Pickled Carrots - Spicy Carrots in the Style of Mexico
Ingredients: 500 g carrots, 1 large white onion, 3 hot peppers, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon oregano, 500 ml vinegar, 750 ml water, 30 ml oil
To prepare a delicious pickled vegetable mix, we start with the carrots, which should be carefully peeled, ensuring that we remove any imperfections. Once peeled, we slice them into thin rounds so that they marinate evenly. We continue with the onion and garlic, which we peel and chop finely. The garlic, with its intense aroma, will add a special flavor to our mix. The hot peppers, which will provide a spicy note, also need to be cleaned and chopped, according to preference, either into rounds or small pieces, depending on how spicy we want the final dish to be.
In a spacious pot, we pour in water and vinegar, gently mixing them, then place the pot over medium heat. We wait until the mixture starts to boil, at which point we will remove the pot from the heat and cover it with a lid, setting it aside until we deal with the vegetables.
Meanwhile, we turn our attention to the pan, where we will add the oil and heat it well. When the oil is hot, we add the carrot rounds and sauté them for about 5 minutes until they become slightly soft. Then, we will add the onion, garlic, and hot peppers, along with the bay leaf, continuing to sauté the mixture for another 10 minutes. It is important to stir occasionally to ensure that the vegetables do not stick to the pan and cook evenly.
Once the vegetables have softened, we add oregano and peppercorns, continuing to cook for 3 more minutes. This is the ideal time to taste the carrots to check the texture. If we like it, we can take the pan off the heat; if we want them softer, we can leave them on the heat for a few extra minutes.
Once the vegetables are ready, we carefully transfer them to sterilized jars. We ensure they are still warm, and then pour the vinegar-water mixture over them, filling the jars to the brim. We screw on the airtight lids and let the jars cool on a clean towel, away from drafts. The original recipe recommends storing them in the refrigerator; however, due to the ample amount of vinegar, they can also be kept at room temperature, guaranteed to last up to a month or even longer. This pickled vegetable mix will add extra flavor to any meal and will be appreciated by the whole family!
