Carrot and daikon lacto-fermented pickle

I love pickles. I’ve done a pickled tour of the Trans Siberian – which entailed eating pickles and seeing preserved communist leaders! So I was pleased when I recently tried my hand at making lacto-fermented vegetables.

Ingredients (serves 2 | makes 500g pickles)

3 carrots
1 daikon
1 tablespoon spices (mustard seeds, fennel etc)
1 tablespoon whey (you can scoop this from the tub of yoghurt in the fridge!)
1 Tablespoon salt (not iodised)
500ml water
100ml cider vinegar (can be omitted)

Method

Peel and dice the carrots and daikon (you can get these at most fruit barns or markets) and add to a sterilised glass jar - fill the jar about 80%.
Add any spices you want - I used black mustard seeds and some slices of ginger.
Dissolve salt in water - I used 1 big tablespoon per No. 31 Fowler's jar - the water should be salty, not too salty you can't drink it without your eyeballs receding into your skull, but salty.
Use a tea towel or muslin cloth over a glass to collect the whey - just tip the top of a yoghurt tub into the cloth and it will drip through - it's clear and kind of goopy - add about 1 tbls of whey to the salty water.
Fill the jar with your brine/whey mix (you can add a dash of vinegar if you like vinegary things) and seal with cling wrap and then pop on the lid and let sit for two-three days. Keep them in the coolest part of your kitchen.
A few days later - crack the seal, smell that fermented farty goodness and chow down!

15 Comments

- - mom93821 said
  - 04 Oct 2024
    5:53 am
Pickles are always so delicious to eat and I do love to make my own pickles, chutney and jam. It really is such fun to spend a weekend; making preserves to use later in recipes and cooking. Carrots are a favourite vegetable to eat and to satisfy a hungry tummy.
- mom93821 replied
  
  05 Oct 2024 , 5:02 am
  I have a box full of glass jars and will sterilise them for making a variety of preserves. It is going to be a weekend for making jam, chutney and pickles. I am looking forward to making different preserves and keeping them to use and enjoy for many months. They will also be given as gifts.
- - cassy26 said
  - 03 Jun 2024
    11:35 am
Love pickers too but im going to have to look up daikon….

- - mom112023 said
  - 09 May 2019
    7:17 pm
Thanks for the recipe. I’m curious as to how it will taste. Have to try.

- - happymum2018 said
  - 03 May 2019
    2:52 am
I would like to try but am not close to a shop that would sell daikon thank anyway though

- - mom94125 said
  - 18 Oct 2017
    11:30 am
what a funny way to describe the recipe. great job as it was interesting to read thanks for sharing this

- - mom183717 said
  - 05 Jun 2017
    9:56 pm
Mmm looks a bit weird but may try it

- - youngoldlady said
  - 31 Dec 2016
    5:58 pm
Be worth a try as not too sure about making something like this.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 12 Jun 2016
    7:23 am
Oh yum, I’d be interested in trying to make my own pickle
- kjgarner replied
  
  30 Jun 2016 , 7:15 pm
  Something different and new to try
- - mom90758 said
  - 11 May 2016
    5:03 pm
I’ve never seen a daikon before. Can you buy them in regular supermarkets?
I love fermented food. They are so good for our gut.
If I don’t find daikon, could I use something else?
The recipe seems very easy to follow. Thank you for sharing it!

- - rachelvk said
  - 11 May 2016
    12:50 pm
I did not realise it was so easy to pickle things. Thanks for sharing.

- - jabelle said
  - 11 May 2016
    11:25 am
oh yum, we love our fermented veg. Sauerkraut is our favourite, especially a spicy one.

- - mom112217 said
  - 10 May 2016
    12:02 pm
I do love pickles but have never made them,thanks for your recipe!

- - sharna_booth_weinrowski said
  - 10 May 2016
    10:56 am
I have always wondering how it was done! Thank you for sharing such a simple recipe.