From the Vitality Food Feature ‘Preserve Your Harvest the Old Fashioned Way‘.
Fermented carrot sticks make colourful additions to vegetable platters and are great garnishes for salads and toppers for sandwiches. This recipe makes three (500 ml) sized canning jars but can be multiplied as needed.
Ingredients
- 5 cups of prepared carrot sticks
- a few sprigs of fresh herbs (rosemary, dill and thyme) or spices (cumin seed, coriander, celery seed)
- Hot peppers (optional)
- Garlic (optional)
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt (per jar)
- 1/2 tablespoon whey (per jar)
- water
1) Scrape carrots and cut into 3 1/2-inch sticks. This will allow them to stand in the jar. Remember to leave room for 1/2-inch head space.
2) Add a few sprigs of fresh herbs (I have used rosemary, dill and thyme) or spices (cumin seed, coriander, celery seed) to each jar to suit taste. Hot peppers and garlic can also be added.
3) Add 1/2 tablespoon sea salt and 1/2 tablespoon whey to each jar. Cover with water leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
4) Put on lids and shake well. Let stand at room temperature for 4 to 6 days or until they suit your taste.
5) Once fermented to your liking, store carrots in cold place or fridge to stop them from working further. The nice thing about fermented carrots is that they stay nice and crisp, something kids love!