Fermented Ginger Carrots
- Yield: 1 quart 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 and 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt (I use THIS one)
- 2 cups of filtered water
- 4 – 5 medium carrots, washed but not peeled (you will need 4 cups of grated carrots)
- 1 TBS grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- Combine sea salt and water in a glass jar and mix until salt is completely dissolved. Set aside.
- Grate carrots and measure out 4 cups of grated carrots. Add grated ginger to carrots and place into fermentation jar. Press down firmly to pack down into jar and remove any air bubbles.
- Pour prepared salt brine over carrots until water level is just above the level of the carrots. Gently tap jar on the counter to remove any trapped air bubbles. Be sure to leave room in the jar as the carrots will release more liquid.
- Place airtight lid fitted with an airlock onto jar and allow to sit on counter for 3 days. Be sure to cover your fermentation jar to block out any light.
- Transfer to fridge when done. Enjoy!
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Just started a batch of carrot, parsnips & ginger….
that sounds yummy….let me know how long you let them sit until they are just right. I haven’t fermented parsnips yet. I will have to come over and try it. xo
Wow! I fermented for 10 days and it tastes amazing!!!!! I feel like I should have made more because Im gonna go through this fast. I was a little skeptical about the scum on top, it reminded me of kombucha. I just scooped it off and tasted yumminess underneath. I will definitely make this again.
yay!!! I’m glad you like them….. I find that if I am really good about pushing the carrots down into the liquid every day or so, I don’t get much “scum” on the top…. and when the weather gets warmer, they will ferment much faster 🙂
Does it taste at all like sauerkraut? I cannot stand sauerkraut but I would like to eat more fermented foods! Thanks 🙂
Katie-
The fermented ginger carrots are a great way to introduce people to fermented foods becausee they are a bit sweeter and milder than sauerkraut. I would love to hear if you try this….
I am definitely planning to try this!
Why no whey?
I just don’t regularly have whey sitting around. I ALWAYS have sauerkraut juice in the fridge. That’s the only reason why. 🙂
I have never tried fermenting anything before, so I am a little apprehensive… Since I do not have any natural previously fermented vegetable juice, can I use the juice from the Bubbie’s Saurkraut that I have in the fridge, or should I use whey? And, if so, how much? Thanks!
Argia- You can totally use the Bubbie’s juice. Even if you didn’t add any sauerkraut juice or whey, the kraut would still ferment. Let me know how it goes.
Thanks! I will definitely let you know.
I just made a batch of the fermented ginger carrots.. You say to “cover loosely” If I just lay the mason jar lid on to of the jar, is that ok? Or, how do you cover yours? Thanks!
That’s exactly what I do. I use the plastic lids made for canning jars and I place it on top without tightening it. 🙂
Thanks!
So, Friday was day 5 of the carrot/ginger fermenting process. I skimmed off the top layer. Since I have never done this before, do I need to be sure to get all of the residue from the top? I am going to try to insert pictures if I can.
I have sealed the jar and placed it in the refrigerator… I haven’t tried any yet. Note – I had already removed most of the residue when I thought to take a picture.
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My carrots do not usually develop a residue on the top. Like I said, I leave them out an average of 3 days. If you have a lot of white film/residue, you may not have added enough salt OR it was left out too long. I would experiment with 2-3 days and see if that works better. Be sure that the carrots are submerged the entire time, the jar is covered, and that you are using clean jar and utensils. Let me know how it goes. These are my favorite because they are ready in just a few days and taste so yummy!
Just made these three days ago. Lid just sitting on top, covered with a cloth to block out light, checked each day to make sure carrots are submerged. Today the liquid is….snotty. Bad word, but that’s the consistency of it! It this normal? Can I just put them in the fridge? It’s a little weird to get a spoonful out and have a long trailing line of the liquid follow!
Suggestions?
Hi, there! I consulted with my fermentation guru and she states, “The “slimy mess” are the dextrans and pectin that are produced, a natural part of carrots. They will NOT always form. Formation depends on sugar-amount, temperatures, and length of fermentation. The longer you ferment, the more the dextrans/pectin will be broken down back into less offensive liquids. I actually love using the thickened carrot drink as a base for making salad dressings. I add raw egg, coconut oil, olive oil, splash of fermented garlic juice, etc., and balloon whisk into a dressing. Pectin of the onion, beet, apple, carrot, etc., is soothing to the gut, and it is mucous forming. That mucous is helpful in lining the gut and protecting it.
Slime – it is good stuff. For those with texture issues, it is bad stuff. 😉 But hey, I say, let it continue to ferment and it will calm down.” 🙂
I was about to go make this but I’m so confused. Did you change the recipe around? That would explain things. 🙂 In your post, you said that it needs to be airtight. In the comments, someone said that you said in your post to cover loosely and you replied with, “I use the plastic lids made for canning jars and I place it on top without tightening it.” Then people refer to sauerkraut juice or previously fermented vegetable juice in the comments but I don’t see any mention of that in the post (or am I missing it? Sorry if I am!) I currently live in Germany and have looked at ordering a Pickl-it from the US, but the shipping would be insane. Can I follow this recipe the way it is now and cover loosely? Or is the sauerkraut juice needed? And if I shouldn’t just cover it loosely, do you think a Fido glass would be okay since a Pickl-it is out of the question? I used another fermented ginger carrot recipe before, covered it loosely, and it got moldy, so I really want to do it properly this time. Thank you! 🙂
Hi, Erin! Yes, I found this comment in the spam folder. So I have made this several times in lots of different jars. I used to just place a plastic canning lid on loosely. It turned out fine sometimes, and sometimes it didn’t. That’s the problem with not doing totally anaerobic fermentation. No real control of the environment. I have stopped recommending sauerkraut juice for the same reason. Too many variables that cannot be controlled.
Can you get hold of canning lids fitted with airlocks like this—> http://amzn.to/1ijn8XR ?? That would be your next best thing. You can also just try covering it loosely. It may turn out just fine since it’s just a few days. It is impossible to control the environment using this method though. I would love to hear how it goes. Keep me posted. 🙂
Hello! I just remembered to come back and check. 🙂 Thanks for the reply! I haven’t seen anything like those canning lids but I’ll look harder. I’m now just a few months away from a visit to the US so I may just order a Pickl-it to bring back. It’s so frustrating when things get moldy! I’d love to eat some fermented foods but it’s difficult when nothing I try works. 😉 Thanks again!
I totally get it! I was tired of inconsistent results. Since I got my Pickl-it jars, my ferments have been beautiful. 🙂
Hey there! I left a comment about a month ago on this post and I’m guessing that maybe it went to spam? It was comment #194599, if that helps. Thanks! 🙂
I just replied. 🙂
I juice fresh organic carrots and when I’m done, I have great juice and a bunch of finely grated carrot fiber. Sometimes I add the fiber to salads, stews and meat loaf, but I was wondering if I could use this fiber to ferment instead of grated carrots.
I have not tried it but would love to hear if you do!
I made a large batch of carrots / ginger…i got the slime. It has reduced a bit, smells absolutely fine. I took some carrots out and they feel a bit slimy. What do you think – good, or toss. Kind of afraid to taste…..
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Hi, Eric! I used to think the slime was bad. Recently I have learned that the slime is a naturally breakdown of the pectin in the carrots. I am still researching this as I sometimes get a slimy batch. According to my fermentation expert, it is still safe to eat. I have definitely eaten it, but am still researching to learn more.
I have tried this twice and gotten the slime- the first batch I threw out- and I just tried again does that mean something went wrong? should I wait longer?
Check out my previous responses to m=comments. I have recently learned that the pectin in carrots creates this “slime” sometimes. This is normal and OK to eat. It’s a weird concept for me, but I have eaten it. Hope that helps.
Hi Katja, I’m new here, thank you for this great recipe! I made it last week and it was such a success that I made a LOT more today haha. I have a few questions if you don’t mind me asking, does the jar need to be kept in the dark and why exactly is that (my first batch was on my kitchen counter), and do you need to leave some air between the top of the brine and the lid of the jar, or can it be filled up to the max?
Also, do you think only 1 tsp of salt would do this this recipe?
Btw my first batch was slimy… it didn’t matter it tasted so wonderful 🙂 Thanks again for the great recipe!
Hi, Julie!
So glad you loved the recipe. I keep the jar in he dark to block out UV light because light destroys lactic acid bacteria- which inhibits fermentation. The reason I leave space at the top of the jar is the fermentation caused bubbles and the contents of the jar may rise and spill over. I have found that 1 and 1/2 tsp of salt works best for this recipe, but feel free to experiment if you like. I have had my carrots come out a bit on the slimy side as well. I wondered if it had been kept too warm and fermented too fast. Or I didn’t use the right amount of salt. I’ve asked around and everyone has a different answer to why this happens. Some say not to eat. My fermentation mentor says that some veggies have more of the bacteria that causes this slime and it’s OK to eat. You have to decide for yourself what is safe for you. I ate it and it was fine. But I never eat fermented food that has mold or white on it. Hoe that helps.
Hi there! I’m wondering if purple carrots will taste as good? 🙂
I haven’t tried it but I bet it would be good. Purple carrots are a bit earthier, but I like that. 🙂