Black Carrot Kanji, Made Clean at Home
The winter fermented drink of black carrots, mustard seeds and rock salt, made in a scalded glass jar and sipped in small amounts. Hygiene matters, and it is not for those with weak digestion or on a doctor-set diet.
Important: this remedy is only a supportive home measure. Keep taking any medicine your doctor has prescribed, monitor your readings, and consult your doctor before adding anything new.
A winter kanji that depends on a clean jar
Kanji is a fermented drink from North India, made in winter from black carrots, ground mustard seeds and salt left a few days in sunlight. Many people enjoy it as a sour, spiced drink. It is a food, not a probiotic treatment, and the amount of helpful microbes in any batch is not certain.
The risk is a dirty jar or spoon. Scald the jar, use clean dry hands and a dry spoon, and never use a batch that is slimy, mouldy or smells rotten. Keep it to a small glass. Skip it with a weak stomach, in pregnancy, for children, or on a doctor-set diet.
Ingredients
- 3 black carrots, cut into sticks
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon rock salt
- 1 litre boiled and fully cooled water
How to prepare
- Scald a glass jar with hot water and let it dry fully.
- Add the carrots, mustard and salt, pour in the cooled water, cover with a cloth and keep in light sun for three to four days, tasting for a clean sour smell.
How to use
- Sip one small glass, no more, on a day you feel well.
- Keep the finished kanji in the fridge and finish within three days.
Helpful habits
- Use only dry clean spoons, and never dip with a used spoon.
- If you are unsure about a batch, throw it out.
Precautions
- Skip it with a weak or recently upset stomach, in pregnancy, for children and with a low-salt diet.
- Never drink a batch that is slimy, mouldy or smells rotten.
- It is not a probiotic or gut treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Is kanji a probiotic?
- It is a fermented food, but the microbes in a home batch vary. Do not treat it as a supplement or a cure.
Why boiled and cooled water?
- To start with water that is safer to drink. Raw tap water can carry germs.
How long does it last?
- Up to three days in the fridge once ready. If in doubt, throw it out.
