Sweet and Sour Carrots

Name: Sweet and Sour Carrots
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Baby carrots 4 ½ cups; Apple cider vinegar 1.3 cups; Extra virgin olive oil 1 ¼ cup; Sugar 2 ½ tsp; Fine salt ½ tsp; Marjoram 6 tsp

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404

Calories per serving

Gluten Free
Lactose Free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Energy Kcal 404
Carbohydrates g 9.6
of which sugars g 9.6
Protein g 1.4
Fats g 40
of which saturated fat g 5.79
Fiber g 3.1
Sodium mg 294

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 min
Serving: 6
Note + the time for sterilizing the jars

PRESENTATION

Sweet and sour carrots, or le carote agrodolci—which is awesome—are a really good staple in Italian cooking. You get these tender, sweet and sour carrots with a unique flavor from a blend of vinegar and sugar. And look, that's what gives them the classic agrodolce twist you find in many Italian preserves. From north to south, Italians love something tangy and bright to pair with richer foods. Many folks always keep a jar handy—spoon them over pasta, toss onto a salad, or even mix with rice. Pretty simple, really. These glazed carrots are easy to make and add a little kick to any dish.

Honestly, when fresh veggies are running low, that sweet and tangy combo is exactly what you need when you're tired of plain old steamed veggies. Sometimes, you just need a side dish that saves dinner without any fuss, and this sweet and sour carrot recipe works great every time. Italian home cooks have crafted various versions of these marinated carrots for ages—making sure nothing goes to waste and ending up with something that tastes fresh and a bit zippy. For real, whether they're served alongside peas, tossed into a carrot salad, or part of an easy carrot side dish with roasted meat, they bring a lot of flavor with minimal effort.

The moist texture and shiny, almost golden appearance really make these carrots stand out—like seriously—even on a crowded dinner table. Plus, there's no need to wait for a special occasion. These vinegar-glazed carrots fit perfectly into a regular weeknight dinner or a simple lunch. I mean, try them next time you are short on ideas; with just a few pantry basics, you can create a dish that's a little unusual, slightly old-school, and really really tasty. These carrots are a sign of the Italian knack for making everyday ingredients shine with minimal effort. Can't go wrong.

INGREDIENTS: Baby carrots 4 ½ cups (600 g); Apple cider vinegar 1.3 cups (300 ml); Extra virgin olive oil 1 ¼ cup (300 ml); Sugar 2 ½ tsp (10 g); Fine salt ½ tsp (3 g); Marjoram 6 tsp (8 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Sweet and Sour Carrots

To prepare sweet and sour carrots, start by sanitizing the jars and lids, as indicated in the guidelines of the Ministry of Health at the end of the recipe. Once this important operation is completed, move on to your baby carrots, which must be very fresh and spotless: peel them, wash them under running water 1, and cut off the tip 2. Blanch the carrots in water for 1 minute 3.

After one minute in boiling water, immediately immerse the carrots in ice water 4 and leave them for 3-4 minutes. This will help maintain the color of the carrots. Take a saucepan and pour the vinegar 5 and oil 6 into it.

Add the salt 7 and sugar 8 as well. Bring everything to a boil, and then add the carrots 9, blanching them for about 2 minutes. Be careful to respect the times and not to overcook them because it's important that the carrots remain crunchy.

After the necessary time has passed, gently transfer the carrots to a colander using a slotted spoon 10, allowing them to drain and cool. Then transfer the carrots to the jars you previously sanitized 11, trying to arrange the carrots as neatly as possible, without pressing them too much. Add the sprigs of marjoram 12.

Fill the jars with the cooking liquid, stopping 0.39 inches from the edge of the jar 13. Place the pressing device to ensure the carrots are held in place 14 and close the jars tightly, but not too tightly 15. At this point, proceed to boil the jars, i.e., pasteurization, following the instructions provided in the guidelines of the Ministry of Health mentioned at the end of the recipe. If you use jars with screw caps, once the jars have cooled, check if the vacuum has been achieved correctly: you can press the center of the lid, and if you don't hear the classic "click-clack," the vacuum has been achieved. If after re-boiling you notice the formation of small air bubbles, when the jar is still warm, tap it gently on a surface to make the bubbles rise to the surface, where they will naturally disappear. If you use jars with rubber-sealed closures, when consuming the sweet and sour carrots, you can test the vacuum by pulling the appropriate tab: if pulling it produces a sharp noise, it means the content has been stored with the correct vacuum. On the contrary, if pulling the tab the seal feels "loose," it means the vacuum wasn't created correctly, and it's better not to eat the content. Your sweet and sour carrots are ready to be enjoyed!

Storage

Sweet and sour carrots can be stored for 3 months, provided the vacuum is achieved correctly and the jars are kept in a cool, dry place, away from sources of light and heat. It is preferable to wait about 1 month before starting to consume the carrots. Once opened, the containers should be stored closed in the refrigerator and consumed within 3-4 days at the most.

Tip

You can flavor the sweet and sour carrots with aromas to your liking using thyme, for example, if you do not like aromatic herbs you can omit them.

Curiosity

For several centuries, the carrot had a bad reputation as it was used solely to feed animals, and various popular sayings belittled this vegetable: with the nickname "carrot head" referring to deceitful and cunning people, and "giving a carrot" meant giving false news.

IMPORTANT

Homemade preparation of preserves and jams can present health risks. In a domestic environment, it is not possible to create the necessary conditions and measures to ensure the safety and suitability of food, which, on the contrary, industrial procedures can assure to prevent dangerous contamination. It is therefore important to follow food safety instructions scrupulously to reduce risks, but it must always be kept in mind that the same food safety cannot be achieved as preserves and jams produced at a professional level. For the correct preparation of homemade preserves, we refer to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.