Siempre Tequila Taqueria Carrots- Ole!

While everyone is busy mixing and drinking their favourite tequila cocktails, I am always looking for ways to add my favourite tequila, Siempre, to my dishes and preserves.  What better way than to combine it with beautiful baby carrots, perfect for eating with your favourite tacos.

I adapted a recipe from Saving the Season- a superb book.

This recipe makes one one-litre jar.

Perfect with tacos!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs      colourful, thin baby carrots- consider yellow, orange, white and/or purple
1/4 lb           onions, cut in eights
1                  fresh jalapeño peppers
1                  fresh habanero pepper
1/2 tsp         cumin seeds
3 cloves      garlic
2 cups         white wine vinegar
2 cups         water, preferably spring water
4 tsp           kosher salt
1/2 tsp        black peppercorns, crushed
2 tsp           dried oregano, preferably Mexican
                  dried red chilies (optional)

Peel and trim the carrots.  If they are long and thin, cut them in half lengthwise, if not, cut diagonally in 1/2-inch slices.  Peel the onions and cut into eighths.  Quarter and devein the jalapeño and habanero peppers.  Remove the seeds if you want less heat- wear gloves if you don't want to risk burns to your hands, your eyes, your mouth...  Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant.  Add the garlic, cumin, chilies to the prepared jar, along with the carrots and onions.

In a pot, combine the vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns and oregano and bring to a boil.

Top off the jar with the hot pickings liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.  Seal the jar and process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

I had enough vinegar leftover to prepare another jar (500-ml) of green beans following the same directions.  Any vegetable will do- cauliflower, pickling onions, sweet peppers, regular onions, etc.