I picked a peck of carrots to pickle….Somehow, that just doesn’t have the same ring to it as the old tongue twister.
This weekend it was time to clean out the hoop house and uncover it. Most everything had started to bolt. My sage was blooming and I have never seen the culinary variety do that. Some of the lettuces had bolted up to three feet tall and the weeds were coming right along with them.
I had planted and replanted carrot row after carrot row and it was now harvest time.
Garden bounty.
A big pile of Cosmic Purple carrots.
Huge carrots!
No joke, I picked at least twenty pounds of carrots. I made the most delicious (best ever) carrot cake thanks to Veronica at Veronica’s Cornucopia. This state-fair winning recipe was in appreciation of helping out on a virtual fundraiser a while back. If you ever have an occasion to do Veronica a favor, ask for this recipe in return!!!!!!!! My mother even said it was better than my sister’s! Thank you, Veronica!!!!!!!
That took a whole two cups of shredded carrots.
I had about 18 pounds to go.
The Hubs loves my pickled carrots so I pickled a half gallon jar for him. For the pickled carrot recipe, click here. (This time I added some mustard seed and celery seed to the pickling spices.)
Tri-colored Pickled Carrots
That carrot cake is so good I froze four bags all ready to go of shredded pre-measured carrots just for this recipe alone!
Mom just told me about a vintage chocolate beet cake recipe. I am on the hunt.
Wow–I am down to 15 pounds of carrots plus all these beets.
I will leave you with some garden photos that should make you smile. (If you want the same effect, just plant your carrots too close together.)
Three’s a crowd.
Hugging carrots.
It just goes to show you—you never know how the garden will surprise you.
What a harvest! That hugging carrot is so cute.
Yes, it was quite the harvest with most unusual carrot- shaped surprises!
Those garden photos are a hit! I love the idea of making pickled carrots!
Thanks, Katarina. These pickles are so good!
Hugging carrots! Awww! And too cool that there are purple ones-never knew that! Thanks for the shout out and guess what? I have a chocolate beet cake on my blog so apparently I was just meant to help you get rid of your harvest in cake form! haha! You’ve got quite the load and I bet it is so fulfilling to uproot veggies from your own soil!
The weird thing about the purple ones—once they are cooked, you can’t tell the difference. That’s why I left the peels on for tri-colored carrots. You rock! I am looking for the beet cake recipe now!
This is similar to our ‘achaar’ but we make it out of mango usually 🙂
Looks really tasty!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I just looked up to see what “achaar” is. It sound delicious with chili and lime and mango!!!!!!!
I love all your carrot photos!!! And thanks for reminding me about Veronica’s carrot cake recipe…I have it tucked away somewhere, and I need to try it!
Yes, I had it tucked away as well. Now, it is in my “favorite” file!!
Okay, I admit it. We giggled over your carrots. Call it “end of the year brain fatigue”.
My brain pooped out today! Glad the pics brought you some levity! 🙂 Hang in there!
Wow, these look wonderful, they might even be a runner up for the cake! I can’t believe you got 20#, amazing!
I am happy, but I am about tired of carrots! (P.S. We tried your shaved asparagus salad last night—-LOVED IT!)
Oh horray! What a bounty! I’m totally envious of all those carrots. Especially those “hugging” sets. Love that.
I wish I could ship some over to you!!!
So cool!Rocket loves pickled okra and carrots so I must try to get some from the farmer’s market this year – hope they look as good as yours!
We love them in everything—salads, sandwiches, by themselves! Hope Rocket likes them. You will have to let me know after you pickle them up.
Oh you know I will! Maybe I’ll even post a pix of him eating one!
What a great bunch of produce to still have had in the hoop house! I’m sure you already have everything planted to start filling it up for next year. Great idea to convert some of the carrots to pickles!
I do like hugging carrots! It makes me smile. I do love the pickled carrot idea–sounds wonderful. My girls are coming for the weekend one of our activities–after pedicures and shopping will be making strawberry rhubarb jam. I have a bumper crop of rhubarb. It will marry the strawberries and make beautiful jam music together!!
Wow, your carrots and beets are gorgeous. I wish my garden has space for me to plant all that. Pickled carrots sounds like a perfect way to preserve them especially you’ve got so many pounds of them. 🙂 I especially love those “hugging” ones.
We have a loving garden! 🙂
I love the shape of your carrots!!! They could see easily have captions under them. I love it. I’m off to see your pickling recipe. I always add mustard seed to mine. Yum!
That’s what happens when you plant too close! 🙂
Ménage à trois carrots? Sorry, I’m so juvenile…my mind is always in the gutter! I haven’t even planted carrots yet! This last year I pickled some carrots and radishes together, it was sooooo good, that I haven’t even shared the recipe (thinking about entering in the fair). thanks for the carrot cake recipe tip, I pinned it.
Well, in the manner of maintaining a PG rating, I refrained. But, last year a posted a pic of som Karma Sutra carrots. 😉
[…] still have a plethora of carrots—I am talking three full plastic shopping bags full. I have made two carrot cakes, two […]