Today, I want to show you a recipe for a quick pickle to have in your fridge: Thinly sliced pickled carrots. They are a fantastic topping for bowls, salads, sandwiches or wraps. Also, they are super quick and easy to make and are a great way to preserve your carrots should you have too many on hand. Their crunchy texture and tangy, fresh taste make them a perfect complement to so many dishes.

Ingredients for Pickled Carrots:

As the base ingredient, you will of course need carrots. For pickling, you can use any size of carrots. Both young carrots and big winter carrots work well. I like to use regular orange carrots for a bright and vibrant colour. You need equal amounts of white wine vinegar, sugar, and salt for pickling. I am keeping it simple, adding a clove of garlic, bay leaves, mustard seeds, and some black peppercorns to my pickle brine, but you can customize the flavour with any spices to your personal preference.

Pickled Carrots Recipe

Depending on the shape and size of your carrot and pickling jar, you can opt for various shapes for your pickled carrots. Today, I am thinly slicing my carrots using a mandolin. These thinly sliced carrots bring an interesting texture and shape to salads and sandwiches. If you want to snack on them right away, you can also try making sticks out of the carrots or even keeping them whole. I like the earthy taste from leaving the carrot peel on, and my carrots had thin skins anyways, but you can also peel them before pickling.

To make the pickle brine, boil equal amounts of white wine vinegar and water, and dissolve the salt and sugar. Next, sterilize your pickling jar with hot water, and pack the carrots into it. Add the spices of your preference, and fill the container with the hot brine. And that’s all there is to it, just a tiny bit of patience, and your pickled carrots are ready to satisfy! Allow the jar to cool to room temperature, and then keep the delicious pickles in the fridge at your disposal.

How Long do Carrots need to Pickle:

This depends a bit on the thickness of your carrots. Thinly sliced carrots will taste amazing after just two to three hours in the liquid. If using whole carrots or thicker sticks, this process can take a day. The best flavour comes, in my opinion, after allowing them to pickle for at least a day.

How Long will Pickled Carrots Keep:

You want to store these pickled carrots in the refrigerator, as they are not properly canned. Properly stored, they should easily keep for weeks, if not even for months. Still, if they should start smelling off or taste weird, discard them. Most likely, this won’t be an issue as they are irresistibly tasty and will be finished long before this could happen!

Some more Recipe Inspirations:

Up for some more pickles? These crunchy onions are a staple in my fridge.
Pickled red cabbage makes a fantastic addition to so many dishes!
Ever had punchy pickled garlic?
Have you ever had Do Chua, the Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon? It’s delicious on vegan Banh Mi sandwiches.
Dill pickled cucumber is a classic for a reason.
Pickled jalapenos are a classic!
My own little favourite: Pickled red beets! They are delicious.