Quick Pickled Rainbow Carrots ~ these refrigerator pickles, or ‘quickles’, are ready in 24 hours ~ they make a colorful side dish, they perk up salads, and make the healthiest, crunchiest snack ~ so what are you waiting for?

Are you ready to PICKLE??
I’m always ready, but especially so now that spring is around the corner and there are so many pretty young veggies just begging to be brined. Like these gorgeous rainbow carrots ~ did you know you can pickle them in just 24 hours? Spring snacking just got a whole lot tastier.
What’s especially nice about pickled carrots is that they keep their crunch so much better than almost any other type of pickled veggie ~ use colorful rainbow carrots and you’ve got one special condiment. And rainbow carrots aren’t just pretty, they’re super healthy, too. The pigments that make the different colors signify different nutrients. According to the Vegetable Crops Research Unit in Madison, Wisconsin the nutrients/colors break down like this:
- Orange: Beta and alpha carotene pigment. This promotes vitamin A production by the body, which is essential for healthy eyes.
- Purple: Anthocyanin, beta and alpha carotene pigment. Purple carrots typically have an orange core, and their pigment-related nutrients may provide additional vitamin A and prevent heart disease.
- Red: Lycopene and beta-carotene pigment. Lycopene is the same red pigment that gives tomatoes their deep color and is linked to a lower risk of certain cancers, such as prostate cancer.
- Yellow: Xanthophykks and lutein. Both are linked to cancer prevention and better eye health.
- White: The nutrients donโt come from the pigment but from the fiber, which promotes healthy digestion.
You can actually reuse the pickling brine, too, so keep adding new carrots to your jar! You can top it off with added vinegar and water as needed.
For convenience I used a jarred pickling spice, but it’s easy to make your own, and you can control the flavors easily that way. A classic pickling spice contains the following, in whole form:
- cinnamon
- allspice
- mustard seed
- coriander
- bay leaf
- ginger
- chili
- clove
- black pepper
- mace
- cardamom
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Product spotlight: Weck 743 3/4 Mold Jar
I used Weck tall mold jars for my pickled rainbow carrots, and they look as pretty as they taste. The wide mouth gives easy access, and it’s just the right height for a good sized carrot stick. You can buy Weck Jars, which are German canning jars, from Amazon. I collect different sizes and shapes and use them for pantry storage as well as canning, etc.
Quick Pickled Rainbow Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 bunch (about 6-8) rainbow carrots
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 Tbsp pickling spices
Instructions
- Trim and peel the carrots. Cut them in sticks just long enough to fit your jar. Fit the carrots snugly into the jar.
- Combine the water, vinegar, and pickling spices in a small saucepan. Heat it to a simmer, and then pour over the carrots, right up to the top of the jar. Let cool, then seal the jar and refrigerate. The pickles will be ready to eat after 24 hours.
Nutrition
Make it your own ~
- Make these pickled rainbow carrots into spicy pickles (my favorite!) by adding a sliced jalapeno pepper, or some crushed red chili pepper flakes to the pickling solution.
- Regular orange carrots make great quickles too!
- Try picking baby carrots, the kind sold in the plastic bag.
- Try my QUICK PICKLED VIDALIA ONIONS and my QUICK AND SPICY REFRIGERATOR PICKLES. As you can see, the common denominator is QUICK ๐
Hi Sue!
I have everything on hand to make a batch of your pickling spice and am excited to get going on some quickles! Love that word!
One image that caught my attention was the spiralized carrots – so beautiful. I may have missed it but I could not see any reference to it as I read through all of the recipes.
Could you please lend some guidance for this preparation? I can already envision strands of rainbow carrots in the jars. (Which by the way are also on my to-do list for ordering!)
Thank you Sue for sharing your talents and inventive recipes for your readers . . . my list of TVFGI ‘trys’ keeps growing, and each meets with great success!
Thanks Alex! The carrot pickle can be found in my Korean beef bulgogi salad recipe, here: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/korean-bulgogi-beef-salad/
Thank you, Sue!
“Quickles” on the way! And . . . the Korean Bulgogi Beef Salad looks wonderful too!
I would like to use whole baby rainbow carrots and process them, will this work?
Yes, for sure.
I love pickling things .And these look adorable .
I’ve never tried pickling with anything other than the normal orange carrots – this is great! Using the varietals adds such a great color to the finished product. I think I’ll definitely have to stick with these next time I do a pickling project! Thank you so much for sharing!
Looking lovely. You don’t find them colouring each other? I once tried and found that they sort of coloured each others. However we don’t have them in baby carrots (only in full grown size) and mine where sliced lengthwise. That might be the difference.
Looking at your pictures I can see that yours are sliced as well. I might just have to try again…
They are sliced lengthwise, as you note, Marina, and the purple carrots tinted the brine a pale pink, but nothing super intense. I’m guessing that different varieties of the purple carrots might leach more color out, but mine weren’t anything like beets, which stain everything!
My husband and I have been enjoying your recipe for pickled red onions with carnita tacos. This looks gorgeous love the recipe for the pickled colored carrots. Will be making them very soon. Right now Iโm enjoying my pickled fennel, with lemon zest, thyme, fennel fronds and a bit of ginger for a nice bite. This compliments my salad of halloumi cheese. Keep the great recipes coming. Always enjoy the new ideas.
Wow, the picked fennel and halloumi sounds pretty amazing. I’m experimenting with pickling baby asparagus right now ~ glad you’re enjoying the onions!
I’m ready to pickle! I just happen to have a tray of these pretty carrots in my fridge right now ๐ Great timing!
Almost too pretty to eat!! But that wouldn’t stop me!
How pretty! I don’t such beautiful rainbow carrots here often, and when available, they are usually expensive. I love this pickle recipe as it contains no sugar at all.
I love rainbow carrots and I’ve never seen them look more inviting than in your lovely recipe. Come on spring!!!