Fermenting vegetables: The easy way to make probiotics at home

I have been fermenting vegetables for the last six years. I cannot express the sense of contentment I feel. Gut health is such an underrated topic. I also really like the taste of pickled vegetables like cucumbers, kohlrabi and carrots. Fermenting them correctly will preserve the crunch as well as add a nice sweet sour taste.

While the vegetables are curing in the salt, bring water ing pot to a rolling bowil. Switch off the stove and let the water stop boiling. It should still be very very hot.

List of Ingredients:

This recipe is really simple. Listed below are some of the things you will need to make your first batch of fermented vegetables. To make it easier, I have Included the vegetables I show in the video.

• 1 kilo carrots

• 1 kilo Cucumbers

• 5 kilo Kohlrabi

• 4 bunches of red salad radishes

• Herbs like Dill to add (depends on you)

• Containers for fermenting vegetables

• Big pot for boiling water for said fermentation.

• Knife

• Chopping board

• Vegetable peeler

• Mixing bowls. This will depend on how many vegetables you are fermenting at a time.

• Sea Salt

Here are the directions to make your first batch of fermented vegetables:

1. Wash and dry your veggies.

2. Peel and cut your veggies as desired. I sliced the Kohlrabi finely, cut the carrots into sticks. I also de-seeded the cucumbers and cut them into long strips. De-seeding is necessary to reduce water content. I left the radishes whole as they taste better once fermented.

3. Put each vegetable in it's own mixing bowl and sprinkle with sea salt liberally. I leave it for 2-3 hours to soak in the salt.

4. While the vegetables are curing in the salt, bring water in a big pot to a rolling boil. Switch off the stove and let the water stop boiling. It should still be very very hot.

5. I like to run the glass jars under hot water to acclimatise them so they don't crack when they come into contact with the boiled water.

6. Leave them in the hot water for a few minutes.

7. Take out and leave to dry on a fresh and clean cloth. I used a fresh kitchen towel.

8. Once the jars have cooled and you can touch them, start filling them in with the vegetables. I did not remove the excess salt from the vegetables and even used the left over salty brine.

9. Add herbs to your jars if you wish. Add 1 cup of mother culture to start off the process.

10. Top off the jars with clean drinking water.

11. Close the jars and store it out of direct sunlight, at room temperature. Room temperature is taken at 22C.

12. Make sure to open the jars twice a day to let out the gasses from fermentation. This helps to avoid the jars from breaking under the buildup of gasses.

13. After 2 days store the jars in your refrigerator.

14. You can start consuming your vegetables after 1 week.

Troubleshooting:

If your fermented vegetables have a white slime, they should still be edible. However, I recommend washing the slime off the veggies and making a solution of sea salt and apple cider vinegar. This fixes the taste right away. This is usually how I fix the taste of my cultured vegetables if for some reason they don't taste as they should.

Thank you so much for joining me on my journey and allowing me to share my recipes with you. If you have any tips or if you try the recipe and would like to leave a comment, please do! We would love to hear your experience with fermented veggies!

Till next time!