FERMENTATION LENGTH: 3-5 daysSALT PERCENT: 5%These flavorful shredded carrots—seasoned with Korean red pepper powder and other typical kimchi flavorings—can be enjoyed on their own, tossed into a salad, sprinkled over a rice bowl, added to a taco, or mixed in with sauteed greens.
CUT & SOAK CARROTS. (Day before)Your shredded carrots will soak in a salty brine for 24 hours and then be drained the following day.Peel and shred carrots and place in a large bowl. Mix brine and pour over carrots. NOTE: If you have a digital scale that reads in Baker's Percentage, follow instead the "Measure Salt Like a Pro" directions above this recipe. Leave brine carrots out on your counter to soak for 24 hours.
DRAIN CARROTS (24 hours later)Use a colander to drain your shredded carrots. Leave them in your sink to finish draining while you prepare the seasoning paste.
PREPARE CARROT KIMCHI SEASONING PASTEUse a grater box to shred leeks and radish and place in a small bowl along with your finely grated ginger and minced garlic. I substituted green onions for this batch.Add gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder), fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
CHECK THE SALTINESS OF THE CARROTSA good kimchi contains the right amount of salt. You have to taste the vegetable after draining and then adjust, if necessary.Taste your drained carrots.If they are very salty—tasting like you just swallowed a mouthful of seawater—the carrots need rinsing. Rinse until they taste just slightly too salty.If the carrots taste like a salty potato chip, your salt levels are just right. If the carrots taste a bit bland and you don't detect much saltiness, wait until you mix in the seasoning paste, at which time you'll add more salt.
MIX PASTE WITH CARROTSAdd Carrot Kimchi seasoning paste to the drained carrots and mix well. Taste.If necessary, add 1/2 teaspoon of iodine-free salt and mix again. Add salt until your Carrot Kimchi tastes just a tad too salty.
PACK INTO JARGrab a handful of your beautiful carrot kimchi and pack into your jar. To cut down on the mess, I hold the jar with one hand and pack the jar using my other hand.Leave 1-inch (2-3 cm) of headspace for expansion during fermentation. Use a damp towel to clean the rim of your jar and then weigh down your kimchi with your preferred fermentation weight. Loosely, to allow gases to escape, screw on a lid. Or, use your airlock lid of choice.
FERMENTLeave to ferment at room temperature for 3-5 days. Move to your fridge to slow down fermentation. Flavors will meld and evolve over time. I don't let these ferment too long since they are prone to yeast growth.
ENJOYYou now have a jar of the ultimate fast food "at the ready." Grab a forkful—or two—of it to effortlessly transform your meals.
Notes
To make a vegetarian batch of Carrot Kimchi, substitute 1 tablespoon of any one of these suggested substitutions (miso, coconut aminos, soy sauce, vegemite, marmite) in place of the fish sauce.
You may season with ginger, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add 1-2 tablespoons of grated ginger, and the zest and juice of one lemon. You’ll want to test salt levels BEFORE adding the lemon because its strong acidity makes it difficult to unearth any salt taste.