Have you ever thought about making your own pickled veggies? It may not be something that you would often consider but trust us; it’s so worth it! Here are two main reasons why you should give this pickled veggies recipe from the cookbook Vegan For Good a try:
- The process is super interesting and the result is delicious
- You get to enjoy the product of your labor for a long time
Sounds nice, right? Are you intrigued? Let’s do it!
The Process of Pickling
What is pickling? We can pickle a food by placing it in an acidic and salty liquid that allows it to be preserved for a lot longer than it usually would. Pretty obvious, right?
In this case, we’ll be using carrots and onions, but you can pickle many different veggies. Find inspiration from what’s in season! This is a way to enjoy seasonal produce even when they are no longer available.
It’s basically the same idea as preserves. If you have pounds and pounds of strawberries or peaches in the summer, you can make jam and enjoy it throughout the year.
Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots, this recipe uses rainbow carrots
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 piece ginger, a bit less than an inch (peeled and roughly chopped )
- 1 red chili, deseeded and sliced
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Start by scrubbing the carrots and washing them. Cut them into a shape you desire; I like either julienne or thin rounds.
- Toast your cumin seeds for a minute or so in a dry pan over low heat until they are fragrant. Take the seeds out of the pan and divide between two 16 oz glass jars with well-fitting lids.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and chili to the jars then the carrots.
- Combine the water, vinegar, and salt in a large pan and bring it to a gentle boil. Mix until the salt has dissolved.
- Pour this liquid over your two jars leaving about a half an inch gap at the top. You may not have to use all of your liquid.
- Seal the jars and shake them to remove any air pockets. Leave to cool and store in the fridge.
- The pickle needs 2–3 days to develop flavor and will last at least a month in your fridge.
Nutrition
Pickled Onions
Ingredients
- 4 red onions, medium
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup raw apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Peel the onions and thinly slice them into half-moons (you can use a mandoline for this).
- Place them in a 16-ounce glass jar with a well-fitting lid, packing them in tightly.
- Add the spices and salt, pour in the vinegar and top it up with water. Seal the jar and leave for at least 3–4 hours or, better still, overnight.
- The pickle will keep for a month in the fridge.
Nutrition
What is the difference between pickling and fermenting?
We’ve all heard about the new sauerkraut craze! This fermented cabbage is full of healthy probiotics, and it’s super budget-friendly. So is fermenting the same as pickling? Yes and no. So basically both methods begin the same way which is by placing the veggies in brine, but not all pickles are fermented. Also, not all fermented foods are pickled. Sounds tricky but it’s not. The bottom line is they are yummy, easy, and healthy. Triple win!
What To Pickle?
We are learning how to pickle carrots and onions, but the possibilities are endless! Let’s see which veggies (or fruits!) could be pickled with the same methods:
- cucumbers (the obvious choice)
- beets (these are so good!)
- cauliflower (one of my favorites!)
- fennel
- chiles
- pears
- peaches
- eggplant
These are just a few examples of the endless varieties of veggies and fruits you can pickle at home! The truth is you can use almost any vegetable you like!
How To Eat Pickled Veggies?
There are so many ways you can enjoy your pickled veggies. For example, the pickled red onions can be a fantastic topping for some walnut meat tacos or cauliflower tacos. Yum! Or as a topping for a potato filled with some sour cashew cream.
The carrots would be delish on top of some toast with vegan cream cheese. Or in any salad!
Get the idea? No matter what you eat them with, you will absolutely love the acidy flavor and the simplicity of their process. Give them a try!
About the Cookbook
Vegan for Good is the creation of an incredibly talented chef who started as a food blogger. Rita Serano has created such beautifully crafted recipes and has such an eye for detail. This cookbook is different in the best way possible. The recipes are carefully constructed and assembled, but they are also straightforward, which makes this book beautiful and deserving of a great place in your collection.
As gorgeous as it is, it’s also so well laid out. Divided into weekdays, weekends, no time at all or sweet celebrations it helps us select the recipes according to how much time we have to spare. So clever.
Vegan For Good by Rita Serano. Kyle Books and photography by Laura Edwards. Please note that this article contains affiliate links that help support our work at World of Vegan. Thanks so much, and happy pickling!
Updated on: 9/14/22
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Leave a Comment
Thanks for this so helpful
Love this recipe so much! Pickled veggies are super fun to make and perfect on top of sandwiches or salad 😀
Can’t wait to pickle with this recipe!
This is such a great guide! Can’t wait to try this out!
I gotta get my pickling game together! Great recipe!
I can’t believe it took me this long to start pickling veggies! This recipe is perfect.
I had no idea how easy it is to pickle your own veggies. Makes me feel like a total homesteading pro!