12 Large carrots (approx 3kg organic if possible - you may have some left over depending on how big you cut your carrot sticks)
1 litre filtered water
23 grams good quality natural sea salt
Instructions
Clean all equipment in hot tap water and a dash of white vinegar, avoid using the dish sponge which might hold food and oil residue, rinse well and air dry on a clean tea towel
If you have access to good clean water you can use it straight from the tap, if you are unsure, boil the water and allow it to cool completely
Dissolve the salt in the water to make the brine
Wash and peel the carrots
Measure the length of the carrot stick based on your jar, they should not be any longer than where the jar starts to curve as you need to cover the carrots in brine
Lay the jar on it's side so you can stack the carrots easily without them falling over
Once the jar is full, turn the jar upright
Insert as many more carrots as possible so that the carrots are packed very tightly to avoid them floating in the brine (they need to be fully submerged in the brine), I use my index finger to poke around for any gaps, this becomes part of the fun, to get in that one last carrot stick when you think you cannot add anymore!
I find using the carrot sticks that are a little tapered easiest to insert in from the smallest end.
When the salt brine is cooled completely, give it a final stir to ensure any undissolved salt is distributed evenly and cover the carrots
Leave for 7-14 days to ferment, the cooler the weather the longer it may take to ferment
You can leave the jar unopened on the counter for 6 months as they are now preserved
For the probiotic benefits, consume within 45 days
Once opened, store in the fridge and always use clean utensils (no fingers!)
Recipe by Intuitive Food Design at https://intuitivefooddesign.com/food_recipe/lacto-fermented-carrot-sticks/