Recipe: Carrot Pickles & Beet Relish

As promised last week, here are the recipes for the pickled carrots and beet relish!

I was going to wait a month to try these and I couldn’t do it!! I have to say I am happy with them, they turned out so yummy!

The Carrot Pickles are not very pickley tasting, they are more like an earthy, semi sweet spice. They would taste good along side a roast chicken!

The Beet Relish is divine! Sweet and crunchy! This would be delish paired up with pork chops!

Carrot Pickles recipe taken from Internal Bliss cookbook for GAPS diet

2 lbs Carrots

1/2 lb Rutabaga

1 medium Onion

3/4lb Nappa cabbage

12 Allspice Berries

1 tsp whole Coriander

1 tsp Yellow Mustard Seed

4 Bay Leaves

1 Tbsp Sea Salt

3-4 Cloves of Garlic, peeled.

1. Peel, wash and grate or shred in food processor: carrots and rutabaga. Trim and cut finely the Napa cabbage. Peel and quarter the onion.

2. Put the carrots, rutabaga and cabbage into a bucket. Add salt.

3. Press with your fist or wooden stamper until the juice is flowing well.

4. Pack into your half-gallon jar layers, one-fourth of the vegetables, one-fourth of the spices and onion until all are in. Pack tightly enough that all the air is pressed out. Leave 2 inches head space below the lid.

5. Put lid on and screw down, but not tight.

6. Put the jar on a plate or pie tin, and keep in a dark corner of your kitchen for one week.

7. After one week transfer to fridge and allow to mellow for 4 weeks. These will keep many months if kept in fridge.

Beet Relish recipe taken from Internal Bliss cookbook for GAPS diet

2-2 1/2 lbs Beets

1/2 lbs Napa Cabbage

3 oz chopped Apple

3 oz chopped Onion

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Sea Salt

(Optional) Mustard Seed, Bay Leaves or Pickling Spice to taste.

*I used a few Allspice Berries

Prepare same as carrot pickles, except don’t layer the spices- just mix them all in. Beets produce a fierce fermentation and may run over jar! Put a plate underneath it to protect your counter.

Note: If you have never fermented before you will want to watch your jars and make sure the veggies stay below the liquid. If they float to the top they may create mold. If it does you can just scrape off the top layer and discard it, it doesn’t hurt the ferment- I promise! The lactic acid in the liquid is what preserves the veggies and when the veggies get exposed to air they aren’t being preserved. I like to use a plastic bag filled with water on top to keep the veggies down.

*Note these recipes are for larger batches than I made, I halved mine.

These recipes are simple and quick. Total time with prep and clean up is probably half an hour or so. 

Here is a great video by Sandor Katz showing how to make sauerkraut, the process is pretty much the same. 

And, I know some people are skiddish about fermenting because of bad bacteria. Well, have no fear- Sandor Katz sets the story straight here.  

I have been fermenting for over a year and have yet to have a batch go bad. I did put too much salt in once and tossed a batch because it wasn’t pleasing to eat, but that’s it.  

A good rule is that if it doesn’t smell edible, like its rotten, please don’t eat it. That being said, ferments are usually pretty pungent. It may take a while for you to get used to it, but give it a try. They are so very good for you! 

I hope you decide to give it a try!!

* Added to Simple Lives Thursday, My Sweet and Savory, Hartke is online, Sunday School,    Sugar Free Sunday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Meatless Monday