Fermented Chipotle Carrots

We made fermented chipotle carrots this week at Skinny Lane Farm, and have been asked by several friends for the recipe. It’s been a very busy last few weeks since arriving in Texas! Praise year-round growing seasons!

Let’s start with a photo of some beautiful, just harvested carrots and organic spices:

This is for a portion size of 1 quart. I like to make 4x in a gallon container.

Ingredients:

1 lb of carrots

1 tsp black peppercorn

1 tsp white peppercorn

1 tsp coriander seed

2 tsp cumin seed

2 tsp caraway seed

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 chipotle pepper (more or less, depending on your heat tolerance)

1.5 tbsp unrefined sea salt

Process:

1) Prep your carrots by cutting them in halves and/or quarters (as pictured above), depending on the size you would like your final fermented treats. I measure each of my cuts at 3-4 bites per pickle.

2) Slightly crush the peppercorns and coriander with a mortar and pestle to intensify the flavor, as well as cut the garlic in halves. For the chipotle pepper, chop into inch long pieces and include the seeds. Put the spices in your fermentation vessel.

3) Fit carrots in your container – pack them in nice and snug.

4) To make the brine, dissolve 1.5 tablespoons of salt in one quart of the purest water available to you. Pour the brine over your pickles and seal tightly with lid, so you can give the vessel a few quick, non-violent flips to distribute the spices. Take the lid off.

5) Now you have an open container of pickles and it’s time for one of the most important parts to keep your ferment happy: a weight that will keep your carrots underneath the brine. It’s easy to fill a small jar with water and sit it on top of the carrots – if you have other ideas for weights, that still allow your ferment to get exposure to air, give it a try. As you can see with our gallon container below, we’ve inserted a plastic yogurt lid that fits perfectly under the neck of our jar. It allows the water to rise above the lid without offering any possibility for the carrots to float above. There are a lot of good methods, and many come straight from our creative common sense. Cover your vessel with a cloth and rubber band, to keep random bugs and dust particles out.

6) Wait a week and try a carrot – it’s probably going to need another week, but it’s good practice to try your ferments along their journey. Ferments will work at different speeds depending on their environment. Temperature is a huge factor – most ferments thrive best at 68-76 F, just like us.

7) When your ferment is to your liking, cover it with a lid and place in the fridge or other cold storage. Keeping your new pickles cool stalls fermentation process, so you can enjoy the fermented flavor from when you sealed the jar.

If you have any questions on this recipe, email the bus crew at info@fermentationonwheels.com.

Fantastic Kombucha

Along the road, I often encounter people who seek a kombucha starter, more commonly described as a S.C.O.B.Y. (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). However, kombucha (the beverage) is the actual starter. Although the kombucha SCOBY assists in the fermentation process, padding the bacteria and yeast and providing them with her nutritious presence, she is the by-product of their action, similar to the vinegar making process.

This means you can grow your own SCOBY at home. If you purchase a bottle of kombucha (preferably something small batch or local), you can transfer it to a wide mouth jar, cover with a cloth, and wait 1 to 3 weeks. Ultimately, you will have a SCOBY to get started with larger batches of kombucha in your own kitchen. You may also find a kombucha SCOBY and some starter from a friend who brews at home.

Here are the tools, ingredients, and the how-to for making Kombucha at home:

EQUIPMENT

Large stockpot

Strainer

Funnel

Glass or ceramic fermentation vessel (with spigot is ideal)

INGREDIENTS

1 gal water (approximately)

1 c organic unrefined sugar

4 tablespoons black tea

herbs as you see fit for flavor

1 cup of kombucha

kombucha SCOBY

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Heat half of the water in a pot with the sugar. Dissolve the sugar as your water comes to a boil; once it reaches a boil remove from heat.

2) Steep your tea and other herbs for 5 to 10 minutes.

3) Add the remaining water to your pot. This should allow the sweet tea to cool to a temperature that is comfortable to the touch. It’s very important that your tea not be above 100 F when the culture and SCOBY are introduced.

4) Pour sweet tea through mesh strainer into your fermentation vessel. Use a funnel to prevent tea from missing the container. Make sure you leave enough room for your culture and SCOBY.

5) Add the culture and SCOBY. Leave your to-be-kombucha in a temperature stable space, cover with a cloth and secure with a rubber band, and wait one to 3 three weeks or until a new SCOBY forms in a layer at the top of your brew.

6) Taste your kombucha weekly as the flavor intensifies. When it’s to your liking, bottle and refrigerate. Keeping your kombucha cool will pause the fermentation process. Don’t forget to save a SCOBY and one cup of kombucha for your next batch. Pass the other SCOBY on to a friend!

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Share your mothers with friends and family. Let them know about fantastic kombucha, and email us if you have any questions. info@fermentationonwheels.com