I find fermentation fascinating and am really excited to be diving into it with you! I am by no means a professional at this, but have been asked regularly how I ferment my vegetables, so I thought I’d document the process in case it helps you try it too.
I’ve included some frequently asked questions below before going into the step-by-step. I hope this is helpful, I try to link to other places below for more information if you are interested in reading further.
Although I’ve gone back and forth with ferments in my diet over time, I owe it to Luise for inspiring me to make it a forever-habit. It may seem intimidating at first, but I promise once you do it a few times this process is really fun and rewarding!
x Jessie
What is lacto-fermentation?
Lacto-fermentation is the process of the sugars found in vegetables being broken down and eaten by the bacteria lacto bacilli. This bacteria is naturally found in all fruits and vegetables (so cool). Relying on this bacteria to digest the sugars alone is called wild fermentation, meaning, you are letting the wild bacteria do its thing rather than adding a culture of some kind.
Submerging the veggies under a saltwater brine gets rid of the presence of oxygen and provides a safe environment for the good bacteria to thrive. While the microbes are beneficial to eat, the lactic acid they create is as well. Lactic acid in the stomach and digestive tract has been shown to create an environment where healthy bacterial populations can thrive, and the harmful organisms (such as parasites) cannot.
Fermentation also unlocks nutrients that our digestive systems would otherwise not have access to—such as with red cabbage, which on average has 30mg of vitamin C per cup in its raw state, but 700mg once fermented (!).
Why do you make ferments?
Other than for the health reasons mentioned above, I really do just love the flavor of fermented foods. They are so tangy and exciting! Plus it helps produce to keep for longer. This is really helpful for when I’m stocking the fridge each week. I can cut back on how much fresh produce I need on hand if I have a handful of ferments in the fridge to fill holes with in our meals.
Is this different than making sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut is a form of lacto-fermentation too, but only requires cabbage and salt—no brine. It takes longer to ferment as well, around four weeks, and I hope to cover how to make this in another post! I couldn’t fit it in here this time, but should be making another batch soon so I can document it for you. A few great resources online to get you started: here and here.
What equipment is needed?
There are several types of jars you can use, but I prefer Le Parfait. An airtight seal is needed, but you also want to have a lid that will allow for the carbon dioxide to off-gas during fermentation. I’ve found these to work really well due to their rubber rings, but popping around online you can see various jars others use too if these aren’t an option for you.
A scale is best to calculate the brine percentage needed depending on which vegetables you choose. Measuring any other way feels a bit risky to me, seeing as too little salt can lead to mold growth and/or mushy vegetables.
Different salts vary in weight and I was told by Luise to use Himalayan sea salt, so this is what I do.
That is all you need, very simple! Jars, a scale, Himalayan sea salt, and whichever veggies and spices you choose.
