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Recipe Detail Page
Fermented Dilly Carrot Chips
Holiday 2020
Add a colourful punch to a charcuterie board (and sandwiches, burgers and even a simple cheese and cracker snack). These pickled carrots, with their pleasant taste, inexpensive ingredients and the fact they don’t require any special equipment, are a good first foray into making and eating fermented foods. The method looks lengthy, but really, it’s just combining a few ingredients in a jar and letting nature do the rest (while keeping an eye on her). The important thing to remember is to make sure you burp the jar to release the gases while the pickles ferment. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you! Airlock lids eliminate the need to burp the jar and are handy if you’re planning to ferment foods often. They’re available at health food and specialty stores and online.
Makes one 1-qt (1-L) jar
2 tsp (10 mL) pickling or coarse kosher salt
2 cups (500 mL) water (approx.), divided
1¼ lbs (565 g) carrots, about 5
1 fresh hot pepper, optional
2 large or 4 small sprigs of fresh dill
ADDITIONAL BRINE (AS NEEDED)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pickling or coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
1. Sterilize a 1-qt (1-L) canning jar or a sturdy glass jar with a clamp lid with boiling water or in a dishwasher. Let the jar cool to room temperature. Wash a lid with an airlock or a plastic storage lid, if using a canning jar.
2. To make the brine, combine salt and 1 cup (250 mL) of the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the salt. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Peel or scrub carrots and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices. If using the hot pepper, cut in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact.
4. Place half the dill sprigs in a jar, then add carrots, tamping them down with the end of a wooden spoon. Top with remaining dill sprig(s) and slide hot pepper, if using, down in the side of the jar. Slowly pour in brine, then add enough water to leave 2 inches (5 cm) headspace. Insert a chopstick or narrow spatula between carrots to release any air bubbles. If you have a fermenting weight, add it on top of carrots or place a square of parchment, just slightly larger than the neck of your jar on top of carrots to keep them submerged. Add more water as necessary to leave 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace. Wipe rim and fit lid with an airlock or a plastic storage cap on a canning jar, or clamp lid. Place jar on a plate or tray, to catch any overflow, in a dark place (in an opaque bag or cupboard) at a cool room temperature, 65° to 70°F (18° to 21°C) for 3 to 5 days to ferment.
5. Check the jar every day to ensure vegetables are still submerged in liquid. If additional brine is needed, make more following the method in step 2 using just 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and 1/2 cup (125 mL) water. Add brine to the jar, as necessary. If you don’t have an airlock lid (which helps fermentation gases release from the jar) after the first 24 hours, open the lid, (burping the jar), then repeat every 12 hours to release the gas, and more frequently near the end of fermentation.
6. After about 2 days, bubbles should start to form. If there are any signs of mould or a foul aroma, discard the contents of the jar. After 3 days, use a clean utensil to remove some carrots and taste them. If they’re not tangy enough, top up with more brine, if necessary, replace the airlock or lid and let ferment until the desired tangy flavour is reached, tasting daily.
7. Once you like the taste and tang level, serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. To store, remove airlock, if using, and cover jar with a plastic storage lid or 2-piece canning lid. Open lid every few days for the first week to burp the jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Makes one 1-qt (1-L) jar
