Mexican Style Hot Pickled Carrots

"These are the hot carrots like you get in Mexican restaurants. They are positively addictive. I usually make a batch and share with a friend or neighbor. This recipe comes from a restaurant in San Diego called Alta Vista. It was owned and run by a woman named Mary Sargent. Her loyal customers were saddened when she closed her doors and retired, but at least we are able to make these delicious carrots."
 
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photo by gailanng photo by gailanng
photo by gailanng
photo by Uncle Jon60 photo by Uncle Jon60
photo by gailanng photo by gailanng
photo by Steven M. photo by Steven M.
photo by briankelly96 photo by briankelly96
Ready In:
30mins
Ingredients:
10
Yields:
8 cups
Serves:
18
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ingredients

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directions

  • Put carrots in a large 3 or 4-quart pot. Add warm water and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Boil for 5 minutes and then remove from heat.
  • To pot, add the peppers, onions, oregano, garlic, vinegar, bay leaves and salt.
  • Let cool for 2-3 hours. Put in jars and place in refrigerator. These will keep for a week after opening jar.
  • Can also be kept in airtight containers in refrigerator.
  • Makes 8-9 cups.

Questions & Replies

  1. When did you add the oil?
     
  2. Can these be water bath canned
     
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Reviews

  1. I read some of the reviews and like many I prefer a somewhat crunchy hot carrot like the ones to be had in San Diego (grew up there). I halved the boiling time, but with the cooling down period, it's still much too long. I'm thinking that really they don't need to be boiled at all, but rather bring the water to a boil, then remove from heat, put in carrots immediately along with all other ingredients and go from there. I also added some chopped cilantro, cumin seeds, and fresh sliced jalapeno peppers for even more heat. The flavor is great, just next time, not boiling the carrots at all.
     
  2. Muchas Gracias!!! This is the hot carrot recipe I was hoping for. Hot carrots are so commonly served at authentic Mexican restaurants and taco shops where I grew up in San Diego, CA. Now that we live in Montana we really miss the great little things in life. Serve as an appetizer with chips and salsa before a Mexican meal. Best with a little crunch. We added 1 TBL of oil. Thank you for sharing. Muy delicioso!!
     
  3. Very tasty! I used one quart of water and a 12-ounce jar of jalapeño peppers. Black peppercorns were also added to the mix. My carrots were the little baby carrots. They were really thin and small so there was no need to boil them. I just packed them into jars and ladled the boiling mixture over them and capped and sealed. This makes a great crunchy snack to take the place of a high fat crunch from potato chips.
     
  4. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, although there is no mention of it in the directions, only in the "Ingredients". I used more than 7 ounces of jalapeno's, and 8-10 pieces of garlic (vs. only 6 that the recipe called for), and also a smidge more of Oregano. Since I bought a large can of the whole jalapeno's (which contains an oily mixture). I omitted the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil all together, because the can of jalapeno's had the oil in them. Although, if you are using only the 7 ounce can of jalapeno's, then you would more than likely need to use the oil, and I would just add it to the vinegar and herb mixture as you are adding that mixture to the carrots. You can use any amount of jalapeno's I think (whatever you prefer)- My husband likes it hot, sooo I used the whole can! Please don't do this though, unless you can stand hot, hot,hot! ***The carrots have more of a softer texture, which my husband likes, but if you prefer a more crunch to the carrots, then you would only need to cook them 2-3 minutes, I think...Just to note, I used the White Distilled Vinegar, as some others in the reviews have noted is better than the apple cider. I think it is much better than the apple cider as the apple cider would make them more of a "pickle taste"...I still used just the 1/ 1/2 quarts of water, like the recipe calls for, and I quartered the onions (they will separate once you stir them in, I just prefered this rather than slicing them....
     
  5. Extremely easy to prepare and the flavor is fantastic. I'm in San Diego and this is so close to the authentic Mexican restaurant flavor you'll love it! From a non-cook's point of view, it doesn't get any easier. The flavor is best after chilling for 2 days, so make ahead...you won't be sorry.
     
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Tweaks

  1. I Used 26oz of Jalapenos, slit each one to allow the juice out. I like them hot. I also boiled them less time, I like them a bit more firm. (SoCal thing I guess). I put them in jars after 30mins making sure there were jalapenos in each jar and let them cool on the counter
     

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