How to Make Your Own Batch of Fermented Carrot Pickles
Friday, October 12th, 2018
Instagram votes are in. My whole fermented carrot pickles are all the buzz with my ferment loving followers. As I promised, here’s the recipe I use to make these tasty, sour, probiotic filled treats.
In this recipe, whole carrots are left to ferment in salty brine until they are tender and pleasantly sour. You can adjust the fermentation time so that the carrots taste exactly as sour as you like.
Once you transfer them to the fridge, the fermentation process slows considerably, and the carrots will keep for many months, although they’re so tasty it’s unlikely they’ll stick around that long.
Ingredients
This recipe yields around 3 cups
2 cups water
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 medium bunch small carrots, leafy tops attached
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 1/2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon powdered wasabi
Directions
In a small bowl, make a 2.5% brine by mixing together the water and salt, stirring until the salt dissolves.
Trim the carrot tops, leaving 1″ to 3″ of the stem attached. Peel the carrots and trim any stringy roots. Place the carrots in a wide mouth quart jar.
Add the garlic, ginger, scallion, pepper flakes, and wasabi. Pour in the brine.
Place a clean, small plate on top of the carrots, and then set a clean weight (like a jar filled with water) on top to keep the carrots completely submerged in the brine.
Cover the opening of the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band.
Leave at room temperature (65° to 70°F) to ferment for 10 to 21 days. The fermentation process will occur more slowly if the ambient temperature is at the cooler end of room-temperature range, and more quickly if at the warmer end.
These carrots will become more sour and softer the longer they ferment. When they taste as sour as you prefer, remove the plate and weight, and then scrape off and discard the top layer, which may be covered in a harmless white mold.
Cover the jar with a lid and transfer to the refrigerator, where the carrots can be stored for months.
Share Your Fermented Carrot Pickle Photos
How did your probiotic sour fermented carrot pickle batch turn out? Share some pictures on Instagram, tag me @Fermentationist or use the hashtag #fermentedcarrotpickles so I can find your gorgeous images.
If you enjoyed this recipe and want to learn how to make 14 of my most delicious and probiotic-rich ferments, check into my Fermented Foods 101 course.
Comments
