These Pickled Carrots add a delicious crunchy numbing bite to all kinds of favorite dishes and they're simple and quick to make. One of my favorite things is to making pickles - all kinds! And if you're familiar with fragrant Sichuan numbing peppers (aka da hong pao or Sichuan flower peppers) you already know that these pickled carrots provide "heat" in two very distinct ways.
Super tasty and ready in minutes they add a nice sour crunch to homemade banh mi, veggie burgers, your favorite tacos, and countless other wraps and dishes. And if you're just looking for a regular pickled carrot without all the heat, you can still use this recipe just omit the peppers. As with all things homemade, they taste better when you share♡. Your spice-loving friends will love them.
What's the Difference -- Quick-Pickles Vs Canned Pickles Vs Fermented Pickles?
I grew up pickling, fermenting, and canning all kinds of delicious garden-fresh produce and fruit alongside my Mom for as long as I can remember. When it comes to pickling there are three types (or ways) of pickling all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Quick pickling and canned pickling is inexpensive and probably the least labor-intensive way to dip your toe into the world of home canning. Below are three ways to pickle vegetables and fruit starting with the easiest method.
- Quick Pickles (must be kept refrigerated and consumed somewhat quickly). Quick pickles are the easiest pickles to make and are sometimes referred to as "refrigerator pickles". They're vegetables (or fruits) that are pickled in a brine made of vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, herbs, peppers, or spices are also added) and stored in the refrigerator and consumed within about two weeks. There is no need to sterilize the jars or wait for them to cure.
- Canned Pickles (shelf-stable long-term preservation pickles). Pickles (usually cucumber dill pickles) from the grocery store or home-canned pickles fall into the larger "quick pickle" category because they too are pickled in a brine made of vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, herbs, peppers, or spices are also added). However, these pickles have been safely canned so that they may be preserved for long periods of time and remain shelf-stable for many months or even years. You must sterilize the glass jars, lids, and bands, and ensure the ratio of acid (usually vinegar) and salt is sufficient in order to safely preserve the fruit or vegetable and avoid contamination that could lead to unwanted bacteria growth which could be harmful. Generally, there's enough acid in home-canned pickles you'll never likely run into this issue.
- Fermented Pickles (shelf-stable long-term naturally preserved pickles). Fermented pickles are the healthiest of all pickles because of the lacto-fermentation method of using only salt, water, and a warm (but not too warm) environment to allow the vegetables (or fruit) to slowly pickle over a period of several weeks. If you're familiar with sauerkraut or kimchi, then you know how the Lactic acid fermentation process works. Fermented pickles are also referred to as "the real dill pickles" and get their sourness naturally whereas quick pickle varieties get their sour quality from added acid (usually vinegar). The taste of fermented pickles is much milder than pickles made using vinegar. Fermented pickles retain more of the original cucumber flavor and are usually tangy, salty, garlicky, and delicious, but not vinegary.
Spicy Sichuan Pepper Pickled Carrots Ingredients
If you want seriously spicy pickled carrots you may add more birds-eye chili and a few more red Sichuan peppercorns. The flower peppers give the carrots a mouth-numbing effect that's a different kind of heat than birds-eye chili (or crushed red pepper flakes etc). If you're not used to his spice, you may want to go easy at first because it's a very different kind of spice than most people are used to and it's one of my absolute favorite ingredients to work with after having lived in Sichuan for four years. Fair warning, this spice is not for everyone and can take some time for your palate to adjust to it. Feel free to omit it altogether if you want. These pickled carrots are still great without the added spice.
- 3 to 4 carrots peeled and julienned, or enough to fill the jar (150-240g)
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar (240g)
- 1 cup water (240g)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (14g)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (11g)
- 1 to 3 small Sichuan bird's eye chili peppers
- ¼ teaspoon red Sichuan flower peppercorns, cracked (or more to taste)
- 1 (16-ounce) Mason pint canning jar, or equivalent (473ml)
How to Make Spicy Sichuan Pickled Carrots
Typically, the best homemade pickles are made from garden-fresh produce picked early in the morning and processed the same day, but this pickled carrot recipe can be made any time of year using regular carrots found at any supermarket. Which is another reason to love them beyond their spicy crunchy qualities ♡. You can make these pickled carrots using the quick pickle method (refrigerator pickles) if you don't want to deal with sterilizing the jars. Either way, you can scale the recipe to make bigger batches if desired.
- Prepare the carrots. Peel and julienne (or slice) the carrots using a mandoline or a sharp knife.
- Sterilize the jar. Wash and rinse the jar by either (1) boiling it for 10 minutes in a hot water bath, or by placing it on a sheet tray and baking it at 320°F/160°C for approximately 20 minutes. *You can skip the step of sterilizing the jar if you don't have the intention of preserving the pickles long-term and instead will store them directly in the refrigerator after preparing and consume them within a couple of weeks.
- Pack the jars. Add the carrots, birds-eye chili, and Sichuan flower peppers (if using) to the jar leaving enough space to add the brine. *The carrots will float to the top once you start filling it with the brine, so be sure to leave enough room for everything to fit nicely without overflowing.
- Sterilize the lid and band. Next, place the cleaned jar lid and band into a small pot of water and boil them to sterilize and also to warm up the "gasket" seal around the rim to help them seal better when screwed into place.
- Make the brine. Add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a medium stockpot and bring the mixture to a boil, make sure the sugar and salt have dissolved, and turn off the heat. Using a ladle, fill the jar being sure to leave ½-inch (1.5cm) headspace. As soon as the jar is filled, clean and wipe any brine from the top of the jar with a hot wet towel and screw on the lid and band to "fingertip tight". Turn the jar upside down and leave it for 24 hours to cool and complete the sealing process. Enjoy!
Pickled Carrots Tips & FAQ's
- Where does pickling come from? Pickling started as a way to preserve food before there was refrigeration. Nowadays people eat them because they're tasty, but families like mine still pickle lots of things each year to preserve abundant fruits and vegetables grown in the garden.
- Where was pickling invented? Pickling has been around for thousands of years since at least 2030 B.C and is native to India near the Tigris valley. Cleopatra attributed part of her beauty to pickles and Aristotle said they were medicinal...and they're apparently even mentioned in the Bible (twice). Pickles have been around a while, but most of these pickles were made using the lacto-fermentation method and are great for promoting good gut health because they're full of probiotics. They don't taste like vinegar pickles.
- What is pickling? Pickling is the preservation of foods by a process known as anaerobic fermentation taking place in a brine of saltwater and/or vinegar.
Looking for More Delicious Pickles to Make?
Above are a few of our favorite homemade pickles we think you also may like. We'll be posting these recipes soon, so check back with us as we add them to our Vim + Vinegar section.
Let's get started!
Print📖 Recipe
Easy Spicy Sichuan Pepper Pickled Carrots (花椒 pickled carrots)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 Pint 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Pickled Carrots add a delicious crunchy numbing bite to all kinds of favorite dishes and they're simple and quick to make. If you're familiar with fragrant Sichuan numbing peppers (aka Sichuan flower peppers) you already know that these pickled carrots provide "heat" in two very different ways. Super tasty and ready in minutes they add a nice sour crunch to homemade banh mi, veggie burgers, your favorite tacos, and countless other wraps and dishes. And if you're just looking for a regular pickled carrot without all the heat, you can still use this recipe just omit the peppers. As with all things homemade, they taste better when you share♡. Your spice-loving friends will love them.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 carrots peeled and julienned, or enough to fill the jar (150-240g)
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar (240g)
- 1 cup water (240g)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (14g)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (11g)
- 1 to 3 small Sichuan bird's eye chili peppers
- ¼ teaspoon red Sichuan flower peppercorns, cracked (or more to taste)
- 1 (16-ounce) Mason pint canning jar, or equivalent (473ml)
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the carrots. Peel and julienne (or slice) the carrots using a mandoline or a sharp knife.
- Sterilize the jar. Wash and rinse the jar by either (1) boiling it for 10 minutes in a hot water bath, or by placing it on a sheet tray and baking it at 320°F/160°C for approximately 20 minutes. *You can skip the step of sterilizing the jar if you don't have the intention of preserving the pickles long-term and instead will store them directly in the refrigerator after preparing and consume them within a couple of weeks.
- Pack the jars. Add the carrots, birds-eye chili, and Sichuan flower peppers (if using) to the jar leaving enough space to add the brine. *The carrots will float to the top once you start filling it with the brine, so be sure to leave enough room for everything to fit nicely without overflowing.
- Sterilize the lid and band. Next, place the cleaned jar lid and band into a small pot of water and boil them to sterilize and also to warm up the "gasket" seal around the rim to help them seal better when screwed into place.
- Make the brine. Add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a medium stockpot and bring the mixture to a boil, make sure the sugar and salt have dissolved and turn off the heat. Using a ladle, fill the jar being sure to leave ½-inch (1.5cm) headspace. As soon as the jar is filled, clean and wipe any brine from the top of the jar with a hot wet towel and screw on the lid and band to "fingertip tight". Turn the jar upside down and leave it for 24 hours to cool and complete the sealing process. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to scale this recipe up by doubling or quadrupling it.
- You may substitute distilled white vinegar for the rice wine vinegar.
- Make a non-spicy version of these carrots by simply leaving out all of the peppers and peppercorns. They're great either way.
- As you use up the carrots, you can get creative with the leftover brine by re-purposing it for use in vinaigrettes, etc.
- Use a pair of tongs to make it easier to retrieve the hot lids and bands out of the boiling water when it's ready to screw them onto the filled jars.
- Pickled carrots can be eaten right out of the jar or on top of your favorite sandwiches on tacos, or alongside your favorite cheese or antipasti or charcuterie platter. The flavor (and spiciness intensify over time).
- Refrigerate opened jars.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Vim + Vinegar
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Chinese-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Made the Recipe? Tell Us What You Think!