Dill Pickles, Lacto-Fermented Carrot Ribbons, and Lacto-Fermented Beets, Corn, & Snap Peas

Well, I’ve officially went bonkers. My fridge is filling with end of season vegetables (cabbage, beets, carrots) and I’ve decided to pickle them.

For the carrots, I decided to turn them into ribbons. For Christmas, Jamie gave me a Japanese mandolin. The blade is so sharp I didn’t even want to make eye contact with it. I sliced the carrots and my body was tense head to toe for fear of losing a finger.

For the dill pickles, I used some local pickling cucumbers, mustard seeds, and dill. I’ve never done “pickles” before and thought spears would be a good starting shape.

I was undecided on what to do with the beets. They sat in my fridge for a week and I decided I would steam them. But as I peeled them, I thought it would be a waste to just steam them. I tossed them in a jar with some local corn and snap peas I found at the farmer’s market. Hopefully everything will turn to a dark purple.

Everything was brined in a 2% salt solution, as usual. I’ll give them 7-10 days before tasting. Hopefully they’ll retain color but ferments usually dull a bit in color over time.