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What Are Lacto Fermented Vegetables?
It sounds like a bad science experiment. And a science experiment it is, but not a bad one… Let’s start at the beginning.
A couple of months ago, I went to my garden club and the instructor/facilitator Karen brought in something for us to try. She had made some lacto fermented kohlrabi. Well, I love kohlrabi. That was one of my “grow something new each year” items from a couple of years ago. But lacto fermented? (whatever that is) Well, I’ll try almost anything once. Boy was I surprised at how good it was! We ended up polishing the rest of the dish off. Then we asked for the recipe.
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What Are Lacto Fermented Vegetables Anyway?
Lacto Fermenting fruits and vegetables have been around for thousands of years. It was an ancient way of preserving food before refrigeration and canning was invented. Lactobacillus bacteria, which is present on the surface of all plants, has the ability to convert sugars to lactic acid. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria & preserves the vitamin and enzyme levels.
Why Would Anyone Want To Lacto Ferment Their Food?
Having grown up in a culture that thinks you have to pasteurize and refrigerate everything, and if it’s one day past the printed expiration date it has to be thrown out, most people have never had fermented food. Instead, they eat food stripped of the live bacteria the gut needs to stay in balance. Fermented food puts the good bacteria back in your gut.
Some of the reported benefits of fermented foods are that they aid in digestion, support the immune system, and they are teeming with beneficial bacteria that boost digestive health.
With beneficial probiotics, digestive enzymes, and health-boosting nutrients, they can balance gut bacteria & stomach acids, improve digestion and make your body more able to absorb nutrients.
They can also help reduce constipation. Eating them on a regular basis will help heal your digestive tract. Who knew, when Karen brought the fermented kohlrabi in for us to try, she was doing something that was so good for us!
Why Lacto Ferment?
- To get healthy probiotics in your food
- Create a tasty treat
- Preserve your harvest
- Doesn’t require much energy to preserve
- Food will last for months
Sally Fallon in her book Nourishing Traditions* writes:
“Lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances. Lactic acid promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.”
What Can You Lacto Ferment?
Most fruits and vegetables can be fermented, But some are easier than others. Fruits and things with a lot of sugar take more care and a little different process. Some turn out better than others. The most popular and easiest items are beets, radishes, onions, green beans, carrots, cabbage (sauerkraut), and kohlrabi. All of these can be lacto fermented with the method I spell out below. For things like fruit chutney, you will need a different recipe.
What Can You Ferment Your Vegetables In?
Traditionally, crocks were generally used.
You can also use a mason jar with a one-way airlock. But you can also just use a mason jar with a weight to keep the food under the brine. I had planned to use the weights. I had read that marbles in a ziploc bag worked well. I asked my husband if he had any and he said no, he had lost all his marbles. *grin*. I ended up not needing a weight anyway. I had an empty sour cream container which I cleaned really well. I cut the top to fit inside the jar, below the shoulders. As it turns out the shoulders held it down, yet because it is flexible, I could bend it to get it in the jar. As you can see there are many options. Just make sure all the solids are kept submerged under the brine.
So let’s get started.
How Do You Make Lacto Fermented Vegetables?
*As my Grandmother used to say, the first ingredient is always a clean bowl. In other words, make sure everything is thoroughly washed and dried. It doesn’t have to be sterilized, but it must be clean.
*Mix up the brine, using 2 cups of distilled water to 1 tablespoon of non-iodized salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved. The water is important as any chlorine in your water will kill the bacteria that will ferment your food. Iodized salt will make it cloudy and will impart an odd taste. Believe me, I’m a big proponent of iodized salt and believe it is important in our diet. Just not in this recipe. I used pickling salt. Sea salt will work too.
*Clean and peel your vegetables, and slice or dice them to the size you would like. Make sure they will fit in the jar. Add herbs of your choosing. I used 2 cloves of sliced garlic and 4 sprigs of fresh dill weed. I will add more next time. Maybe a little jalapeno too.
*Put vegetables and herbs in your jar. Pour brine in on top. Make sure you leave 1″ to 1 1/2″ of headspace (space above the brine). It can bubble over.
*Put something on top of vegetables to keep them under the water. This is important. This is an anaerobic process. The presence of oxygen once fermentation has begun will ruin the final product.
*Cover with a dish towel or a coffee filter to keep dust etc. out. Let it sit at room temperature, approximately 72°. It will take more time if it is cooler, less time if it is warmer.
*Bubbles will begin to rise. This lets you know it is working. If it develops a white foam or scum on top just spoon it off. This is perfectly normal and fine. (if it is black, pink, or green see below) Let ferment for 3 to 10 days. After 3 days start tasting it. When it tastes the way you want, put a cover on it and put it in a cool place to store and start eating it. Some people will put it in a cool place like a root cellar others the refrigerator. If your house is cool (45°- 60°) you can just keep it on the table. I live in Florida. HELLO. It’s going in the refrigerator. The flavor will continue to develop as it ages.
*You can store this for 6 months or more. If it lasts that long. Mine is going to be eaten in less than 2 weeks! It’s So Good! The kohlrabi stayed nice and crunchy. I’m going to make some more and this time I’m going to try beets, carrots and green beans too. What a great way to eat your vegetables!
How Do You Eat Fermented Vegetables?
You can put it in a sandwich or a salad or just use it as a side like you would pickles. But for the greatest health benefit, don’t cook it. Cooking will kill a lot of those wonderful enzymes you just created.
How Do You Know If It Has Gone Bad?
The occasional batch that goes bad is not a danger as there are sure signs that it has spoiled. First it will have a green, pink or black mold and second, it will have such a terrible putrid smell that nothing could persuade you to eat it. So rest assured this is a safe way to preserve your vegetables. Holly has an article Here about fermentation troubleshooting and a good recipe for sauerkraut too. If you keep it clean and keep your vegetables under your brine, you should be good to go.
Now go make some!
- A special Thank You To Karen for sharing this with me.
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Happy Backyard Homesteading!
I believe everyone can grow at least part of their own food! Let me show you how.
This sound so easy. And I love your humor! Thanks for sharing this.
It really is easy. And I love the crunch of the kohlrabi. Thanks for stopping by.