Gut-Healing Fermented Carrots
Dearna Bond- Ready in 4d
- 2.2 g net carbs
- 14 kcal
- Serves 8
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These fermented carrots are by far my favourite way to make fermented vegetables. Great for gut health, fermented veggies also make a crunchy, tasty topping to most savoury meals – I throw some on my stews, salads, and curries before serving, or enjoy them as a side with fish or meat.
The recipe below uses garlic, caraway and chili to flavour the carrots (though I usually omit the chilli as I’m not a fan of spicy food, my partner much prefers it with!) but you could try other flavourings here too – bay leaves, sliced ginger, peppercorns, mustard seeds. So many options depending on which flavours you like.
Top Tips for Fermenting Carrots
- When making fermented vegetables, it’s best to use organic or spray-free produce where possible to ensure that there are no pesticides present which may interfere with the fermentation process. If you don’t have organic vegetables, make sure to wash all of your produce thoroughly.
- Make sure to use clean jars – I put mine through the hottest cycle in the dishwasher, but you could also sterilise them in boiling water.
- The amount of time your vegetables will take to ferment will depend on many things; the temperature inside your house, the quantity you’ve made etc… Start checking after about 2–3 days. Your carrots will be ready when you open the jar and there is a sour (think vinegar-y) smell, and bubbles start to travel up the inside of the glass when tapped or moved. At this point, transfer to the fridge, where they will continue fermenting, but at a much slower pace.
Step-by-step
Thoroughly wash the carrots, then peel and slice them.
Place the chopped carrots in a large glass jar or two smaller jars. Top with the garlic, caraway and chilli.
Make the salt brine by mixing one litre of lukewarm water with the sea salt and stirring until all of the salt is dissolved.
Pour the starter culture evenly into the jars, and then pour in the salt brine. Make sure to cover the carrots completely with the brine.
Place an airtight lid on your jars, and leave to ferment in a cupboard or on a shelf away from direct sunlight for 2-4 days. Store in the sealed jar in the fridge.
The fermented carrots will last months. Fermented vegetables that have turned ‘bad’ will start to dull and even go grey in colour, may develop mould and will take on a really off, pungent flavour and smell.
Note: Carb count in fermented vegetables varies and depends on the level of fermentation (ie fermentation lowers the carb count).
Recipe
Gut-Healing Fermented Carrots
★★★★★4.7Great for gut health, fermented veggies such as these carrots also make a crunchy, tasty topping to most ...
- Hands on
- 10m
- Overall
- 4d
- Servings
- 8
- 2.2 g
- Net carbs
- 0.4 g
- Protein
- 0.1 g
- Fat
- 14
- kcal
Ingredients makes 8 servings
Instructions
Thoroughly wash the carrots, then peel and slice them.
Place the chopped carrots in a large glass jar or two smaller jars. Top with the garlic, caraway and chilli.
Make the salt brine by mixing one litre of lukewarm water with the sea salt and stirring until all of the salt is dissolved.
Pour the starter culture evenly into the jars, and then pour in the salt brine. Make sure to cover the carrots completely with the brine.
Place an airtight lid on your jars, and leave to ferment in a cupboard or on a shelf away from direct sunlight for 2-4 days. Store in the sealed jar in the fridge.
The fermented carrots will last months. Fermented vegetables that have turned ‘bad’ will start to dull and even go grey in colour, may develop mould and will take on a really off, pungent flavour and smell.
Note: Carb count in fermented vegetables varies and depends on the level of fermentation (ie fermentation lowers the carb count).
Nutrition per serving, 1 oz/ 28 g
Carbs 78%Protein 13%Fat 9% of calories
- Net carbs
- 2.2 g
- Total carbs
- 3.1 g
- Fiber
- 0.9 g
- Sugars
- 1.4 g
- Protein
- 0.4 g
- Fat
- 0.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 0 g
- Calories
- 14 kcal
- Sodium
- 897 mg · 39% RDA
- Magnesium
- 6 mg · 1.39% RDA
- Potassium
- 96 mg · 4.79% EMR
Nutrition by ingredient
| Per 1 oz/ 28 g | Net carbs | Protein | Fat | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrot, fresh | 1.8 g | 0.3 g | 0.1 g | 11 |
| Salt, sea salt | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Water, still | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Whey, acid, fluid | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Garlic, fresh | 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Caraway seeds, spices | 0 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Total | 2.2 g | 0.4 g | 0.1 g | 14 |
Serving size 1 oz/ 28 g
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Egg free
- Nut free
- Nightshade free
- Pork free
- Avocado free
- Coconut free
- Fish free
- Shellfish free
- Beef free
- Pescatarian
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
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Comments & ratings (18)
Dearna,
In your fermented carrots, recipe you say whey leftover from homemade yogurt can be used as a stater culture. Can leftover whey be used as a starter culture in any fermented vegetable? For example I want to ferment potatoes. I’m also going to ferment cabbage but have never used a starter culture. Are there any other uses for leftover whey and how long does it keep in refrigerator? Thank you.
Hi Marry, I think you can use whey for fermenting any veggies. I'm not sure how long it will last but I always use whey from the top of a full-fat Greek yogurt (so I don't keep it for too long. Not all types of full-fat yogurt will have whey on top - I use Fage.
If you want to ferment cabbage, you won't need any starter culture:
Easy Homemade Sauerkraut
Homemade Pink Sauerkraut
I haven't touched a carrot since I started Keto going on 3 years ago. Does this mean that the fermentation "Ketofies" this veg?
Yes, fermentation can indeed make certain types of foods more keto-friendly: Ketogenic Diet FAQ: All You Need to Know
This is amazing information! I am grateful!
Thank you
Can I use probiotics instead of sauerkraut juice to start the fermentation process?
Do you have to burp the jar daily?
Not if you use fido jars (the ones with a rubber rim like I used here: Easy Homemade Sauerkraut). These are perfect for fermenting as they release the pressure but don't let any air inside.
Is the kombucha starter that you refer to the actual scoby or just some of the fermented tea?
Hi Sylvia, it is the liquid part so you can either use 1 tablespoon of whey, 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut juice or a tablespoon of kombucha. I use the juice from my sauerkraut for most fermented veggies (where needed).
I've been doing a lot of research about ketosis and one of the best sources of information I've came across is this blog as well as Dr. Berg's podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-eric-bergs-podcast/id956684645?mt=2
Dr. Berg explains how ketones work as an alternative fuel source to glucose and why they are more efficient for the brain and the heart. I do recoommend this to everyone interested in the topic.
Thank you Emilio!
I find that ginger goes really well with the carrots as well! This is the recipe I use:
250 g coarsely grated carrots (approx 3 carrots)
15 g finely grated fresh ginger
0.5 tsp fennel seeds
5 g sea salt
300 ml filtered water
No starter culture needed!
Ginger with carrots goes so well! And I love the idea of grating them first. You’re right in that you often don’t need a starter culture, but I find it’s useful for people to have the first few times they do it for more consistent results. Thanks Tobbe 😊
Are we actually supposed to use an airtight lid while fermenting or as pictured, a paper towel? Just was wondering if the gas from the fermentation process might could blow the lid of 🙈
Can’t wait to try this receipt 😊
Hi Victoria!
For best results, it’s important to use a lid. If you have airlock jars with rubber seals, they work great.
These particular jars have plastic lids so I use the paper towel (or some cloth) in between to make them more airtight.
And you shouldn’t have any problems with explosions with a short ferment like this 😊 I’ve done this hundreds of times and never had a problem 😊
Enjoy experimenting!
Often with ferments while they’re fermenting just put your lid on then burp them a few times a day or invest in an airlock lid that has the gas release piece for the top. Another method would be to put a lid on loosely to allow gas escape.
I use a Fido jar - it works great for fermenting as it allows air out while no air gets inside. I hope this helps!