Pickled Jalapeños and Carrots

Also called escabeche, this dish is served as a condiment with many Mexican meals. Set it out with your tacos or your favorite Tex-Mex food and let guests add as they please. The best part about this incredibly flavorful recipe is that the pickles only get better with time, so make this well in advance.

Pickled Jalapeños and Carrots

1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 bay leaf

5 peppercorns

3 jalapeño chiles, cut into 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices

1 large carrot, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) slices (about 1 cup/ 4 oz./125 g)

1/2 red onion, sliced

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaf and peppercorns and cook, stirring once or twice, until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes.

Add the jalapeños, carrot and onion and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pickles to a serving bowl and let cool. Serve right away or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, with enough pickling liquid to cover, for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 3 cups (18 oz./560 g).

For this and more ideas for tacos you’ll want to serve every night of the week,
check out our new Taco Night, by Kate McMillan.