Fast (fermented) Foods!

Trust me, I get it.

Who has time to plan for today's meals, let alone planning weeks in advance with fermented foods?

Well, I have secret to share. I rarely plan my meals ahead of time.

I know,  I know! I'm a mom. We're supposed to plan ahead - it is more efficient, decreases cost and stress, blah blah blah. 

It isn't that I haven't tried this approach. I've written up elaborate meal plans and when those failed, tried less detailed versions. I've even bought and integrated meal plans from the "experts" (who all live down south with a vastly different repetoire of foods we don't have in the Yukon). They just don't stick. Why?

Mostly, its because I want to cook what I feel like eating that day! Also, rarely (okay, maybe frequently), I have forgotten to soak the beans or take out the frozen chicken ahead of time.

Well, this is where fermented foods actually save the day. You start them when you feel like it. They ferment in a few days to a week and then they become available to use whenever you need them because they will keep in your fridge for months! Kimchi spices up lentils and rice, sauerkraut goes great next to sausages or stuffed in an avocado to go with your salad, milk kefir makes a creamy oatmeal, and dill carrots add crunch to a wrap or sandwich. When all you have time for is a quick meal, the fermented foods add variety, flavour and nutrition.

So, next to sauerkraut, here are another two of my favorite fermented foods: Ginger Carrots and Dill Carrots.

Lacto Fermented Dill Carrot Sticks
Prep Time: 10 minutes
 
Ingredients
5-7 fresh medium carrots*, peeled, de-topped, and cut into sticks
0.5 - 1 Tbl sea salt*
1 Tbl water kefir or brine from another vegetable ferment (optional)
1 Tbl chopped fresh organic dill (or 1 tsp dried)
3 cloves of garlic (optional)
Water (clean, non-chlorinated)
 
Instructions

1. Place carrot sticks in a quart (1L) mason jar and add the rest of the ingredients. Shake the jar gently to settle the carrots if needed.
2. Add the salt.
3. Fill with water to within one inch of the top of the jar.
4. Cover tightly and allow to sit at room temperature for 4-7 days. The longer you leave them, the more sour they will become.

 
*Note: You can make this recipe with regular bagged carrots, but I find they are only half as tasty as fresh farm carrots. As a minimum, buy carrots with tops still attached.
 
Lacto-Fermented Ginger Carrots
Prep Time: 10 minutes
 
Ingredients
4 cups carrots, grated
1 Tbl organic ginger root, minced
0.5 to 1 Tbl sea salt*
4 Tbl water kefir or brine from another vegetable ferment (optional)
 
Instructions

1. Mix the carrots and ginger in a glass or ceramic bowl until well combined
2. Add sea salt and whey or kefir, and pound it all together to release the juices.
3. Stuff the mixture into a pint (500ml) jar and firmly press down to release the juices. Once finished, make sure the juices – the brine – covers the vegetables.
4. Cover tightly and allow to sit for a few days at room temperature. Check it regularly to see where the flavour is best for you. Once you are happy with the taste, put it in the fridge to enjoy.

*A note about salt: you can use any salt you like as long as it is doesn’t not contain iodine or anti-caking ingredients. Be careful with Celtic or grey salts – these moist salts sometimes known for carrying bacteria that can ruin your ferments.

My family loves the shredded ginger carrots on wraps and with chicken and the carrot sticks are good in lunches. Enjoy and let me know how it goes for you!

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