Bright and Spicy Pickled Carrots: Quick or Fermented

Bright and Spicy Quick Pickled Carrots are one of my very favorite pickles to teach to beginners.

They stay crisp, have great flavor, are easy to work with, and are usually inexpensive and easy to source. These pickles shine thanks to the addition of bright, zesty lemon peel and a kick from crushed red pepper. They’re the perfect topping for summer grilled meats, sandwiches, and salads, or just eaten straight from the jar!

There are two ways to create pickled vegetables, with and without vinegar.

Follow the first recipe for the quick pickles that are made with vinegar and can be eaten within 24 hours, offering a fast option.

The fermented pickle method that follows takes at least several days to be ready to eat. The longer they ferment, the more sour they become.

The health benefits of fermented pickles include improved digestive health due to the presence of live bacteria. Quick pickles, while still healthy, do not offer this probiotic benefit.

Ingredients

QUICK Pickled Carrots

•473 ml (1 pint) mason jar with lid and band
•2 large carrots, scrubbed, peeled or unpeeled, sliced into .3 cm (1/8-inch) rounds
•Two to three 2.5-5 cm (2-inch) strips lemon peel
•2.8 grams (1/2 teaspoon) crushed red pepper
•237 ml (1 cup) water
•237 ml (1 cup) apple cider vinegar
•16 grams (1 tablespoon) fine salt
•10 grams (2 teaspoons) granulated sugar

Tip: Save your carrot tops and blend up into a green, delicious pesto or dressing!

Optional, editor’s suggestion: You may want to add 1/2 tsp of sugar and additional herbs to flavor pickles.

Preparation

For quick carrot pickles:
1. Slice your carrots into 1/8 inch rounds (you can peel them or leave them unpeeled: just be sure to scrub them first!) Put into the mason jar along with the lemon peel and red pepper.
In a small saucepan, combine 237 ml (1 cup) water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Place over medium heat, stirring until salt is completely dissolved.
Pour the warm brine mixture over the carrots until completely covered. Allow to cool completely, then top with the lid and place in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate for about 24 hours or until carrots are pickled through. Store finished pickles covered in the refrigerator, where they will keep for several months.

For fermented carrot pickles:

1. Slice your carrots into 1/8 inch rounds (you can peel them or leave them unpeeled: just be sure to scrub them first!) Put into the mason jar along with the lemon peel and red pepper as in recipe above.

Omit the vinegar and replace with a second cup of room temperature water.
Reduce the salt to 7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) and optionally add 15-30 ml (1-2 tablespoons) fresh herbs.

2. Whisk salt into the 2 cups of room temperature water in a food safe container, until dissolved. If you prefer, you can also heat both to dissolve salt, then cool to room temperature.

3. Pour the brine mixture over your carrots until completely covered. Screw on the jar’s lid, then place the jar on a plate or tray out of direct sunlight.

4.. Allow to ferment at room temperature for 4-7 days, loosening the band on the lid each day to release any built up pressure. Very gently shake or stir your jar once a day, which disrupts the surface and keeps mold from growing on any herbs or pepper flakes that float to the top.

4. The pickles are done when they’re as sour as you like: the longer you ferment them, the more sour they become. Store finished pickles covered in the refrigerator, where they will keep for several months.

About the author

Julia Skinner, PhD is the founder of Root Kitchens and author of Our Fermented Lives: A History of How Fermented Foods Have Shaped Cultures and Communities. Other books include: Afternoon Tea: A History, and Modernizing Markham, which covers her journey creating modern versions of historic dishes. Here upcoming release, The Fermentation Oracle combines her passion for making fermented foods with her fascination for the transformative, magical aspects of the process in a one-of-a-kind book plus oracle deck specially designed for fermentation fans. Through Root, she offers classes on fermentation, food waste reduction, and traditional cooking techniques, as well as consulting, private lessons, and a membership with recipes, a newsletter, and more. As a writer, she covers fermentation history and is always curious about the stories behind our food. You can follow her on social media at @bookishjulia and @rootkitchens.

Julia Skinner

Julia Skinner, PhD is an award-winning writer, PhD, artist, and educator.