Sweet Pickled Carrots and Cauliflower
Sweet Pickled Carrots and Cauliflower with fennel, juniper berries, cumin and cointreau are sweet, spiced, spicy and savory for a cocktail hour treat.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- ½ teaspoon anise seeds
- One 2-inch cinnamon stick broken
- 1 tablespoon fennel pollen
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup sea salt
- ¼ cup Cointreau or other triple sec
- 1 bag baby carrots or about 6 carrots sliced into small pieces
- 2 bags of pre-cut cauliflower florets or 1 head
- 4 half-pints jars for carrots
- 4 half-pints jars for cauliflower
- 1 quart jar for cauliflower
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the fennel and coriander seeds, allspice berries, clove, anise seeds and cinnamon stick; toast over moderate heat until fragrant, 1 – 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Stir in the fennel pollen, bay leaf and crushed red pepper.
- Wrap the spice mixture in a double layer of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string or use a spice ball like I did (thanks, Dad).
- Add the water to the saucepan along with both vinegars and the sugar, salt and Cointreau.
- Add the spice bag and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cover and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots to the simmering liquid and cook until just tender (2-3 minutes). Transfer carrots to a bowl to stop the cooking.
- Repeat the process with the cauliflower and transfer to a separate bowl. Discard the spices and let the pickling liquid cool.
- Pack the pickles into jars. Pour the pickling liquid over the carrots and cauliflower.
- Cover and refrigerate the pickles overnight.
- Drain the carrots and cauliflower before serving.
Oh, so good.
