Maci’s Cultured Carrots
These are a favorite of my daughter Maci. It’s one of the first cultured veggies dishes she would ever eat. If you have never had golden beets, you are in for a treat. They taste like sunshine and have a milder, sweeter flavor than the more earthy red beets.
Folate is one of the health benefits of beets; they’re packed with folate. Beets are also a good source of manganese, potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, fatty acids, amino acids, and fiber.
The juice in these vegetables is really powerful. There’s lots of info about beet juice and how it improves oxygen usage. The fact that it’s fermented means it is delivered to the body in a more effective way. The body can use it immediately and the nutrients increase because of the fermenting.
According to the “Journal of Applied Physiology,” study participants were able to walk longer while using less oxygen after drinking beet juice.
Another study at Exeter University gave male cyclists half a quart of beet juice several hours before riding. A control group was given blackcurrant juice. Both groups went on a bike ride, and they found the beet root juice group rode 20 percent longer and used less oxygen.
You can make this with red beets but the taste changes and I don’t like it as well.
This will last for months and gets better with time.
- 3 golden beets
- 1 large daikon radish
- 8 large carrots
- Chopped basil or cilantro
- 1 package Caldwell Starter Culture or ½ cup kefir whey
- Add Caldwell Starter Culture package according to instructions, or add kefir whey to a jar that you will place your veggies in. Let it sit while you chop your vegetables
- Peel and shred all items, then place them in a jar
- Fill the jar with water, completely covering and submerging the vegetables
- Let it sit for 6 days on your counter.
- Place in refrigerator.
- This will last for months and gets better with time.
Am I supposed to leave the lid off when it’s on the counter or does it not matter? Thanks!
Always use a lid when you cultured vegetables. Here’s a blog that talks about this. http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/fermenting-tip-use-a-lid-or-cloth/
I have the perfect pickler. Can I just use the salt water or do I still need the starter? I don’t do milk kefir I do the water kefir. Any suggestions?
You can use the salt water but the
added starter cultures add more beneficial
bacteria and make the probiotic count
stay at a higher level longer.
Have you found that shredding the beets makes the juice quite viscous? I tried adding shredded beets to other veges and the result was quite unappetizing. I think Sally Fallon mentions this in Nourishing Traditions.
I have not had this problem.
no salt added to this recipe?
You don’t need it they seem to stay crunchy without it. Salt makes things crunchy without it the veggies get mushy. Carrots seem to do fine without the salt.