Fermented carrots with garlic, chilli and dill

A quick and easy snack to make that provides an array of beneficial bacteria to help support and improve gut health.

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Fermented Foods

Keyword: Fermentation, Fermented, Vegetables

Prep Time: 15

Fermentation Time: 5

Total Time: 5 15

Servings: people

Calories: 78kcal

Author: Gabby Campbell

Ingredients

2 bunches of dutch carrots
2 cloves garlic
1-2 small red chillies, pierced
2-3 sprigs of dill
750 ml filtered water
25 g sea salt (~1.5 Tbsp)

Instructions

Discard most of the carrot tops leaving a small green stalk (~1cm)
Scrub the carrots and stalks thoroughly to remove all dirt (not being thorough here can affect the fermentation process)
Pack the carrots, garlic cloves, chillies and dill very tightly into your sparkling clean jar. It should be a real struggle to get that last carrot in. This will ensure the vegetables stay submerged under the liquid. I pack some upright and some upside down to make best use of space in the jar
Mix the salt and filtered water together until all the salt has dissolved to make a brine
Pour the salt water brine over the vegetables leaving 2-3cm (~ 1 inch) of headspace at the top. Wipe the rim of the jar clean then put the lid on the jar quite firmly. (If you have any brine left you can keep it in a jar in the fridge for your next fermenting project but be sure to use it up in 2-3 weeks)
Leave the carrots to ferment for 3-4 days on the bench at room temperature. As we're in the middle of Winter this may take a little longer, possibly 5-7 days. They're ready for the fridge when you see that the salt water brine has become effervescent.

Notes

Jars full of fermenting vegetables can get quite a pressure build up so just to ensure no overflow or explosions occur - be sure to 'burp' the jar a couple of times a day. To do this just gently release the lid then tighten it up again until the carrots are ready for the fridge.

Nutrition