These delicious lacto-fermented carrots have a lovely crunch and don't go mushy. They are so easy to make and rich in healthy probiotics to help keep the beneficial bacteria in your gut healthy and active. Fermenting your carrots also increases the nutritional value and makes digestion easier than raw or cooked carrots. Eat your fermented carrots straight from the jar as a snack, add them to your salad or include on an antipasto platter. They can be eaten immediately but will increase in flavour with time. You can also drink the leftover fermented brine or use it to make salad dressings.
* Please click on the green icon next to the ingredients listed below for extra details and helpful information.
Sterilise your preserving jar and allow to cool.
Add the garlic, ginger, caraway and fennel seeds to the preserving jar. Pack the cut carrots into your jar.
Dissolve the salt in 500ml of water to make a brine (you may need to dissolve the salt in a little hot water, then top with cooled water). Pour the brine over the carrots. Weigh down to submerge the carrots, use a glass weight or you can fold up a piece of baking paper and press a chunk of carrot on top to keep the ingredients submerged. Secure the lid and place the jar in a shallow bowl (this will catch any overflow of liquid that may happen while fermentation is active) on your kitchen counter out of direct sunlight to ferment.
If you are using a standard lid, unscrew or remove the lid once a day to allow the gasses to escape for a few minutes and secure again with clean hands. If you are using a lid with an attached airlock there is no need to burp your jar each day. When you release the lids you will smell the fermentation working but once there are no more bubbles coming to the surface and there is no smell, it will be ready.
Leave at room temperature and taste after 5 days and when it's to your liking, seal and place in the fridge for up to 6 months (the temperature of your home will determine the length of fermentation).
*Note: If using organic carrots you might like to leave the skins on.
This crunchy orange root vegetable is rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. They are good for the eyes and improve night vision. You get vitamin A and a host of other powerful health benefits from carrots, including cancer prevention, helps prevent infections and heart disease, protects teeth and gums and promotes healthier skin.
Garlic is a close relative to the onion and has been used throughout history for both medicinal and culinary purposes. In most of my recipes I use minced garlic as I find it distributes better throughout the dish. When in a hurry I use organic minced garlic which I purchase in glass jars and store in the fridge. When garlic powder is needed for a particular recipe, I use 'Simply Organic' brand. Why is garlic so good for us? It is an immune booster, antibiotic, good for the heart, cancer fighter and it's also knew as a weight loss aid (appetite suppressant).
Ginger root is widely used as a spice but also for medicinal purposes. It is a hot spice which you will find in many commercial curry powders. It's often used to prevent motion sickness and nausea. Some studies have shown joint swelling in people suffering with arthritis experience less pain and swelling when taken daily. I like to use fresh minced ginger in my meals and dry ground ginger in baked goods.
Caraway seeds have a pungent, anise-like flavour and aroma. Caraway is used as a spice in breads, desserts, casseroles, stews, sauerkraut and used in many European and Middle Eastern cuisines. Caraway is also used as a breath freshener.
Fennel seeds are highly aromatic. The seeds are pale greenish in colour and have a faintly sweet and refreshing flavour. The seeds can be used whole or crushed and ground down to a powder. Add fennel seeds to salads, soups, meatloaf and stews. Fennel seeds aid digestion and used as a mouth freshener.
Organic unbleached, unrefined organic Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt is my salt of choice as these contain healthy minerals and trace elements that our body needs. Regular table salt has been bleached, refined and processed leaving minimal health benefits. If you choose to use regular table salt in my recipes you will need to reduce the quantity or the end result will be to salty.
I feel it's much better for our health if we filter our water. Our tap water contains disinfectants, chlorine and chloramine. Also floride is add which I believe is toxin to our bodies.