Spicy Cajun Refrigerator Pickled Carrots are what spicy snacking dreams are made of. Crunchy raw carrots get marinated in a cajun brine that will simply knock your socks off. These refrigerator pickles are so easy to make and are ready to eat in 24 hours.
Welcome to my new favorite snack: pickled carrots! I stumbled upon these tasty treats when I was looking for more ways to preserve the carrots we grew in our summer garden. Most recipes I found just said, "add your favorite spices" in with the carrots. After experimenting with several different flavor combos, I found an absolute hit: Cajun Pickled Carrots.
Seriously, I've taken these to so many potlucks, parties, and girls' nights, and they are always a hit. It starts out the same every time, people are a little skeptical, but then try them and cannot stop eating them. I get more requests for this recipe than anything else I make. And the best part is they are SO quick and easy to make.
The natural sweetness of the carrots is the perfect flavor dichotomy to the sour vinegar and spicy cajun seasoning. You'll find that pickled carrots are a little bit tender, but still mostly crisp to the taste. They are the perfect healthy substitute for potato chips.
Let's learn how to make this healthy snack!
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🥕 Ingredients
This recipe only involves 5 simple ingredients: water, vinegar, salt, Cajun seasoning, and carrots. You should be able to easily find a jar of Cajun seasoning at your local grocery store. However, you can always make your own by following this recipe.
You'll also need some pint-sized mason jars.
🔪 Instructions
Start by slicing your carrots into long sticks, about 4 inches long. If your carrots are fat, I recommend quartering them to get the right thickness, if they are thin, you can simply half them.
Combine an equal amount of water and vinegar into a glass measuring jar. You'll need about 1 cup of liquid for every pint-sized jar of carrots you're making. Microwave 2-3 minutes to bring the liquid to boiling temperature.
Add 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and 1 teaspoon of salt into the bottom of the mason jar. Stuff the carrot sticks into the jar vertically so you can easily remove them by grabbing them at the top of the pickled carrot stick.
Pour boiling liquid into the jar, completely covering the carrots. Leave about ½ inch from the top of the jar.
Place the lid on the jar and give the carrots a good shake. Let jars come to room temperature on the counter and then store them in the fridge. The carrots will marinate in the brine and take on the flavor of the brine and become a bit softer.
As time passes, the carrots will take on more and more of the Cajun flavoring and become softer, however, they will be pickled enough to eat in about 24 hours.
✨ Top Tips
- To get the perfect size of carrot sticks, measure how tall your jar is, and then cut them ½ inch shorter.
- I recommend using wide-mouth mason jars because it is easier to get the carrots out of them.
- You can add more or less of the cajun seasoning, depending on how spicy you like your pickled carrots.
- If you're loving this recipe, check out my other recipe, "Pickled Carrots with Lemon and Garlic."
🥣 Storage
These pickled carrots should be stored in the refrigerator, not on the shelf. If you'd like to can these carrots so they are shelf stable, make sure you follow an official instruction guide, like this one.
Improper canning techniques can lead to food poisoning, which is THE WORST! I don't want that for you, so store these carrots in the fridge.
That being said, they should last about a month if stored in the fridge. As mentioned above, the longer they are stored, the stronger their flavor will be. They will also become less crisp, the longer they are stored.
💪 Nutrition
Pickled carrots are a healthy snack! You are essentially just snacking on carrots. My friends often comment that they fulfill their cravings for snacking on potato chips.
Carrots are great for you because they have a ton of vitamins and minerals, like 73% of your daily requirement of vitamin A. They are also high in beta-carotene, which keeps your eyes healthy.
Carrots are high in fiber, which keeps your digestive system moving. Plus, they are a non-starchy vegetable, making them a great veggie choice for people monitoring their blood sugar levels, like those with diabetes.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that pickle brine contains salt, so eating too many pickles may cause you to consume too much sodium. So keep that in mind. Moderation, my friends.
🥗 Uses
Our most beloved way to eat these pickled carrots is just straight out of the jar as a crunchy snack. However, here are some more great ideas for ways to use your pickled carrots"
- Dice them up and add them to a salad
- Add them to a sandwich or wrap
- Put them on your tacos
- Display them on a charcuterie board
🍽 Equipment
Probably the most taxing part of this recipe is cutting the carrots into sticks. You'll want to make sure you have a nice sharp knife to get the job done without swearing too many times 😉
You could also use a mandoline cutter to slice the carrots into strips. This makes the job really easy, but be careful with that tool. I've lost the side of my thumb to one of those.
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Cajun Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- 3* carrots, washed and peeled
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ cup vinegar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Start by slicing your carrots into long sticks, about 4 inches long. If your carrots are fat, I recommend quartering them to get the right thickness, if they are thin, you can simply half them.
- Combine water and vinegar into a glass measuring jar. Microwave 2-3 minutes to bring the liquid to boiling temperature.
- Add 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and 1 teaspoon of salt into the bottom of the mason jar. Stuff the carrot sticks into the jar vertically so you can easily remove them by grabbing them at the top of the pickled carrot stick.
- Pour boiling liquid into the jar, completely covering the carrots. Leave about ½ inch from the top of the jar.
- Place the lid on the jar and give the carrots a good shake. Let jars come to room temperature on the counter and then store them in the fridge. The carrots will marinate in the brine and take on the flavor of the brine and become a bit softer.As time passes, the carrots will take on more and more of the Cajun flavoring and become softer, however, they will be pickled enough to eat in about 24 hours.
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