Pickled Vegetables

Pickled carrots, jicama, cauliflower and string beans make a healthy snack to have on hand. The carrots offer a great deal of beta-carotene and iron. The jicama and cauliflower provide vitamin C and potassium, and the string beans have a good deal of antioxidants and also add some color to the combination. The vinegar here is well seasoned with the essence of mustard, dill weed, and garlic, all offset with a hint of sweet and balancing brown sugar. The pickling liquid makes an excellent dressing for any salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut in round on the diagonal (about 2 cups)

1/2 pound string beans

1 small head of cauliflower, broken into florets (about 2 cups)

1/2 raw jicama, peeled and cut in half and cut into sticks

DRESSING:

2 cups purified water

2 1/2 cups cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dill weed

6 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pickling spices or:

5 bay leaves

1 tablespoon mustard seed

1 tablespoon dill seed

1 1/2 teaspoons red chili flakes