Carrot & Onion Relish

So I am still solidly canning and preserving the bounty of the harvest. I received a ton of carrots (some classic orange and some heirloom purple) in my CSA basket from Cooper's. Since I had used some for pickled coleslaw and various other recipes, and the bagful didn't seem to be getting any smaller, I decided this recipe was just the thing to make good use of these delicious and sweet carrots! The author of the book ("The Complete Book of Pickling" and my current bible right now!), Jennifer MacKenzie, suggests using this relish on top of burgers, or combining it with cooked potatoes and mayonnaise for a quick salad! I look forward to trying both!!

CARROT & ONION RELISH

Ingredients:

8 cups shredded carrots (use your food processor as it makes the job quick!)

2 cups of finely chopped onions (I did these in the food processor too!)

2 tbsp pickling or canning salt

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cider vinegar

1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

• In a large non-reactive bowl, combine carrots, onions and salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile prepare canner, jars and lids.
• In a colander lined with cheesecloth, working in batches, drain vegetables and rinse well. Drain again and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside in a colander to continue draining.
• In a large pot, combine sugar, celery seeds, thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium high and add drained vegetables and garlic; return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often for about 15 mins or until vegetables are translucent and mixture is slightly thickened.
• Ladle hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary by adding hot relish. Wipe rim and place hot lid disc on jar. Screw band down until fingertip-tight.
• Place jars in the canner and return to a boil. Process for 10 mins. Turn off heat and remove canner lid. Let jars stand in water for 5 mins. Transfer jars to a towel-lined surface and let stand for 24 hours. Check lids and refrigerate any jars that are not sealed.