I know I don’t always give you the most traditional combinations in my pickles. There may have been a cumin, basil, beet pickle, a mustardy rhubarb pickle and some minty turnips in my past. But today I bring you a totally solid standard of a fermented pickle: gingery carrots. Now don’t let their status as common pickle type fool you: these guys are amazing. Zingy, pretty and, of course, loaded with flavor, I highly recommend them.
Most of the ginger/carrot pickles I’ve seen have been done slaw-style, and that is a completely valid option that requires no brine, just salt. But as with almost all my pickles, I like them in bigger pieces. My main reasons for that are aesthetics and flexibility. I like the big pieces because they look like any other kind of pickled vegetable which is to say pretty and tempting. I also like them because they give me the option to chop them into smaller bits later, if the occasion calls for it. If I get my hands on big, sweet carrots, I’ll sometimes cut them into long, thick strips and ferment them in a half-gallon jar. Those make excellent swizzle sticks. It is possible I enjoy a bloody mary (or bloody carry or bloody kim) from time to time.
In any case, besides deciding which size pieces to use, there are few complications to making these pickles and the 3 minutes of chopping they take is well-rewarded weeks later when you have insane munchables to fulfill your every flavor desire. For me, these would make an excellent lunch box pickle.
GINGERY CARROT PICKLES
Yields one quart, easily scalable if you’re lucky enough to have abundant carrots
If you’re new to fermented pickling, please check out my basic pickling FAQ. There might be a thing or two in there for those of you with a bit of experience, too.
Ingredients
- 8-9 large carrots, unpeeled but thoroughly cleaned, greens reserved for another purpose. May I suggest carrot green pesto?
- 3 inches of ginger, sliced into matchsticks
- 1.5 Tablespoons salt, preferably salt with a high mineral content, such as sea salt or Real Salt brand salt
- 3 cups of water, room temperature
How-To
- Chop carrots into halves, or if they’re really long, thirds, not lengthwise. Cut the resulting long pieces into quarters, as pictured.
- Pack carrot sticks into your vessel (I used a quart jar) sliding the ginger matchsticks into empty spots between the carrots.
- Dissolve your salt into your room temperature water, and then pour it over your carrot sticks.
- Use the method of your choice (I like the cheapo jar method) to ensure that your veggies stay submerged.
- Let them sit at room temperature for one to two weeks, and enjoy!
A says
I love picked things. When i was visiting Japan it was interesting seeing all the different things, vegetables etc that they pickled there. I will haev to try this sometime.
Amanda says
I am very excited about getting in to Japanese-style pickling. I have a whole plan to build a bed for them this winter! If you want to go that route, I recommend Karen Solomon’s ebooks on the subject of Asian pickles. Not all are ferments, but I have her Japanese Pickles (it was like $2) and I think it is fantastic!
Michelle says
I couldn’t agree more about the spears vs. slaw debate in this case. What are your thoughts on adding a little liquid from a ginger but to kick start the ferment? I don’t want it to be weird and carbonated but not sure if that would hapen…? Any idea?
Amanda says
Hi Michelle,
Great question! I would never add the ginger bug to any pickle or lacto ferment. The ginger bug is more like sourdough (or a SCOBY, even) than whey or another lactic acid bacteria starter. It contains yeasts and bacteria, and if you add yeast to your carrot ferments, you’re very likely to end up with carrot wine, slime or soda instead of carrot pickles.
I’m so looking forward to the end of our long winter here in Philly! I’m ready to start pickling things from my yard!
Amanda
Michelle says
This carrot recipe is one of my favourites. Do you think the left-over brine would make a good base for a salad dressing? If so, any hints/recipes? I really love your website; thank-you for all the invaluable information!
Amanda says
Hi Michelle,
Thanks so much! Yes, it definitely makes a great dressing (and if you don’t mind killing the good bugs, it makes a killer braise for vegetables, too!). I would mix it with a bit of your favorite oil, chopped herbs of your choice and roasted garlic. Basically, in salad dressings, I treat brine like the acid (vinegar or lemon juice) and salt. Pretty killer stuff. I hope that helps!
Michelle says
Thanks so much! You’re the best 🙂
Brenda Barre says
Thanks for your ginger carrot recipe.
I first found and made your receipt in December – for a daughter-in-law who confessed to being addicted to ginger carrots and used to regularly buy them from a little shop. (She thought they were too time consuming to try to make). So for her birthday, I made up a batch and gave her a jar, and introduced myself to these amazing crunchy bites.
So today, I am back to start another batch and replenish the ongoing birthday present.
Another tradition has been borne…
Brenda
Amanda says
That’s so awesome, Brenda! What a thoughtful gift for your daughter-in-law! So kind of you to share the story with me, too!
Deborah says
I am so happy to find I can skip the dainty thin slices for a chunkier option of Gingered Carrots. I’m a chunky kind of person and find I avoid the dainty little stacks of any pickle. These will be great gifts! Thanks for sharing!
Amanda says
So glad to hear that! I am also more of a chunk-lover than a bit-lover. I think it’s more polarizing than cilantro! 🙂
Philip says
Is there any significant change or improvement to an extended ferment of these pickles? Is the “juice” drinkable like sauerkraut juice?
Amanda says
Hi Phillip,
Yes, I drink or otherwise use all my fermented brines. It just depends on your salt tolerance!
I’m not sure what you mean by “any significant change or improvement.” Fermented pickles are living foods, so they will always be changing. The length of fermentation depends on your flavor preferences. There are different bacteria at play during different stages of fermentation, but as the science on what strains are beneficial isn’t in just yet, I highly recommend using your taste buds as your guide! I hope that answers your question.
Philip says
Thanks for your response! I just thought that longer ferments made for more rich, complex tasting ferments, but was concerned about lengthy exposure of thin sticks with relatively large cut surface. I’m trying a batch of skinny tips that aren’t quartered with the plan to ferment them for at least 4-6 weeks.
Autumn says
I wouldn’t worry about the large cut surfaces. In vegetable ferments, lactobacillus almost invariably wins. There’s never been a case of foodborne illness with fermented vegetables.
Libby says
I have just come across Hat Creek’s pickled ginger lemon carrots and am obsessed. At almost $10 a jar, I can’t justify getting them at the speed I devour them, but they are amazing. I’m looking for a way to recreate them on the cheap and I’m going to give your recipe a try. Any idea what adding lemon would do to your pickling process? And how would you recommend adding it (slices, juice)?
Amanda says
Hi LIbby,
I’m not familiar with those pickles (although they sound delightful!) but yes, I have a tip. Include finely grated zest and no pith. I would also not use juice because you’ll artificially lower the pH early in fermentation which won’t allow the normal microorganisms to kickstart the process (there is nothing inherently wrong with that, so no worries about safety or anything. I just like to let all possible microbes be involved in the process).
I do sometimes throw slices of lemon into particular ferments, but in pickles, they tend to get bitter (or at least sometimes do) if you include the pith.
Libby says
What about adding lemon juice in after the 1-2 week pickling period? Same microbe issue? I’ve never pickled anything but love all things pickled…looking forward to testing this out.
Amanda says
I wouldn’t mess with the pH unless its necessary. Same reason. The pH of lemon juice is about 2. Most of my veg ferments get a reading in mid-3s after they’re fermented to my liking (aka very sour). That’s a huge difference.
Phil from Rhode Island says
Carrot greens for pesto? About a year ago or so, I heard Melissa Clark (NYTines) on a National Public Readio program talking about carrot greens. She had consumed them once or twice, found them terribly bitter, not really palatable, and then subsequently learned that they not really suitable for humans because there is a rather toxic element in carrot greens! Best feed them to rabbits, or place in the compost bin.
Amanda says
I definitely do not find them overly bitter, and their flavor is quite delicious. You might enjoy reading this regarding the myth that they are unsafe to eat. http://www.thekitchn.com/breaking-the-myth-of-whether-or-not-you-can-eat-carrot-tops-tips-from-the-kitchn-121158
Amanda says
And PS, I love Melissa Clark and her work, but no one can be right all the time!
Libby says
So, I’ve tried three batches of this so far and I’m still only at a 30-50% success rate. Half (or 2/3) of my jars are “bunk” with mold. Why is the mold thriving in one jar but not the other? What can I do to prevent mold? I absolutely hate throwing these beauties out. When they turn out good, they’re spot on!
Oh, and the lemon peel is a fantastic addition. I use a carrot peeler to get just the peel (no pith) and put the big, fat lemon peel slices at the bottom of the jar under the carrots and ginger so there’s nothing floating at the surface.
Help, pickle guru!
Jane says
Do you cover the jar with a lid? The directions only say pour liquid in jar and wait.
Thank you.
Sophie says
My first foray into pickling and have a lovely-looking jar of carrots and ginger on the worktop, courtesy of your recipe… After about 5 days though, a couple of the carrot sticks that were completely submerged, have jumped up, and are now suspended from the surface liquid, if not poking through, at least flush to the top…. I am using a kilner jar with ‘sterilock’ to ostensibly allow CO2 to escape. Not sure why the carrots would have jumped up like that – I wonder if I can trouble you to tell me if that’s to be expected, how to avoid it if not, and whether it should all still be fine and unharmful to eat like this, if no mould forms…? Thank you from a fledging phickler!x
Amanda says
Hi Sophie,
It is normal for them to pop up! There’s CO2 being produced in there and that tends to shift things. I do recommend using a weight to keep things down. Check out this post for info on which weights to use.
One reason that I rarely use airlock systems is because it’s so much easier to find a weight to fit when it’s just a regular lid that I can put on or off, depending on my chose weight.
One thing to understand (not because you said this, but because I get this question a lot) is that it’s not because they’ve popped above the surface that things have gone awry. You can push them back under the brine and they’ll be fine. The issue with them being above the liquid is that they could attract yeast or mold spores and make your pickle un-pretty and not-so-tasty.
I hope that helps!
Sophie says
That helps so much, thank you. Sorry to jump back with another question… I should have mentioned there is also this white sediment at the top, and bottom of the jar, I presume it’s kahn yeast, and not problematic? The carrots are not completely poking through it, but just under it. Thank you again. In this era, when the chain of knowledge between parents and children about fermenting, and other things, has been a bit broken, it’s lovely to feel there is a community of people out there you can ask for help from! 🙂
J says
Of course I’ve just read your cucumber article the day after starting my first pickle experiment of…..cucumbers ???? cest la vie! And now I’m taking a deep dive into your blog, loving it! I have a question for you. In some books I’ve looked through and some sites they mention that all salts are not created equal, some have iodine or anti-caking agents, and to stick with pickling salt. Have you experienced any issues there? Also, do you use tap water? I’m concerned about chlorine, etc.
Thanks in advance!!
Jennifer
Amanda says
Ahhh, salt. I have had a post in draft for 1,000 years about salt in veg fermentation. Thanks for the reminder that I need to get it up there!
The short answer on salt is that in my experience you can absolutely ignore anything anyone says about being particular, unless, for your own reasons, you prefer a particular kind of salt. I have fermented with the absolutely lowest-grade, crappy stuff and some very fancy, expensive salts. Perhaps, perhaps, you can taste a difference on those two ends of the spectrum if you have a super refined and salt-appreciative palate. But other than that I have seen no measurable difference across the thousands of batches of fermented vegetables I’ve made. My advice is to use what you have. I have 100% never had a batch fail to ferment because I used bad salt.
Furthermore, canning salt is used in canning to prevent cloudiness. Your vegetable ferments WILL be cloudy. It’s a natural and normal part of the process, so using special salt for that would be a waste of effort and money.
Also, don’t worry about starting with cukes! a) beginner’s luck is real and b) especially if they’re in season where you live, your odds of success are way higher than they would be any other time of year.
Good luck and I hope it all turned out!
Caitlyn says
I can’t remember if I’ve even tried carrot greens before, but I’m eager to and just got a beautiful bunch of carrots with their tops in a box of local veggies. Do you think they’d make a good addition to the pickles/flavorings? Maybe either just with some ginger or garlic.
Amanda says
Leafy herbs in general can be problematic (just because they ferment more quickly than the vegetables so they can end up soggy or slimy. I’d keep them in the pickles for a few days then remove them (or add them at the end of fermentation shortly before fridging.
Enjoy!
Molly says
Hi Amanda,
You mentioned that to make these ginger carrots as a slaw you just need to use salt. Does that mean I would proceed as if I was making sauerkraut, shredding carrots and ginger then massaging with salt to release the juices?
Amanda says
I wouldn’t shred carrots the same way I do kraut (although others do!). The result of pieces that are too small in very sweet vegetables (like carrots and beets) can be an unpleasantly slimy brine. If your carrots aren’t particularly sweet, this may not happen (aka if you already did it and they turned out alright, you’re good!). Additionally, some vegetables don’t offer the same perfect amount of liquid that cabbage does, so I would be prepared to use a salt brine instead of direct salting. If the carrots are looking fresh and moist, you may be able to get enough liquid to direct salt. If they’re older and dried out, go with a separate brine. Good luck!
Santini says
Thank you for sharing this! I can’t wait to try this one! I love this kind of recipes! I’ve tasted this one also in Japan and want to try this again.
Yang says
I fell in love with pickled carrots about 5 years ago. I’m definitely going to try making this later tonight. Thank you so much for this recipe!