Saturday, July 27, 2013

Spicy Shredded Root Pickle

There's something about pickles that I love. Give me almost any vegetable and add vinegar, salt and spices or herbs and I'm a happy girl! Since I had a bunch of beautiful carrots from the farmer's market and a fresh haul of radishes from the garden, I thought I'd try my hand at a new (to me) type of vinegary treat - a carrot-radish pickle a la banh mi sandwiches. 

Like most vinegar-based pickles, making these is dead simple. As a bonus, they won't heat up your kitchen for very long, even if you can them - most of the "cooking" is done by the salt purge, and the boiling is really just to combine all the flavours and bring the mix up to temperature for safe storage. Adding a good amount of grated ginger gives them a good kick, too - without the need for chiles (although you can certainly add some!) - but even without hot peppers, be careful when you're leaning over the pot or that pungent heat will clear your sinuses in a snap!

Again, like most marinated or pickled things, this relatively delicate shredded mixture is far better after it's had a chance to sit and develop the marriage of flavours. While I liked it after a day or two, it was far better after a week! I've been adding it to wraps and salads, and my stepbrother had it on his burgers and hot dogs at tonight's BBQ, but I have to admit I've eaten it on it's own as a type of gingery root "slaw"! I can't wait to toss it with a "regular" coleslaw to see how it turns out!

Spicy Shredded Root Pickle

Shared with Wellness Weekend, Gluten Free Fridays and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Spicy Shredded Root Pickle
Makes 20 (1/4 cup) servings
1 lb carrots, coarsely grated
½ lb radishes (any kind), coarsely grated
2 tbsp Kosher salt
2 cups white vinegar
½ cup water
½ cup raw sugar
½ tbsp whole peppercorns
6 cloves garlic, pressed
⅓ cup minced fresh ginger
  1. Combine carrots, radishes and salt in a colander. Let stand 2-3 hours, then rinse and squeeze dry. Set aside.
  2. Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan.
  3. Stir in the shredded carrots and radishes and bring back to a boil, stirring.
  4. Spoon into ½ pint jars, seal and process in a waterbath for 15 minutes.
  5. Allow to infuse for 1 week before enjoying.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 35.8
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 357.9 mg
Total Carbs: 8.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
Protein: 0.4 g  

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