Fermented Vegetables ( yes, you heard correctly)

Fermented Vegetables.

If you are looking into starting the GAPS protocol, this is essentially your starting point. It is used daily through most of the diet and health benefit wise, is just plain cool. IF however, you subscribed to this blog strictly for the gluten-free cookie recipes... I'm sorry, this post *probably * isn't for you... in fact.. if you are reading it at all it is quite possible you are doing so out of morbid curiosity as much as anything else. X

BUT, if you are looking for a recipe for easily digestible vitamins and minerals, as well as probiotics... than you've come to the right place. =)

My mother and I had a bit of a run-around with the recipes for fermenting vegetables. Frankly, it's not hard AT ALL, but we..really did not find a single one that was very clear at all. >.< SO! After some adjustments and clarifications. Here is OUR version of the recipe. (Yes, I'll be keeping it as simple as possible. )

This is what you will need.

Approximately 4lbs vegetables ( Carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage etc. You can use many kinds, but cabbage is the important one.)
One VERY large mixing bowl
2 half/gallon (mason style) jars with sealable lids. ( If you are doing a half of a recipe, two quart sized jars are fine.)
A knife or food processor. ( food processors make it go quicker, but really aren't necessary.)

Pure (non city) water,
Culture starter (optional)
Honey ( only needed if using the culture starter.)
Fresh herbs of whatever kind you like to flavor it with (optional)
Sea salt

This is what you will need to do.

Wash the vegetables.

Dissolve the culture starter into a cup of 90 degree water with approximately ½ tsp honey.

Finely chop ( or food processor) the vegetables, leaving several cabbage leaves whole for later use.

Put them in the bowl. ( This step is so complicated I know. ;)

Add 3 TBS sea salt to approximately 2 cups warm (approx 90 degree) water. ( This is a basic starter measurement... you can use a lot more water than this if you would like more brine! You will need enough brine to cover your vegetables once you put them in the jars, so if this doesn't cover them. Make more. =)

Add the brine to the vegetables and “knead” the vegetables. This kind of bruises them a little bit and also makes them juicer. Do it as long as you feel like. There is no need to knock yourself out with this, but a minute or two of kneading would be good. =) Squish them hard.

Add herbs (if desired)

Add dissolved culture starter ( if desired)

Mix very well.

With a utensil, or your hand, pack the vegetables into the jars and fill with brine, making sure to leave about two/two and a half inches of space at the top of the jars. Also, when you pack them in, make sure there are no air bubbles left in between them (the brine helps this). If there is air inside, the vegetables touching the air will rot instead of fermenting.

Take the whole cabbage leaves that you saved and fold them into a little “ pillow” about the same size around as the jar. (you may have to trim them a little..)
Pack the leaf “pillow” into the mouth of your jar making sure it is touching the sides of the jar as well as the vegetables/brine underneath. This creates kind of a natural seal that helps seal it, but also allows the bubbles of gas to escape as the vegetables ferment.

Put the lids on the jars “snugly”. ( You know, Goldy Locks style, not incredible hulk style... Otherwise you will probably *need * the dear mister Hulk to help you get those silly lids off again later.)

Set the jars some place that stays approximately 70 degrees... and (here's the hard part) leave them alone and watch the action. ;)

Leave the jars for approximately a week to 10 days or two weeks. They will bubble an change a bit here and there but really all you have to do is leave them alone. ( Note on this part, we filled the jars too full the first time and they bubbled juice all over the counter, so, be warned. It could get a little messy.)

At the end of that time, you can either use them right away, or put them in the refrigerator. They will store in the fridge around 4 weeks or so.

When you go to use them, open the jars and remove and discard the cabbage leaves and anything touching them or that fell off of them that looks dark or discolored. You will note that the leaves rotted due to being exposed to the air, while the rest of the vegetables ( if done correctly) will be just fine. Pretty cool eh? I have to comment, they will taste SOUR... not sour as in bad just as in.. make you pucker if you're not expecting it. X)

The juice can be used in soups or as a salad dressing, the veggies themselves can be added to a salad, or used like sauerkraut on sausage ( or whatever else you use sauerkraut on...) as a condiment/probiotic supplement or side dish. =)

Note; if you want more and more flavorful brine/juice, you can take up to ½ of your vegetables and herbs with some of the salt water and blend them in a blender to make more brine.

Also note; You honestly don't need the culture starter to ferment vegetables! ( as long as you have not-overly-sanitized cabbage.)
We wanted to make sure we did it right the first time, and also wanted lots of (and several kinds of) good bacteria in ours, so we bought a Culture Starter from Body Ecology. (pictured below) It is good stuff, works well, and is not dairy-based like many others. (in case you are allergic to dairy like I am) It *is * somewhat expensive however, so that may be something to note.

We have since tried fermenting vegetables without it. It works just fine. =)