Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Vietnamese Carrot and Daikon Pickle

For this month's Tigress' Can Jam the focus, as many of you know, was carrots. A perfect pick, I thought, especially for me because while I've always been curious about carrot recipes my preserving fancy gets overwhelmed by more immediately enticing items. The sturdy dependable carrot is always there and sadly gets overlooked. I always have carrots around. I use them in so many recipes. And thanks to clever root cellars and great winter markets, I got to purchase some beautiful, local carrots from Four Winds Farm in Gardiner (check out their seedling sale in May, if you're local).

I went the straight and narrow for this post, but who can ever can just one recipe for the month's pick? There are too many interesting and delicious recipes to try. I think my next endeavor will be a chutney. But for now, we have a most satisfying and simple recipe. I have made this as a fresh pickle from The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich. I didn't know it could be canned, and didn't find out until I was flipping through the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It's key to bahn mi or perfect aside some nice Vietnamese pork chops.

The tweaking I did to this recipe was to halve it, add coriander instead of star anise, and add a sprinkling of turmeric because I thought it would impart a nice color. I also grated the vegetables instead of them being julienned, using a hand grater that makes a nice, long strand. The adapted version follows.

1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 lb. carrots, peeled and grated
1 lb. daikon, peeled and grated
1 tsp. coriander seed
A sprinkling of turmeric- maybe an 1/8 of a teaspoon?

In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine vinegar, water, sugar and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Add carrot and daikon and stir for one minute. Add turmeric. Remove from heat.

Place 1/2 tsp. of coriander seed in the bottom of each hot jar. Pack hot vegetables in the jars within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid to cover vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Process in boiling water for ten minutes. This yielded two pint jars, firmly packed.


10 comments:

  1. We've made sort-of sister jars! This month has me itchin' to pickle, now. I love the recipe. Can't wait to try it.

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  2. You know, I don't know if I've ever had daikon, pickled or otherwise! Looks like a good way to give it a try. It was actually the quantity that turned me off making this one so halving it sounds like it was a good idea.

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  3. Good job! I love carrots and daikon, I'd have problems, though, to eat them pickled. The only pickle I like is cornichon...

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  4. Got my daikon and gave it to my friend, Staci, who's a vegan.

    Love, Mamou

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  5. My mom used to make jars and jars of this! I used to put it over salads and banh mi sandwiches! Great recipe!

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  6. Beautiful! Good idea on the coriander as well. I'm not an anise fan.

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  7. Kate- Yes! It's that coriander that did it. So easy. Go pickling!

    Mom- Thanks!

    Sara- Yeah, I didn't want six pints of this, either, but only because I'm running out of jars. Daikon is very good for you; it's a cleanser and a fat burner. Bonus!

    ap269 - Love cornichons. Maybe you can make a daikon preserve? (Kidding!)

    Mamou- A daikon in your CSA? Cool!

    Christine- Oh, your mom sounds great. Over salad-what a good idea!

    Annette- Thanks! I like star anise, but it can be too much sometimes. The recipe called for a whole pod per jar, and I thought that was excessive, though pretty...I like that you did hot pepper!

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  8. This looks gorgeous and perfectly spoonable, Jules. You've inspired me to get out there and get my carrots! I saw, believe it or not, a carrot-orange marmalade recipe. But I am finally marmaladed out, I think. I'm thinking of something with dill. (And I agree, good job switching up the anise for coriander.)

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  9. great idea to add some spices to this classic!

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  10. Shae- Thanks! Get thee to a carrot-tree! Start carroting up. I know, I always say I'm marmaladed out, but then what do I do? I go and make some marmalade.

    Ravenous Couple- Thanks! I liked the coriander. And I try to get turmeric in whenever I can because every one says it's the wonder spice.

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