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In March we ate the last of 5 1/2 gallons of lacto-fermented vegetables. They stored for over six months in our refrigerator and I didn’t boil a single pot of water.
I think everyone should try lacto-fermentation for three reasons:
- The product is a living food, full of enzymes and probiotics.
- The process is much faster than waterbath or pressure canning.
- The process (and storage) can be done with zero energy usage.
A healthier product in less time and with less energy usage? Yes please!
How It Works
Before the advent of modern day canning, most of our fore-mothers preserved the harvest through lacto-fermentation. Dill pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi are all products of this preservation method.
Vegetables can be preserved simply with salt, water and spices – no boiling water baths necessary. The fermentation process creates lactic acid, nature’s preservative.
This was one of the only options for preserving food until canning and electricity were so widespread. There is no need to “process” the jars and they can be stored in a root cellar or other cool place.
Photo by JoePhoto
Health Benefits
When we lost touch with this food preservation technique we also lost touch with the unparalleled health benefits that came with it. Sally Fallon is a huge proponent of lacto-fermentation in her book Nourishing Traditions
The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.
Tips From One Beginner To Another
Because we have grown up in a culture that thinks you have to pasteurize everything, you may wonder if you are going to poison your family by using this method. To ease you into it, here are a few things that I learned along the way:
- If you are intimidated by the process, know that you’ll get used to it. You will know if a batch has gone bad and you will find that once you figure out the basic process, there is little to it.
- You can use whey (which you can get by straining yogurt through a coffee filter), which contains lactic acid and gets the ball rolling. I mostly replace the whey with a little bit of extra salt, but found that when starting out it is nice as “insurance.”
- Don’t be confined to recipes. Preserve whatever it is that you have in abundance, in any combination. Add flavors and spices that you like. Just be careful not to cut beets too small as they contain a lot of sugar and can produce alcohol.
- Be sure to leave 1-2 inches of head space. The fermentation process can cause the vegetables to “bubble up”.
- Clean your jars and equipment very well. You want to avoid bad bacteria at all costs in order to allow the good bacteria to proliferate.
- To help pickles keep their crunch, add clean grape leaves. The tannins in the leaves are said to perform this act.
Recipes
Last year I put up 1 1/2 gallons of cortido, 2 gallons of pickles, and 2 gallons of salsa. Salsa is by far our favorite, though no vegetable will be safe this year.
These are the recipes that got me (and my family) hooked on fermented vegetables.
Photo by bookgrl
Cultured Salsa
adapted from Nourishing Traditions
by Sally Fallon
- 4 medium tomatoes, about 2 pounds total
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 1-2 bell peppers, seeded
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (or not if you prefer more spice)
- 1 bunch cilantro
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- If you prefer peeled tomatoes: score the bottoms, drop into boiling water for about 15 seconds, remove and place in ice water. The peels should come off easily.
- Chop all ingredients by hand or with a food processor to desired consistency. Mix and place in a very clean quart-sized, wide mouth mason jar. Press down with a wooden spoon, adding more water to cover the vegetables. Be sure to leave 1-2″ head space.
- Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days before transferring to cold storage.
Photo by bookgrl
Cortido
A Latin American Sauerkraut from Nourishing Traditions
by Sally Fallon
- 1 large cabbage, cored and shredded
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 2 medium onions, quartered lengthwise and very finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
- In a large bowl mix cabbage with carrots, onions, oregano, red pepper flakes, sea salt and whey.
- Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for about 10 minutes to release juices.
- Place in 2 quart-sized, wide mouth mason jars and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jars.
- Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
Photo by Shannon
Garlic-Dill Cucumber Pickles
adapted from Nourishing Traditions
by Sally Fallon
- 4-5 pickling cucumbers or 15-20 gherkins
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, snipped
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
- 1-2 clean grape or oak leaves
- 1 cup filtered water
- Wash cucumbers well and place in a quart-sized wide mouth jar.
- Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cucumbers, adding more water if necessary to cover the cucumbers. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.
- Cover tightly and keep and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
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Have you ever tried lacto-fermentation? Would you be willing to give it a shot?
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I’m curious, how do you know when they are “ready?” Are they edible after the 3 days of sitting out, after you put them in the refrigerator… when? Also, how long do they keep for after you put them in the refrigerator? Or does it even have to be a refrigerator? Thanks!
Tamara – Great question! You know they are done when they are bubbly. That indicates fermentation. You can do the fermentation in a slower process by keeping it in a cooler location. 2-3 days is for a room temperature situation. 2 days when it is really warm.
They keep for months in the refrigerator. I think I mentioned in the article that I made my ferments in August – September and we finished the last of them off around March or April.
You can also store them in a root cellar or cool basement, as our foremothers would have before refrigeration.
Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
So THAT’S the purpose of the grape leaves in pickles! I always wondered about that…
How important is it that the water be filtered?
Jennifer Jo\’s last blog: Simple Bites- In the pits
Jennifer Jo – I think fairly important
. I believe it is the chlorine and fluoride in city water that is both not recommended for health reasons and for the fact that the chemicals can interfere with the fermentation process.
Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
This sounds interesting! I knew that sauerkraut and kimchi were fermented (and won’t hurt me if I eat them), but I had no clue you could do it with other food too! Do these other recipes you’ve shared have strong flavors like sauerkraut? Where does one find grape leaves? I’ve never seen them on a bunch of grapes at the grocery store (and I don’t live near a vineyard). Also, what keeps the food from going bad during the fermentation? Is it the fact that the container is sealed and has the whey and salt?
Kara – Most fermented foods have a sour, “fermented” taste. Though I think salsa is the most forgiving and I would start there if I were you.
I find grape leaves on wild grape vines growing in our backyard. You can also buy them in jars. Another option is oak leaves off an oak tree if you have one. Just wash them and use them the same way as the grape leaves.
The food is kept from spoiling by the lactic acid present in the fermenting process. The salt keeps the bad bacteria from forming long enough for the lactic acid to take hold. Whey, if used, also contains lactic acid and is good “insurance” to make sure that it starts off on the right foot.
Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
I’m so excited about this! I’m in Florida, and the last thing I want to do is heat my house up any more than it already is with boiling all sorts of stuff. I do have a question–what about well water, which has no chlorine or flouride? Or do I need to buy grocery store filtered water? I just visited the farmer’s market yesterday, so I think I have everything else that I need to make the salsa!
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Ivy Mae – I would say use your well water. Because it does not contain the chemicals it should be fine. After all those who came before us probably used well or creek water and did it for hundreds of years that way
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Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
I am so excited about this post! I made sauerkraut last year and wanted to expand my horizons this year. We are just finishing the kraut I made last summer; the flavor just got better with time and it’s a year old this month! The purple cabbage kraut is very pretty, but we like the taste of the green cabbage best. I already have two more jars bubbling away for next year and a cabbage sitting on my counter waiting to be shredded. I love that this takes so little energy or effort and you get so much nutrition in return. I’ve been looking for a good fermented pickle recipe (thank you!) and I can’t wait to try the salsa. Yay Simple Bites!
Scary, but I’m going to give it a try.
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I love it that lacto-fermentation is taking hold! I’ve been experimenting with it as well, and I’m trying this salsa next. I have a batch of ginger soda brewing up right now, and I’m looking forward to trying it! Thanks for the post!
Tanya – Yum, ginger soda.
This post is just packed with information, thanks Shannon!
I particularly can’t wait to try the salsa, as I think it would be a hit with my hubby. Do you think I can get whey at my local health foods store? I’m going to check.
Aimee – I don’t know that you can buy liquid whey. To make the whey simply take plain yogurt and strain through a clean kitchen towel or a coffee filter within a sieve. The yellowish liquid that drips out will be whey. The stuff on top is like cream cheese – yum!
Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
Looks tasty & healthy – I will have to get over the fear of stuff “going bad” and give it a try! My family loves fermented kimchi – can you recommend a recipe?
Robin – I made some last week, an adaptation of the recipe in Nourishing Traditions. I have yet to find a recipe that to me tastes dead on.
Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
One of the things that is so great about lacto-fermentation is that you can do small batches, which is easier to tackle if you have little ones, and also handy if you have a small garden and only have a dozen or so cucumbers to pickle at a time, as we did last summer. My kids love to help stuff the jars, and they really love these pickles. The only drawback IS the storage space, but an old fridge in the garage is an option we used for a while. The grape leaf tip – I haven’t heard that before, Shannon. Can’t wait to try!
Well, I made the salsa last night, and now it’s sitting on my countertop looking gorgeous. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the recipe.
Ivy Mae – Excellent, hope you like it!
Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
I’m going to try the salsa and the pickles!
This is intriguing–never heard of it before. Thanks for sharing–I might give the salsa a try! One question–how do you store them in a cold environment and yet figure zero energy usage?
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Wendy – The cold environment would have to be a root cellar or cool basement, of course. I don’t have either of those so store them in the fridge. But hopefully some day
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Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
Did I understand right? I don’t have to “process” (boil in my opinion) the jars? I’m trying to lacto-ferment peaches…
Chelly – No you do not have to boil them. You might be able to make a peach chutney. See Nourishing Traditions for some recipes. I am not experienced in fermenting fruit and it can be tricky because the high sugar content can cause it to go directly to alcohol instead of lactic acid.
Shannon\’s last blog: Very Berry Breakfast Ice Cream
This is a great post, I’m going to have to try this! Last year I made sauerkraut, and I didn’t even know I was doing “lacto-fermentation”. I just went by what my boyfriend’s grandma told me to do! Although, she did tell me to process the jars after several days, but now I’m thinking I don’t need to.
And I’m really excited to learn the oak leaf in the pickles trick. I have oak trees all over my yard!
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Great post:) I think I tried the NT recipes for fermentation and didn’t use whey, but instead used the salt; and if I remember correctly, they ended up tasting too salty. Have you come across that at all? If so, how much did you reduce the salt? I haven’t done any veggie fermentations this year but really want to start now before things are out of season.
Gina – Yes I know exactly what you mean. When I make a ferment that is too salty I use it like a condiment on stir fries, sandwiches, etc. The salt factor dissipates when used as a seasoning.
I also play with the salt content a bit, veering away from NT’s recipes. I don’t think it has to be really salty, just salty enough to prevent the bad bacteria from taking hold. It also mellows the longer it sits.
Shannon\’s last blog: Fats to Eat- Fats to Avoid… or Why We Eat Butter
I’m excited to try a green cabbage sauerkraut. I’m hooked on the Eden Organic Sauerkraut and never understood why it’s so amazing when it’s just cabbage, salt and water. Now I realize it’s probably the lack of vinegar that makes it amazing. I’m going to try making it with whey since I’d like to cut back on salt a bit.
My favourite breakfast is toast from sturdy wholegrain bread, topped with
- tahini
- light miso (tiny bit)
- sauerkraut (a couple of tablespoon per slice of toast)
- a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and nori seaweed
This may be the weirdest breakfast you’ve heard of, but if you already know and like all these ingredients, give it a shot. I can’t get enough.
Thanks for the salsa recipey – I’ll definitely try it. We currently have a 3-gallon crock of pickles dilling and I hope it works, or else that’s a lot of cukes gone bad. We tried to make salsa the regular way last night and it just seemed to take a long time and turned to mush. So I want to try something new that doesn’t require cooking. Do you find that it tastes fresher?
Can I cut the cukes? Or is it better to leave them whole?
I tried cutting the cucumbers, and it seemed to work well. I used whey, but I thought they were still a little too salty… am wondering now if adding some vinegar would be good at all.
Hi Shannon! what a LOVELY blog you have! I was just googling for a fermented peach salsa recipe and stumbled upon it! I am now following you. I think you would also like to visit my blog and link up to our real food love Two for Tuesday recipe blog hop! Please come by and check it out!
Alex@amoderatelife
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