Lacto Fermented Beets Recipes

FERMENTING BEETS

Steps:

• Prep your beets: remove the greens and wash your beets. Cut off the tops and the roots. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then, cut your beets as you wish (you can go with thin slices or cube the beets... It doesn't matter how you cut your beets just take into consideration that the thinner you slice the beets the faster they'll soften).
• Pack the jar: wash your jar with warm water and dish soap. Pack the jar with the beets. Make sure to leave 1-1 1/2 inch of headspace for the fermentation weight.
• Add the mustard seeds or other seasonings (see notes).
• Add the brine: dissolve a tablespoon of salt in a cup of water and add it to the jar. Repeat until the jar is filled with brine. Place a fermentation weight on top of the beets. Make sure the beets are covered with brine.
• Let ferment: close the jar with the lid (use a plastic freezer lid or a fermentation lid) and set on a plate to catch any liquid that spills out in the fermentation process. Place your jar at room temperature to ferment.After a couple of days, you'll see bubbles starting to form inside the jar. If you are not using a special fermentation weight, make sure to open the jar once a day to let the gas out then close it again (just twist the lid as if you are going to open the jar and after a few seconds twist it back again). It should take 7-10 days for a quart jar to ferment. The brine in the jar will become foggy and then after about a week, it will clear again. When the brine is clear again the beets are ready.
• Store the jar in the fridge or a root cellar for best results or at room temperature for a couple of months.

LACTO-FERMENTED TURNIPS & BEETS

Steps:

• Make your brine by dissolving salt in water. Simply combine salt and water in a half-gallon jar and stir, stir, stir until the salt dissolves.
• Peel, quarter and slice the turnips and beets.
• Mix them up to incorporate.
• Fill as many quart jars as necessary to use up all prepared vegetables.
• Press down on the veggies to make sure they're packed in well and don't fill up higher than within 1 inch of the top.
• Pour whey, if using, and brine over top.
• Add a grape leaf, if using, to each jar and tuck in around the edges of the vegetables to help keep them submerged.
• Put the lids and bands on the jars and tighten securely.
• Leave on the counter at room temperature for about 3 days. You will know they are fermenting because the mixture in the jar will be very bubbly.
• Transfer the jars to cold storage until you are ready to eat them.

RAW FERMENTED BEETS

Steps:

• Distribute beet chunks between two jars with lids. Add 2 cloves garlic, 3 peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf to each jar.
• Combine water and salt in a bowl to make the brine; stir until salt is completely dissolved. Pour enough brine into the jars to completely cover the beets.
• Screw on lids and let jars sit at room temperature until foam starts to appear on top, about 1 week. Transfer jars to a cool place (50 degrees F, 10 degrees C) for 2 to 3 days after foam appears. Store in the refrigerator.

LACTO-FERMENTED SPICY BEETS

Steps:

• Wash and peel the beets. Cut off the top and root end. Uniformly slice on a mandolin directly into a bowl. Or use a knife. Cut onion into uniform slices using a mandolin or knife. Wash and slice the jalapeno. If you wish to have less heat, remove as many seeds as possible. Peel the papery skin from the garlic. Cut into fine slices. Combine water and salt in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt. Place all vegetable slices into the jar or small crock. Add spices. Pour in brine (water/salt mixture). If the brine does not cover the vegetables, create more brine at a ratio of 1 teaspoon per 8oz. cup of water. Place a weight on vegetables to keep them submerged. Top jar with lid and airlock. Leave the container out on a countertop or table so you check the fermentation process. Allow the batch to sit at room temperature for at least four days. Taste your ferment on day five. Not tangy enough? Allow fermenting at room temperature for another day or two. After that, replace the lid with airlock with a solid lid and set the container in a refrigerator.

EASY FERMENTED BEETS AND TURNIPS RECIPE

Steps:

• Have ready a spotlessly clean 1-liter (1-quart) glass jar, preferably with an airlock such as this one. No need to sterilize the jar; you can just clean it in hot soapy water or run it through a dishwasher cycle.
• Arrange the beets and turnips in the jar in alternating layers, sprinkling with the salt as you go. When packed tightly, this amount should fill your jar and leave about 3 cm (1 1/2 inches) of space from the top. Don't fill it more than that.
• Top up with the filtered water, leaving 2 cm (1 inch) of space at the top.
• Lock the jar, place it on a shallow soup plate (this is to collect any overflow of juices) and allow to ferment at room temperature for 1 week. You may hear some fermentation chatter after a couple of days -- fizzing, hissing, whistling -- this is all normal and a good sign that fermentation is taking place.
• After 1 week, pop the jar open and have a taste. If the pickles taste just right to you, transfer to the fridge and start eating them. If you'd like the acidity and flavor to develop further, allow to ferment for a few more days, tasting daily, until the pickles are to your taste.
• Once refrigerated, the pickles will keep for over a year. (Amazing, right?)