Recipe: lacto-fermented dilly carrots by susan cartiglia

Meet Susan

Our lovely, long-time friend, Susan Terzian Cartiglia is a certified nutritionist, health coach, and yoga teacher.

She's also the mother of two and the founder/owner of Radiate Kombucha.

As dynamic as her work is, the common thread in Susan's culinary world is her constant search to build community and make living a healthy lifestyle accessible to all. 

Having spent more than 15 years working in and managing restaurants, bars, juice bars, and yoga studios, Susan simultaneously earned degrees and certifications in Holistic Nutrition and Nutritional Counseling.  

"Slingin' buch"

She can usually be found "slingin’ buch" (pronounced BOO-ch), educating on holistic health and chasing her two kids around Miami. 

She's been making kombucha since she was 14 and knows her way around fermentation. Her extensive knowledge has helped her write this and other fermentation recipes.

What is fermentation? Lacto-fermentation? 

Fermentation in short, is a technique used to preserve and produce foods. More scientifically, it is the metabolic process of an organism converting a carb (such as starch or sugar) into alcohol or organic acids.

Lacto-Fermentation is a more simple approach to fermentation and only requires salt, water, and a vegetable. This process is successful in "fermenting" your vegetable as the salt kills harmful bacteria and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria. The word "Lacto" comes from the bacteria Lactobacillus, which is pretty much in everything on Earth. 

What are the benefits? Fermented foods are rich in probiotics and have been known to supply our bodies with a range of health benefits. Some of the most common foods we consume such as wine, beer, bread, cheese, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and kombucha are all "fermented" in some way.   

Focused on fermentation

Why is Susan so focused on fermentation? One main reason, Susan says, is because “fermentation increases the bio-availability of nutrients on veggies by a pre-digestion process leaving behind a nutrient-dense superfood that contains higher levels of absorbable vitamins and minerals than raw produce. Check out her Facebook videos to discover more about Susan, fermentation, and her recipes.

Susan also brings her backgrounds in teaching holistic living, teaching yoga and nutrition, as well as her sensitivity and wisdom, to bear on her practice as a holistic nutrition and health consultant, which we highly recommend.

Follow @radiatemiami and @susancartiglia

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Recipe: Lacto- Fermented Dilly Carrots

INGREDIENTS

  • carrots, peeled and quartered
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 each garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp sea Salt (OR 1-oz. live culture or whey + 1 tbsp sea sal)
  • 32-oz. mason jar
  • filtered water

PROCEDURE:

  • Peel and quarter carrots into spears.
  • Pack into a 32-oz. mason jar tightly standing upright so they cannot move or float.
  • Add minced garlic and freshly chopped dill.
  • Add 2 tablespoons sea salt if starting fresh.  If using a starter culture, add 1 oz live culture and 1 tablespoon sea salt.
  • Fill to top lip of jar with filtered water, leaving approximately 1/2-inch for air at the top.
  • Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for approximately 7 days. Every few days “burp” the jar to release naturally occurring CO2.
  • After 7 days, refrigerate. These dilly carrots will stay delicious forever!

 

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