Pickled jalapenos, carrots and onions used to be a food item I marveled at while my second dad devoured them. I remember thinking Yuck (which is a typical pre-teen’s response to anything their parents did that was remotely different). I can remember the vinegary smell and hearing the crunch of the carrots as he munched away at them as if they were a side dish like refried beans or rice to his tacos.

Well, I can thankfully say that I have grown out of my shyness towards food along with other unpleasant teenage side effects like pimples and fickleness. And I have grown to love escabeche so much so they have become a weekly side dish to many mains like salmon or pork chops. Here’s a really easy way to make some at home (adapted from http://norecipes.com/blog/pickled-jalapeno-escabeche-recipe/)

Pickled Jalapenos (escabeche)

makes about 3 cups of pickles
1/2 cup vinegar (I used ¼ white vinegar and ¼ champagne vinegar)
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
5-6 jalapeno peppers, sliced into 1/4″ discs
a handful of baby carrots, cut lengthwise in half or fourths depending upon diameter
1 medium onion, cut in quarters and then thinly sliced
6 cloves of garlic

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Continue boiling until the jalapenos have gone from grass green to a light olive green (~2-3 mins). Pour ingredients into your canning jars (2 jars) and cover. Let stand on the counter until cool.

Stores in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for weeks (though mine don’t last a week).