Pickled Carrot Sticks
(Makes 1 pint)

You won't be able to make these fast enough. Eat them as a snack, add them to salads, or serve them as a garnish on soups or stews.

1/2 pound peeled carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegan granulated sweetener
1 teaspoon pickling spice

Boil carrots until just crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in sterilized glass containers.

In a medium-size pot, bring vinegar, water, sweetener, and pickling spice to a boil. Pour over carrots, seal, and refrigerate immediately. This will keep for 7 days in the refrigerator.

If preferred, carrots can be canned using sterile techniques for longer storage.

I use the same brine as for Dilly Beans. Start by cutting the peeled carrots into jullianne sticks or crosswise into thin slices. Blanch the carrots in boiling water 3 minutes. Drain.

With the carrots you'll need:

4 heads dill
4 cloves garlic, slightly bruised
4 small red chilis, each slit
2 1/2 cups vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup canning salt

Pack carrots into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Add 1 head dill, 1 galic clove and 1 chili to each jar.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over carrots, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps. Process pints ten minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: 4 pints.

In addition to beans and carrots this same recipe can be used with asparagus.

Gardenlad & Rusty: Thanx for the quick reply. Both recipes sound good and certainly easy enough; however, I'm still hoping to find a recipe where the carrots are completely raw and not even blanched! If you hear of one please let me know. Happy Holidays to you both.

If you make them in small quantities as a refrigerator pickle you won't have to blanch them. Blanching kills enzymes that have a negative effect on canned veggies.

But with a quick blanch (especially if you refresh them) they should be indistinguishable from raw once you eat them.