When I was younger I had several friends who bought Jeeps. There were TJs, YJs, CJs and more. They all looked neat to me but they were far more than that to them.
Jeep owners were like a different flock unto themselves. They waved at each other on dirt roads, talked to each other at gas stations and would gather in groups to go for rides – on or off-road. It was a fun time of my life and neat to get a glimpse into a subculture that`s so hidden that it hides in front of your eyes, in plain sight.
I remember T-Shirts, Bumper Stickers, Coffee Mugs and even a tatoo that played a a variation of the same theme; `It`s a Jeep thing; you wouldn`t understand.` Another take on it was `If I have to explain it, you`ll never understand.`
Pickled Carrots are apparently related to off-road vehicles.
The idea of bathing Bugs Bunny`s favourite snack in an acid bath can be difficult to explain. I`ve rarely handed a pickled carrot to a `newbie`who has bitten in with great excitement. It`s usually the second bite that people start to get excited for.
Pickled carrots are crunchy and really are a wonderful compliment to a bottle of beer (pickled eggs are also great for such an occaision).
Here`s the ingredients (this will make 4 pint jars):
- 2¾ pounds peeled carrots (about 3½ pounds as purchased). Very fresh carrots work the best, avoid purple ones as they`ll turn your entire brine dark and stormy-like.
- 5½ cups white distilled vinegar (5%)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons canning salt
- 2 teaspoons dill seed (0.5 teaspoon per jar)
- 4-8 Garlic cloves (1-2 per jar)
- 14 teaspoons hot pepper flakes (3.5 teaspoons per jar)
Yes, that`s a lot of pepper. You can easily lower it to 1 teaspoon per jar but that`s your choice. 🙂
- Wash and peel the carrots – cut in quarters and wash again before placing in jars.
- Combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add carrots and boil for 10 minutes (this does soften them but also allos the brine to penetrate)
- Place the dill, garlic and pepper in the bottom of hot, sterilized pint jars (this is why there are measurements per jar above)
- Fill the jars with the hot carrots and leave 0.5 inch headspace.
- Remove excess air, wipe rims, place lids on.
- Place in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
You can also add 0.5 teaspoons of celery seed i you`d like as well.
Now if I could just get my hands on a convertible off-road vehicle…