Carrots. We love carrot sticks and diced carrots in soups. We love shredded carrots in our fresh garden salad. Now that the air fryer is very popular, it is easy for us to make carrot crisps. We love carrots in meat dishes and stews. If you eat your vegetables, I am sure you’ve had carrots in many different ways.
But what about fermented spicy carrots?
Carrots, like other vegetables and fruits, can be pickled, preserved, and fermented. With carrots, all you need is salt, water, carrots, and your spice of choice, and voila! Fermented spicy carrots are ready, without having to wait for weeks, unlike other pickled vegetables.
Fermented Spicy Carrot Trivia
- Carotenemia is a condition of having yellow-ish or very orange skin particularly on the palms or soles of the feet. This means you are eating too many carrots. The solution is simple: eat less, or just the right amount, of carrots every day.
- Call it self-defense, or call it the natural response to self-preservation. In any case, carrots are sweeter in winter as a result of the changes carrots experience growing in cold weather compared to carrots grown in warm weather.
- Christopher Qualley, from Otsego, Minnesota, holds the Guinness World Record for producing the heaviest carrot, which weighs 10.17 kg (22.44 lb). The feat was recorded on September 9, 2017.
Fermented Spicy Carrot Buying Guide
You can buy fermented carrots in supermarkets and in groceries. Locally-made, artisanal, small-batch fermented carrots are often sold in local specialty stores and farmers’ markets. You can also order online. Texas Hill Country Pickled Dill Carrots is available on Amazon.
If you are in Texas, try visiting these businesses if you are looking for some delicious fermented carrots. There are many vendors here selling pickled vegetables and I won’t be surprised if I find fermented carrots here. If you are in Laredo, try La Gorra Azul Ranch. Their “Cantina Carrots” come in small and large glass jars. If you are in Freeport, try Jones Creek Farmers Market. If you are in San Antonio, Madge’s Food Company sells Fermented Spicy Carrots Taqueria Style. Confituras, in South River City, Austin, sells hot carrot pickles, while Austin Cultured in Austin, Texas, sells Fermented Garlic Carrots and Carrot and Onion Kraut. Bucking Goat Farm, in Frisco, Texas, also sells fermented carrots.
If you love carrots and fermented carrots, one of the best stores to check out is Barrel Creek Provisions, which is based in Austin Texas. They have a lot of different products made from or made with carrots (fermented carrots, Spicy Sauerkraut made of carrots and spicy jalapeno, Lemon Ginger Carrots, Fermented Fare Pouch made with carrots, cucumber, and okra, and fermented carrot sticks called Carrot Pouch).
The most important thing when buying fermented carrots is checking the packaging. Make sure there is no damage or anything that suggests the content inside has been compromised and rendered unsafe to consume. Check if the plastic seal is intact. Inspect the contents inside (jars are usually transparent or see-through, allowing you to see the contents of the jar).
Carrots are available all year long and fermented carrots are usually in stock because they are fast and easy to make. It is good to buy enough, perhaps an extra jar or two, but there is no need to stockpile fermented carrots since it is not a rare, hard-to-find commodity. You can always go to the supermarket or grocery to buy fresh supplies so don’t let your refrigerator or pantry get too crowded with jars of fermented carrots.
If you have a specific diet or eating restriction, don’t worry. You can find fermented spicy carrots that are vegan, gluten-free, kosher, non-GMO, fat-free, and low sodium.
Fermented Spicy Carrot Production & Farming in Texas
Many Texas businesses produce fermented carrots, like La Gorra Azul Ranch (Laredo, Texas), Jones Creek Farmers Market (Freeport, Texas), Madge’s Food Company (San Antonio), Confituras (South River City, Austin), and Bucking Goat Farm (Frisco, Texas). Austin Cultured in Austin, Texas, makes Fermented Garlic Carrots and Carrot and Onion Kraut.
Barrel Creek Provisions, in Austin Texas, makes different pickled and fermented products that are either made of or include carrots. They have fermented carrots, while their Spicy Sauerkraut is made of carrots and spicy jalapeno. They combined three ingredients to make Lemon Ginger Carrots, while combining carrots, cucumber, and okra to make Fermented Fare Pouch. They also have fermented carrot sticks (Carrot Pouch).
Carrots are grown in Texas. In South Texas, carrots can be planted as early as July until February of the following year. Winter is not a problem since carrots can be grown even during winter. Fall crops are planted in August. Carrots can be harvested 70 to 80 days after planting.
According to Texas A&M, Texas is 5th in the US when it comes to the production of carrots.
Pesticides, Additives, and Chemicals:
According to the book Regulating Safety of Traditional and Ethnic Foods, fermented vegetables may contain different additives.
Fermented spicy carrots may contain any or all of these additives typically used in making and preserving fermented vegetables.
- Acidifiers – Acidity is important for fermented vegetables to retain their quality and to remain safe to eat. Here are some examples of acidifiers:
- Acetic acid
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Mali acid
- Preservatives – This is used to improve the ability to stay in good quality for a longer period.
- Sorbates
- Benzoates
- Sulfites
- Sodium – Salt is important in fermented spicy carrots. The use of sodium for this food is a cause for concern for people who are not advised to eat salty food for health reasons.
Geography
People from different countries and cultures all around the world ferment carrots. In India, pickled carrots are known as gajar nu athanu, and the recipe for making Indian spiced carrot kraut is available online for those who want to learn how to make it or duplicate it.
From Mexican pickled carrots to fermented Moroccan-spiced carrots to pickled Thai carrot sticks, to Korea’s carrot kimchi (tanggun), people all around the world truly appreciate fermented carrots.
Đồ Chua is the Vietnamese version of pickled carrots. This is served as an appetizer, usually alongside Vietnamese egg rolls. Đồ Chua is also an ingredient in making Banh mi and other soups.
In Japan, the word “tsukemono” means preserved vegetables, including carrots. “Misozuke” refers to the method of pickling carrots using miso. Another style of pickling carrots is by using the nukazuke style of pickling, wherein carrots are fermented using roasted rice bran, salt, konbu, and other ingredients.
Packaging:
Fermented carrots are sold in glass or plastic bottles with a sealed lid or cover. An important part of the packaging is the label, which contains important information for the consumers, including the name of the manufacturer, expiration or best-before date, ingredients, nutritional information, storage instruction, etc.
Enjoying Fermented Spicy Carrots
Why eat fermented carrots? There are a lot of reasons. First, fermented carrots are easy to digest. Second, fermented carrots are delicious. Fermented carrots retain their sweet carrot taste, made so much better by having a salty, tangy, sour, or even spicy, taste (depending on what else was in the jar of fermented carrots). Lastly, these carrots are not just appetizing, but nutritious as well.
Fermented carrots are great to have along with grain-based salads like tabbouleh.
Storage:
Fermented spicy carrots can be stored in a cool, dark location where they will keep for six months to one year. You can also refrigerate fermented spicy carrots. Many people do this because refrigerating fermented spicy carrots helps make the carrots firm and crunchy.
When storing fermented spicy carrots, never keep the jar’s contents exposed without the lid on it. Close it after getting spicy carrots.
Cooking:
Making fermented carrots is easy. All you need are carrots, water, salt, and a clean jar with a lid. Simply cut the carrots into smaller pieces before putting these inside the jar. Dissolve the salt in water and then pour this into the jar, making sure the carrots inside are submerged with salt brine. Close the jar for 24 to 48 hours to start the fermentation process. Keep it on the counter or table at room temperature. Open the lid to check for the bubbles and then store them inside the refrigerator for one week. After that, your fermented carrots are ready to eat.
If you are making soup, you can use fermented carrots instead of chopping fresh carrots. Just make sure to add fermented carrots when the soup is almost done since fermented carrots are already soft because of the fermentation.
Nutritional Benefits:
A jar of fermented carrots is loaded with probiotics. Eating fermented vegetables like fermented spicy carrots can help improve the gut, especially after taking antibiotics.
Carrots contain beta carotene, fiber, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants. It has vitamin A, vitamin K1, and vitamin B6. Eating carrots can help lower the body’s sugar level and cholesterol. It also improves the digestive system and helps promote healthy bowel movement. If you eat carrots regularly, you have a good chance of avoiding cancer. Carrots are also good for eye health and for losing weight.
