Fermented Spicy Carrots

This recipe was inspired by my childhood memories of my mother making what we used to call 'Korean' Carrots that was a marinated condiment using vinegar, oil and sugar among other things. I really liked the flavour and decided to replicate the taste but wanted a healthier dish. I have been quite crazy about fermented foods and condiments during the past couple of years and so used the fermentation for this recipe.

Ingredients:

3-4 carrots
1-2 medium garlic cloves
1 medium hot chilli pepper
1 medium sweet apple
rind of 1/2 lemon
2 cm ginger root
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 - 1.5 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 -2 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

Peel the carrots and julienne them using a mandolin slicer or a knife, place in a bowl. Julienne garlic, chilli and peeled ginger root. Try to cut the ginger root as finely as you possibly can. Sprinkle the salt over the vegetables, add the lemon rind, add the ground spices and the coriander seeds, mix everything up properly. Peel the apple and julienne it as well, add to the carrots, mix well, cover with a lid or a plate and leave to rest for up to few hours so it releases enough juices.

After 30 min or up to 2 hours place the carrots into a glass jar, I use recycled, press down with a fork or a spoon to submerge the vegetables under the brine to avoid the formation of mould. Make sure to pack the vegetables to leave around 1 cm from the brim of the jar. Cover with the lid tightly and leave at room temperature away from direct sunlight.

Remember to check the carrots every day to make sure that the vegetables are submerged under the brine. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen the spicy carrots will be ready in around 3 days. If it is very warm they might be ready in 2 days. Make sure you taste the carrots every day to notice the change in taste and to determine the readiness.