Tzimmes is an Ashkenazi stew of carrots and dried fruits. But that isn’t what my grandmother Freda thought it was. Thanks to a comprehension error from her 1950s edition of Florence Greenberg’s Jewish Cookbook, she spent her life convinced Tzimmes was a dish of peas and carrots (the recipe for which appeared directly above the Tzimmes recipe in Florence’s seminal tome).

It’s a shame because there really is something magical about the combination of carrots when cooked down with lots of citrus and dried fruits. Earthy and sweet, it’s moreish and great with fatty meats and winter stews. To make amends for Freda’s mistake, here we’ve tried to capture some of the deliciousness of the real Tzimmes combo in a pickle.

Method:

• Peel the carrots, cut each one in half, then slice into 1-cm/1/2-inch half moons.
• Peel the ginger and slice into matchsticks. Add both to a bowl along with the raisins. Toss to combine, then place the mixture into a large, sterilized jar, along with the cinnamon sticks
• Make a brine by combining the white vinegar, salt and honey in a small saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, take 3 strips of orange peel and 3 strips of lemon peel and add them to the saucepan.
• Gently heat the brine and stir until the honey and salt have dissolved. Add the yellow mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bay leaves, black pepper and cloves.
• Continue to heat the brine until it is just about to boil. Carefully pour the hot brine over the carrots, ensuring that all the spices are submerged in the jar.
• Seal with the lid and set aside to cool, then store in the fridge.
• The pickles will be ready to eat after 24 hours and even better after 48 hours, and last at least one month when stored in the fridge.

Recipe extracted from Tickle your Pickle with Shedletsky’s: How to make (and eat) handmade pickles, ferments and brines (Ryland Peters and Small)