Easy Lacto Fermented Carrots with Ginger
These crunchy, colorful lacto fermented carrot sticks will brighten up any plate!
Equipment
- 2 x 500ml jars with lids OR 1 x 1000ml / 1 quart jar with lid
Ingredients
- 1kg / 2.2 lbs carrots, well scrubbed (no need to peel them)
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 10 grams unrefined salt
- 500ml / 2 cups filtered water
Instructions
- First scrub your carrots well under running water. There is no need to peel them unless they have blemishes. Then top them and cut them into sticks.You want all your carrot sticks to be of roughly similar size.
- Add the fresh grated ginger into your jar. Then add the first layer of carrots into the jar - put them in standing upright if you can. It is important to pack them into the jar tightly so they don't all float to the surface of the brine once they start fermenting.
- Add the second layer of carrots into your jar. This time there will be less standing room in your jar so you may have to pack some of the longer pieces horizontally. Again pack tightly and pack as many as you can aqueeze in. Make sure to stop when you reach the neck of the jar, keeping the rim empty.
- Repeat the packing process with the second jar. You may end up with some carrot sticks left. You can put them in a little jar of their own if you have one. Or keep them for other recipes.
- After you have packed the carrots into the jars, it is time to mix the brine. Weigh 10 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) of unrefined salt and mix it with 500ml / 2 cups filtered water until the salt is fully dissolved.
- Pour the brine over the carrots up to the rim of the jar. If you need some more brine, mix 1 cup water with 1 scant teaspoon of salt and add to the jars. If you only need a little bit of water (less than 1/4 cup) to complete filling the jar, just add it in without mixing in any salt. Such a small amount won't skew the salt/water ratio significantly.
- The carrots should be under the brine. If any starts to float to the top, push it back in firmly or add an extra carrot stick or two to pack them more tightly. Anything floating on top, whether it's a carrot stick or a piece of ginger, tends to get moldy, so you don't want any floaters in your jar.
- Screw the lids on TIGHTLY and set the jars in a plastic container or a bowl. After a day or two some of the brine may leak out of the jars (this is called 'siphoning off') - this usually stops after a couple of days and then the bowl can be removed.
- It takes between 3 and 10 days for the carrots to ferment, depending on how warm your kitchen is. They should be slightly softer than raw carrots but still with a nice crunch to them, slightly sour and slightly sweet with a mild gingery flavor. They should not taste overly salty. The brine will not be clear anymore, but slightly cloudy / milky in color. If you have tasted the carrots and they are not yet ready, screw the lid back on tightly and leave them to ferment for another couple of days.
- Once they have finished fermenting, transfer your lacto fermented carrots to the refrigerator for long term storage.
Notes
- Store these lacto fermented carrots in your refrigerator for up to 6 months. Once opened, use up the jar within 14 days.
- Serving suggestions: eat them on their own as a snack, add to salads and wraps, serve alongside meat and fish dishes, use as a side to a savory breakfast, or serve with dips.
- It is important to use unrefined salt (not table salt) and filtered water in this recipe for best results.
- There is no need to 'burp' the jars - which means unscrewing the lids for a moment to release some of the fermentation gases. Both the one piece lids I use and the American two piece lids allow the extra gases to escape. The jars will not explode.