Spicy Fermented Carrots

You will go crazy for the flavor of these spicy fermented carrots! They’re so easy to make, and quite addictive. The perfect, easy fermentation project.

If you’ve never had fermented carrots before and you find yourself curiously reading this post, you seriously need to make them for yourself. They’re insanely delicious, especially with a kiss of heat from red pepper flakes and jalapeno.

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The taste is sort of pickle-ish, but with a bright funk that’s just so pleasing. I find myself constantly snacking on them when I have them on hand, but they’re amazing on salads and I bet they would be even better diced and paired with tacos.

The first time I experimented with pickled vegetables, I was skeptical. They break down a little after the week-long ferment and I thought they’d be mushy and soggy. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Carrots are by far my favorite thing to ferment so far. They’re still really crunchy, but with even better flavor.

Why are carrots so amazing fermented?

I think it’s because they’re slightly sweet, so the bubbly, pickled flavor from the fermenting brine is balanced out. They’re not super salty like a pickle…which, again, makes you want to just keep eating them when you start!

Like I said, I usually eat them as is with a snack, but you could also pair them with veggie dip – they’re mild enough kids would go crazy for them.

How do you make these carrots?

This is the easy part! You’ll only invest about 5-10 minutes of active time into making fermented carrots. You’ll need:

• a pint-sized glass jar (Mason Jar). I do use a nonreactive lid when fermenting.
• sea salt – I don’t use pickling salt, just my regular old sea salt. I’ve had great results so far.
• red pepper flakes – helps with the heat!
• peppercorns – you’ll want to use whole peppercorns. Ground seasoning will make too much of a film on the carrots.
• cinnamon stick – I know this sounds weird, but TRUST ME. Again, only use a whole cinnamon stick, not ground cinnamon.
• carrots – peeled and cut into sticks
• garlic – flavor!
• jalapeno slices – flavor & heat!
• filtered water

All you need to do is add all of the ingredients to a jar and shake it up. Forget about it on the counter for a few days and voila! Fermented carrots!

Love fermented foods? Check out my favorite Kefir Overnight Oats!

Spicy Fermented Carrot Sticks

You will go crazy for the flavor of these spicy fermented carrots! They’re so easy to make, and quite addictive. The perfect, easy fermentation project.

• Author: Miss AK
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes + 5-7 days fermentation
• Yield: 1 pint 1x
• Category: Snacks
• Method: Fermentation
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

• pint-sized glass jar with a lid (I use a nonreactive lid)
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. peppercorns
• 1 small cinnamon stick (optional, but I’d really reccomend using it)*
• about 3 carrots, peeled sliced into sticks
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3–4 fresh jalapeno slices, with the seeds for spicy
• filtered water

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Instructions

1. Start by adding the salt, pepper flakes and peppercorns to the glass jar. Then, add in the cinnamon stick.
2. Then, continue by arranging the carrot sticks in the glass jar so that they’re all facing upright. Sometimes, I find it helpful to lay the jar down so I can stack the carrots on top of eachother. 
3. Then, with the jar standing upright, add the garlic cloves and jalapeno slices. 
4. Add filtered water until all of the carrot sticks are covered, they should all be submerged in liquid. 
5. Screw a lid on the jar, I use one of these nonreactive, plastic ones, and shake it up to distribute the spices. Before leaving the jar to ferment, open it again to make sure that the carrots are all covered in the liquid, and screw the lid on. 
6. Let the carrots ferment at room temperature for 5-7 days. You’ll start to see little bubbles rising to the top of the jar in about 2 days. About once a day after that, unscrew the lid a bit to “burp” the jar or release some of the pressure. Make sure to screw it back on when you’re finished. 
7. After 5-7 days, transfer the jar to the fridge and eat! These will stay good for 2-3 months in the fridge. 

Notes

• I know the cinnamon stick sounds weird, but it’s delicious. Only use a whole cinnamon stick here, ground cinnamon will not do. 

Nutrition

• Serving Size: about 4 carrot sticks
• Calories: 31
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 361 mg
• Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 5 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: carrots, fermented, spicy