Easy Lacto Fermented Vegetables Recipes

EASY LACTO-FERMENTED ONION RECIPE

Steps:

• Peel onions and remove the ends.
• Put mixing bowl on kitchen scale and zero it out.
• Slice onions thinly and move to the mixing bowl. Using a mandolin will help create uniformly thin slices.
• Note measurement of sliced onions in mixing bowl. It should be around 1.5lbs. If you have more than this, remove the extra. You can use the rest in dinner, a salad or refrigerate/freeze for future use.
• Add salt (approximately 8g or 1.5 tsp) and mix well.
• Move onions to jar, pressing down as you go along. Make sure your jar is clean and you don't fill past the shoulder. Onions tend to create plenty of juice so making the cut off the shoulder or a little below is pretty wise!
• Let ferment for one week at room temperature, and one week in the fridge. This is a ferment you will want to put on something to catch excess liquid just in case it leaks!
• Enjoy!!!

EASY LACTO-FERMENTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Source any good quality vegetables that you'd like to ferment. Great options include carrots, pickling cucumbers, hot peppers, small onions, cauliflower, garlic, beets, and cabbage. Also consider fresh herbs for flavor. Decide what texture you would like your ferment to have. You can slice, grate, crush, or even ferment your vegetables whole, depending on your choice of vegetable. Next, pack the prepared vegetables, garlic cloves, and any flavorful herbs you want to add into your fermenting vessel. Add red pepper flakes if you like spice. You can frement in a glass jar or bowl, or a stoneware or ceramic crock- just make sure it's good and clean! Be sure to pack them in as tightly as you can, so that no pieces will float to the surface. Mix up a brine by dissolving two tablespoons of good quality sea salt for every four cups(1 quart) of filtered water (room temperature). Mix up whatever amount of brine you need for the amount of fermented veggies you are making. Pour the brine over your packed vegetables. If anything floats to the surface, pack it back down. Also, consider using a clean cabbage leaf or fermentation weight to hold the pieces under the brine, as exposure to air will encourage the development of mold. Screw the jar lid on tightly, and be sure to loosen the lid every day ("burp" the jars) to release any gas buildup as your vegetables ferment. Using an airlock lid allows you to avoid that issue entirely, as airlocks are designed to release gas buildup without letting any air back in. Many love easy fermenter lids because you can just "set and forget". Ferment vegetables on your counter (or in any safe warm spot) for at least a week, avoiding direct sunlight exposure. Ferments one quart or smaller will generally take 1-2 weeks to ferment. Larger ferments could take anywhere from a couple weeks to a month or more. After a week, try your ferment to see how it tastes. It should have a nice, pleasantly sour, acidic taste and smell. If you like the taste as it is, your ferment is ready! If you'd like it to develop a stronger taste, check it again in a few days.