A great way to preserve the harvest and have a ready supply of fast food is to use fermentation to preserve. Not only does this extend the shelf life of the ingredients, it can increase the nutrient value of the food and provide beneficial bacteria to improve gut health. Not only that it can taste great!
Today I had a pile of carrots that needed to come out of the ground so what better way to use them up than to prepare a batch of carrots and ginger. The method is simple, much the same as preparing sauerkraut. Grate the carrots (need 4 cups), add 1 tbl finely grated ginger and 1 tbl sea salt. Massage it all to create a brine then place in a clean jar. Air needs to be excluded as lacto-fermentation takes place in anaerobic conditions. To achieve this place a weight on top to hold all the carrots and ginger down in the brine. After putting a lid on top keep in a dark place. I usually wrap it in a tea towel and leave on my kitchen bench. This reminds me to ‘burp’ it (open the jar to release the gases) daily for 3 days. It’s then ready to enjoy. Store in a cool place. I keep mine in the refrigerator as I haven’t sorted out an alternate cool storage area at this stage.
Adds amazing flavour to coleslaw and a fantastic addition to fried rice (added at the end so as not to cook). Enjoy!!