Easy Fermented Vegetables in a Jar

For those looking for a quick-and-easy guide to fermenting vegetables, I have created this new post.

First, a quick reminder as to WHY we are fermenting vegetables instead of say, drinking kombucha or kefir... Because good microbes live on fiber! From vegetables! At room temperature or above! So a fermented drink with processed sugar as a starter isn't really going to help your microbiome, so just enjoy it for the flavour but don't kid yourself. As for yogurt and kefir, if you make it yourself and don't refrigerate it, then you may get billions of beneficial bacteria per serving, but otherwise you will only get millions of chilled and dying microbes. And no fiber. That is why we ferment the vegetables.

Fermented vegetables are NOT vegetables that have gone bad. It is an alternative way to prepare the vegetables that generates healthy probiotics, increases the vitamin content, and preserves food through a natural process similar to pickling.

Aside from vegetables and a jar, all you need to generate a healthy culture is filtered water (to remove chlorine) and salt.

Everything should be at room temperature to start with. If you boil water to get rid of most of the chlorine, then the water should be cooled to room temperature before you use it.

The ratio of water to salt can vary according to your taste, how tightly you pack the vegetables, and so on, but let's start with ONE TABLESPOON SEA SALT TO ONE CUP WATER stirred until the salt dissolves.

Which vegetables you use is up to you, but you will learn to stay away from vegetables like italian squash that go mushy. Recommended vegetables for fermentation include: red cabbage, green cabbage, chinese cabbage, carrots, onions, carrots, green beans, beets, cauliflower, radish, rhubarb, etc. Flavorings such as rosemary, garlic, peppercorns, hot peppers, and ginger can be added as well.

As for technique, chop your vegetables into bite-sized pieces and pack them tightly into a jar with flavorings as desired. Pour salt water prepared at the recommended ratio until the vegetables are completely submerged. Keep the fermenting vegetables submerged using a spare cabbage leaf or a weight such as a small plate, coffee cup, or bowl of water so that no mold develops on vegetables exposed to the air.

After a day or so at room temperature, you will see tiny bubbles forming inside the jar as wild bacteria that adhere to vegetable leaves start to grow in number. You may want to keep your jars on top of plates to catch any liquid that may overflow due to the expansion caused by fermentation. This is good! After about five days, taste a sample. You will likely notice a pleasant salty, slightly pickled taste. Lacto-fermentation by helpful Lactobacillus and other species produces some lactic acid (resulting in a sour taste), which then prevents bad bacteria from moving in.

Once your jar(s) of vegetables are done fermenting at room temperature (usually around a week's time, or to your taste) the jars can be moved to your refrigerator where they will stay good for months. Enjoy better health and immunity be eating some fermented vegetables every day!