Lacto-fermented Pickled Vegetables

Lacto-Fermented Mixed Pickles

Serves 8

3 tablespoons sea salt, pickling salt, or kosher salt (see Recipe Notes)
1 quart water (see Recipe Notes)
1 cup small cauliflower florets
1 cup carrot chunks or slices
1 cup red bell pepper chunks or slices
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1-2 grape leaves (optional, to help keep pickles crisp)

Combine salt and water in a measuring cup and stir until the salt is dissolved. (You can heat the water first to make the salt easier to dissolve, but it's not necessary. Let it come to room temperature before making the pickles.)

Place the remaining ingredients in a very clean, large jar (a half-gallon mason jar works well). Pour the salt water over the vegetables, leaving at least 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. If necessary, add more water to cover the vegetables. (Optionally, place a small bowl or jar on top of the vegetables to hold them under the brine.)

Cover the jar tightly and let it stand at room temperature. About once a day, open the jar to taste the pickles and release gases produced during fermentation. If any mold or scum has formed on the top, simply skim it off. (If using a jar fitted with an airlock, you don't need to "burp" it; just open occasionally to taste.)

When pickles taste to your liking, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. They will continue to ferment very slowly, but cold storage will largely halt fermentation. As a fermented food, these pickles will last for quite some time, at least a month or longer.

Recipe Notes

• Salt: Use salt that is free of iodine and/or anti-caking agents, which can inhibit fermentation.
• Water: Chlorinated water can inhibit fermentation, so use spring, distilled, or filtered water if you can. It is also recommended to rinse the vegetables in un-chlorinated water rather than tap water.

Fermented Green Beans

Lacto-fermented Dilly Beans

 

Green beans are transformed into a tangy, crunchy, flavorful snack or side dish when they are made into dilly beans. The usual process for making these involves distilled vinegar and a water-bath canner during the hottest months of the summer. An easier and more nutritious means of making dilly beans is to lacto-ferment them. Lacto-fermenting produces lactic acid which not only gives dilly beans their ubiquitous tang, but also preserves them without canning so that they will keep in cold storage for months with all their enzymes and vitamins intact. So the next time you have an abundance of green beans, try these simple lacto-fermented dilly beans and give your canner (and your kitchen’s temperature) a break. Ingredients 1 pound young green beans, trimmed 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes, or to taste 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 large handfuls of dill (flowering heads preferred, but leaves work well too) Water and salt for brine Instructions Make a brine with a ratio of 2 to 3 tablespoons of sea salt to every 1 quart of water. Set aside. In each of the quart jars divide up the red pepper flakes, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and dill. Place the green beans on top of the seasonings, straight up if they are long and thin or sideways if thicker and cut into chunks. Cover with your brine solution up to 1 inch from top of jar. Seal tightly with a lid and allow to ferment at 60° to 80°F for 3 to 10 days, tasting to determine when it has fermented to your taste. (It will get tangier as it ferments.) Transfer to cold storage. Makes 2 quarts.

Fermented Vegetables

How to Make Sauerkraut

Ingredients §  1 medium head of cabbage §  One of the following: §  1 to 3 teaspoons salt §  1 to 3 teaspoons salt and 1/4 cup whey §  A starter culture such as Caldwell’s Cultured Vegetable Starter orBody Ecology Starter Culture and salt as indicated by the instructions for the specific culture you are working with Instructions 1.        Chop or shred the cabbage depending on the desired consistency of the final product. Sprinkle with salt. 2.        Work the cabbage with your hands, potato masher, or kraut pounder until there is plenty of liquid and the cabbage is a bit mushy. This portion of the process usually takes about 10 minutes. 3.        If using whey, add the whey and mix well. If using a starter culture, add the culture as specified by the instructions that came with the culture. 4.        Stuff the cabbage into the fermenting container, pressing the cabbage underneath the liquid. (If necessary, add a bit of water to ensure sufficient liquid). Ideally all the cabbage should be submerged under the liquid. 5.        Allow the sauerkraut to culture for 3 to 10 days at room temperature. A longer fermentation period can be used if desired. Please note: if using a starter culture, be sure to allow the sauerkraut to culture for the specified number of days indicated by the instructions that came with the culture to ensure full bacteria development. 6.        Once the sauerkraut is finished, move to a new storage container if desired. Store the sauerkraut in the refrigerator or in a root cellar after the culturing process. Many people find that aging the sauerkraut in the refrigerator or root cellar for 4 to 6 weeks improves the flavor. Makes approximately one quart. Variation: Prior to culturing, mix 1 part shredded carrots, apple, or other vegetable to 5 parts cabbage for a more complex flavor. Add caraway seeds if desired. Naturally Fermented Carrot Sticks Ingredients §  2 to 3 pounds carrots, cut into sticks §  Water §  One of the following: §  1 tablespoon salt §  2 to 3 teaspoons salt and 1/4 cup whey §  A starter culture such as Caldwell’s Cultured Vegetable Starter or Body Ecology Starter Culture and salt as indicated by the instructions for the specific culture you are working with Instructions 1.    If using just salt or salt and whey, dissolve the salt in water and then add the whey. If using a starter culture, prepare the liquid according the package instructions. 2.   Place the  1.    carrot sticks in the jar and pour the liquid over the carrots. Ideally the carrots should be submerged under the liquid. Ferment for two weeks or longer at room temperature. Once the fermentation period is complete, the carrots can be removed to a storage container if desired. Store cultured carrots in the refrigerator or root cellar. Makes approximately 2 quarts. Naturally Fermented Salsa Ingredients §  1 medium onion, diced §  2 large tomatoes, diced §  1 medium green pepper, diced §  1 or 2 jalepeños, diced §  Clove of garlic, minced §  Handful of fresh cilantro §  Lemon and lime juice to taste §  One of the following: §  2 teaspoons salt §  1 to 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 cup whey §  1 to 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 cup water kefir §  A starter culture such as Caldwell’s Cultured Vegetable Starter or Body Ecology Starter Culture and salt as indicated by the instructions for the specific culture you are working with Instructions 10.     If using a starter culture, prepare the culture according the package instructions. 11.     Mix all the ingredients together including the salt, whey, or starter culture.  12.     Place the salsa in a fermentation container pressing down to release some liquid. Ideally the vegetables should be submerged under the liquid. (Add a bit of extra water if needed.) 13.     Ferment for 2+ days at room temperature. Once the fermentation period is complete, the salsa can be removed to a storage container if desired. Store salsa in the refrigerator or root cellar. Makes approximately 1 quart