FLAVORING OPTIONS [Choose from one of the following]
2-3garlic clovespeeled and cut into slivers
1inchpiece of fresh gingersliced and cut into slivers (No need to peel.)
1-2jalapeno pepperssliced lengthwise into quarters, (Remove seeds and white membrane to reduce heat.)
1tspdried dill1 tablespoon fresh
1slicedgreen onion, red onion and yellow onion
Instructions
PREP FLAVORING ITEM.Prep what you'll be using to flavor your carrot sticks.
PREP CARROTS.Gently scrub clean. Then, slice carrots lengthwise to just the right length (one inch shorter than the height of your jar). If you prefer, you could also cut the carrots crosswise into disks.
WEIGH JAR.Use a digital scale to obtain the weight—tare—of your jar (263 grams, for example). Write this number down.
PACK JAR.Place what you'll be using to flavor your carrot sticks in the bottom of your jar then snugly pack carrots into the jar leaving one inch of head space.
TOP WITH WATER. Pour water over carrots letting it percolate down.
CALCULATE & ADD 2.5% SALT.Weigh your packed jar. The number on the scale is the weight of the jar, plus the weight of the vegetables and the water (477 grams, for example).Subtract the jar weight from the total weight (477 – 263= 214, for example).Multiply the weight of the contents in your jar by 0.025 (214 x 11.93 = 12, for example).Tare a small dish and weigh the correct grams of salt (12 grams, for example).Add this salt to your jar of carrots.
DISSOLVE SALT.Screw on a standard canning jar lid and rim and tightly secure. Shake the jar for a couple of minutes to dissolve the salt.Remove lid.
SUBMERGE & SEAL.Add a fermentation weight to keep the vegetables submerged under the brine. Close the jar either with an airlock or with a lid left loose enough to allow CO2 to escape.
FERMENT.Label with recipe name, date, and salt concentration.Place in a shallow bowl on your kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight to ferment until active bubbling stops, usually, 7-14 days depending upon the temperature of your room.Feel free to taste them along the way. The carrots are ready when bubbles have stopped rising to the surface, there is a slightly sour aroma and the carrots taste tangy.
STORE.Add the fermentation length to your label and put in the refrigerator. Your fermented carrots may be eaten immediately, but will increase in flavor with time and will keep for up to a year, though they lose color as the months go on.
Notes
Recipe directions are for a one-pint (500 ml) batch. Feel free to double the recipe and use a larger jar. Some like to use a narrow-mouth jar finding that the smaller opening helps to keep the carrot sticks submerged. With larger jars, there is no need to be careful about the length you cut your carrots.
Packaged baby carrots?I would not use these – though very handy – due to the fact that they are typically given a chlorine – which inhibits fermentation – bath during processing.
To peel or not to peel?The greatest concentration of microbes – that make fermentation happen – reside in the peels of root vegetables (The part that comes in contact with the dirt where those little buggers live.). By peeling the carrot, one is hindering the process of fermentation. And… as we learned above, the peel contains insoluble fiber that binds to toxins and removes them from your body.
My favorite salt for fermentation is Himalayan Pink.I talk about the best salt for fermentation here, here. In short, use non-iodized salt.
Leftover brine (not fermented)?If you do not need all of the brine you mixed up, just keep the leftovers in a jar in your refrigerator for future fermentation projects. It will keep for a few weeks.
Below the brine. For worry-free fermentation, it is best to use some sort of weight to hold the carrot sticks below the brine. However, if packed tightly they seem to stay below the brine on their own.
No airlock?Airlocks allow excess gases to escape. If you don’t have an airlock and you want to be super safe, though I don’t feel carrots create enough CO2 to warrant it, burp the jar once daily during the first 3 days.
Adjust fermentation time based on ambient room temperature and desired product. The ideal fermentation temperature is 65-70°F (18-21°C) is ideal. If it is super hot, shorten; cold, lengthen.
Do drink leftover fermented brine, or use it to make salad dressings.
Keep your fermented carrot sticks handy. My fermented carrot sticks greet me front and center when I open the refrigerator and are just begging to be snacked on. You might need to do likewise so they are not forgotten somewhere in the back of your refrigerator.