Pickled Cajun Green Beans and Carrots

Makes 1 quart

Cajun flavors almost always include spicy cayenne and fragrant garlic. These pickles are delicious served in a tall glass of tomato juice or as a spicy side at your next crawfish boil. They'll keep well for up to a month in your refrigerator.

Ingredients

Salt
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 pound carrots, trimmed and cut into ½-inch wide sticks
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and carrots and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl of ice water until chilled then drain well.

Put garlic, peppercorns, celery seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cayenne and bay leaf into a 1-quart glass jar then add green beans, carrots and onions, arranging them upright and packing them tightly as necessary; set aside.

Put vinegar, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a small pot and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside to let cool slightly then pour into jar with vegetables. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, shake vigorously and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

from the Whole Foods web site