In a pickle

I have a dangerous addiction to pickles. Not just the cucumber variety, I like all pickled veggies just as long as they aren't sweet pickles. EWWWW! I have had a lot of success with jam/jelly and pickle recipes from the blog Food in Jars. I am obsessed if you haven't noticed. I check out Marisa McClellan's blog frequently and make a lot of her recipes with much success. When I first started canning and preserving I used recipes from the Ball Blue Book of canning. I assumed everything would be just like the pictures. WRONG. Most of the items I slaved over didn't taste good to me. Mushy pickles, dark syrupy jams, nothing like what I bought in the store. I have learned that homemade isn't going to be like the stuff I buy at the grocery store but I have had much more success with recipes from Food in Jars. Marisa has a book out with rave reviews and has a new book coming out March 2014. I can't wait! I tried one of her pickle recipes this fall after watching a quick YouTube video she did on Quick Pickled Daikon + Carrot Pickles. It was really easy and quick. I had never used daikon before but found it to be similar to a white carrot/radish mix. The brine is slightly sweet but has so much spicy tangy flavor that I soon became hooked. I can also eat a jar of this in about 24 hours.

Pickled Carrots + Daikon
Food in Jars
Watch the video here

Ingredients

• 3-4 fat carrots
• 2 slim daikon radishes
For the Brine

• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups filtered water
• 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons pickling salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup sugar (I usually only add 1/2 c.)
• 3-4 star anise flowers (I always leave this out)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered ginger

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the vegetables on a mandolin and set aside.
2. Combine the brine ingredients in a medium-sized, non-reactive pot (the one I used holds four quarts). Bring to a boil. Taste (do not inhale over the pot, the vinegar will make you cough) and adjust spices to please your palate. Add the sliced vegetables. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.
3. Fill prepared jars. Wipe rims and apply lids. Process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes (starting time after the pot has returned to a boil).