Fermented Carrots
From The Kitchen · a prep-ahead staple
Carrots are the gentlest introduction to fermenting, they stay crisp, turn pleasantly sour, and forgive a beginner every time. A little garlic and dill, and they taste like the best deli pickle you have ever had.
Scaled from the original recipe, sizing up or down is proportional, so taste and adjust the salt, acid & spice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots, cut into spears or coins
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 sprig fresh dill (or 1 tsp dill seed)
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns (optional)
Method
- Dissolve the salt in the filtered water to make a brine.
- Pack the carrots upright and tight into a clean quart jar with the garlic, dill, and peppercorns.
- Pour the brine over to cover the carrots completely.
- Weight them to keep them submerged, and cover loosely.
- Ferment at cool room temperature 4–6 days, tasting from day four.
- When tangy and still crisp, seal and refrigerate.
Storage: Keeps 2 months in the refrigerator.
Gina's tip
Cut the carrots a touch shorter than the jar so the brine covers them with room to spare, submerged is everything.
Keep a jar of these in the refrigerator door; a few alongside lunch is the simplest way to feed your gut something living.
The Why
Are Fermented Foods Worth It?, the library note behind this one.
I hope this recipe finds a place in your kitchen as it has in mine. Enjoy!
Gina