[RFTW] Pickled Carrots & Garlic with Cumin

Last night we had a few guests over, and the chief pickler of our home started us off with a batch of these easy, prepare-in-advance pickled carrots.  Although remarkably simple and quick, these delicious pickles are sure to impress your guests.  (“You made these yourself?  Really?”)

The recipe comes from Deborah Madison’s epic Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

You can make these pickles a few days (or even a few hours) before your guests arrive, and they keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

4 Carrots
1 small head Garlic
1 Jalapeño Pepper, sliced into rounds
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
3/4 tsp. Salt, divided
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Black Peppercorns

Peel and slice the carrots (diagonally or crosswise, about 3/8″ thick).  Separate and peel the garlic cloves; keep them intact.

Boil the carrots in lightly salted (1/4 tsp.) water for 3 minutes (using just enough water to cover), then drain.

Combine the sugar, cumin seeds, peppercorns, 1/2 tsp. salt, vinegar, and 3/4 cup cold water  in a bowl.  Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar, then add the carrots, garlic, and jalapeño.

Refrigerate at least a few hours (preferably overnight) before serving in a bowl with toothpicks.