with 1 cup sugar and 3 Tbs salt. Dissolve sugar over low heat and then bring to a boil. Add directly to the pan: -2 Tbs minced ginger -2-4 fresh or dried Thai chiles, chopped roughly

4.Prepare your lids by placing them in water in a small saucepan. Don’t turn them on to simmer just yet. Keep an eye on your brine, since you don’t want it to boil for an extended period of time. Turn off heat when it reaches a boil.

5. Pull jars from canner pot and place 2 black peppercorns and 1 green onion, slit lengthwise into each jar.

6. Pack your jars firmly with prepared carrots. Now is a good time to turn on the heat and allow your lids to simmer (not boil) in the small saucepan.

7. Pour hot brine and try to incorporate ginger and peppers evenly into the jars over the carrots, leaving 1/2-inch headspace, the distance between the brine and top of the rim. Use a chopstick or a bubbler to remove any air pockets from the jar. Wipe rims with dampened, clean cloth or paper towel. Seal with two-piece lids.

8. Process for 10 min in boiling water-bath.

9. Place the jars on a dish towel and allow to sit for a few hours-overnight. The lids will seal as the jars cool. Test the seal by pressing down on the lid. It should be sucked in tight and not pop. If any of the cans did not seal properly, you can still eat them! Just keep them refrigerated and use them first.

10. Let the carrots marinate for at least a week, but preferably two if you can wait that long! These will stay good in the fridge for months.