Fermenting another option for preserving vegetables
People around the world have been fermenting food for thousands of years, as a way to preserve food without refrigeration.
Fermented foods are highly nutritious and digestible. They contain probiotics, which are good for your health. You don’t need special equipment to ferment vegetables — you probably have everything you need right in your kitchen.
All fresh vegetables naturally contain microorganisms like bacteria, yeasts and moulds. Some of these microorganisms will spoil vegetables, but certain bacteria are beneficial and under the right conditions can transform raw foods into something really special. The beneficial bacteria break down the natural sugars in the vegetable into forms that are easier to digest. Lactic acid is a by-product of fermentation which helps to control any harmful bacteria and preserves the vegetables.
PROPER FERMENTATION NEEDS:
• The right amount of additive-free salt
• Temperature of 21 C to 24 C (70 F to 75 F)
• No oxygen (achieved by covering the vegetables completely with brine)
• At least two weeks and up to four weeks for fermentation to complete
Proper salting is critical for successful fermentation. Too little salt is not enough to kill unwanted bacteria, while too much salt can stop fermentation, so don’t be tempted to adjust the salt in recipes. The best salts to use are pickling salt, canning salt or coarse salt. Read the salt label. Do not use salt that contains iodine or other additives. Iodine can interfere with fermentation and additives can cause your food to be dark or cloudy.
When fermenting, use food grade plastic containers, glass or ceramics. Don’t use containers that have scratches or cracks which might harbour harmful bacteria. Metal containers (except for stainless steel) may react with the acid in the food and give it a strange flavour or colour. Large ceramic crocks are good for fermenting larger amounts of food.
FERMENTED MIXED VEGETABLES
Ingredients:
• 500 grams (1 pound) of mixed vegetables of your choice
Try a mixture of cabbage (green or red), radish, turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, celery root, parsley root or peppers. Beets and carrots contain a lot of sugar — on their own, they may not ferment properly, but when small amounts are used in a vegetable mix, they work well. Avoid store-bought baby carrots; they don’t ferment well. Optional ingredients:
• For more flavour, add fresh ginger, garlic or onions.
• Add a little hot pepper to make it spicy.
• Add 2 ml (half-teaspoon) of dry herbs like caraway, celery seed or oregano.
• Pickling or canning salt. For small batches, use 10 ml (2 teaspoons) of salt for every 500 grams (1 pound) of vegetables.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Chop, grate or slice the vegetables. Weigh the vegetables and then measure the salt needed. Place both into a large, clean mixing bowl.
Using clean hands, thoroughly mix and knead the vegetables and the salt. The kneading and the salt will start to draw moisture out of the vegetables to create a brine.
Pack the vegetable mixture into a clean fermentation crock or other large, straight sided container.
Pack the mixture down. Fill the container up to three-quarters full.
Fill a large plastic bag with a quart of brine solution (1 quart filtered water plus 3 tablespoons of pickling salt). Seal the bag and set it on top of the mixture. This will weigh down the vegetables and keep air out until the vegetables form their own brine. It takes about 24 hours for brine to form in the vegetable mix.
Keep the crock at room temperature. After about three days of fermentation, salt tolerant bacteria will begin to produce natural acids that will ferment the food and give off carbon dioxide in the process. You may notice bubbles around the edge of the brine.
After this, check your mixture daily to make sure the vegetables are covered in brine. If the mix looks dry, add more from your bag.
Fermentation is finished when no more bubbles appear. This may take between two and four weeks.
Once fermentation is complete, store the vegetables and brine in a clean, sealed container in the fridge for up to six months. Mason jars work well for this. Make sure the vegetables are always covered in brine.
TIPS:
• If you notice scum on top of the brine, remove it with a slotted spoon.
• If your fermented vegetables are mouldy, slimy or smell bad, then something has gone wrong. Discard the entire batch.