Pickled Carrots

Cheers, winter!

One last hurrah for the winter vegetables! Those starchy and dense sources of energy. These pickled carrots, eaten straight from the chilled jar, are the opposite of summer preserving. They bring a bit of winter to your hot days, a subtle spice mixture that takes your mind off the blistering sun. Lacto-fermented vegetables impart friendly bacteria into the body’s system. They strengthen the gut and fortifying your ability to digest food. Not bad for a little bacterium and his buddies.

Ready for more lacto-fermentation and pickling adventures? Well, we’ve (the bacteria, I mean) have got you covered. Literally. But figuratively, too, I suppose! But honestly… literally. You’re covered in bacteria! And that’s a very, very wonderful thing (most of the time).

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Citrus Pickled Carrots

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium sized carrots peeled
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1- inch knob of ginger finely sliced
• peel of one orange without bitter white pith
• 2 cups filtered water slightly warm to help mix the maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sea salt or two tablespoons whey

Instructions

1. Slice the carrots in half lengthwise, then each half in half again for long, slender sticks.
2. Place carrot slices in a quart-sized mason jar, then add the cloves, cardamom, ginger and orange peel.
3. In a separate container, mix the warm water with sea salt (or whey), maple syrup and orange juice.
4. Pour liquid mixture over carrots, leaving 1 inch of room at the top of the jar (use additional filtered water if necessary).
5. Cover tightly with a lid and allow to ferment for 5 to 7 days (or more, if you so desire).
6. Store in the fridge.
7. Want more kick next time? Try adding a sliced garlic clove and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Recipe Notes

You may place a washed oak leaf into this ferment to ensure crispy carrots. Since we're still waiting for outdoor growth here in MN, I cross my fingers and hope for the carrot crunch.