DILLED CARROTS

Ingredients

• 5 lb carrots
• 6 cups vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup pickling salt
• 7 clove garlic
• 14 heads fresh dill
• 3 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

1. Peel carrots and cut into 3/4 inch thick sticks, 1 inch shorter than jar.
2. To prepare pickling liquid, combine vinegar, water and salt in a nonreactive Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt.
3. In each hot sterilized jar, place 1 clove garlic, 1 head dill, and 1/2 tsp pepper flakes. Pack carrot sticks into jars and place a second head of dill on top. Pour boiling pickling liquid over carrots, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a narrow rubber spatula or plastic knife. Add additional pickling liquid, if required, to maintain headspace.
4. Wipe jar rims thoroughly with a clean damp cloth. Seal and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. For altitudes higher than 3000 ft, add 5 minutes to processing time.