Does anyone here do any fermenting, as in vegetable fermenting?

[denverbill]

I had no idea it was even possible until a month or so ago and now I'm quite interested in it.

I've fermented several jars of cucumbers which have turned out pretty well. I also tried some carrot greens with garlic which also were pretty tasty. I've got horseradish going as well.

Just curious if other DUers have tried this before.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Nope, but I have to admit, I've considered it.

Although I was thinking of starting simple, with sauerkraut, if I can ever get cabbage producing in any quantity in the garden.

[denverbill]

2. I'm very new to it. It just floors me that it seems to be so safe and simple.

I bought Katz's book on fermenting. Every time I've canned anything previously it seemed like such a risky proposition with everything having to be sterile and exact measurements of acidity, etc.

Now, it's like put stuff in water, salt to taste and see what happens. I just had no idea you could make sour pickles with just cucumbers and water (and whatever spices, etc).

I want to do cabbage real soon, but not sure whether sauerkraut or kimchi.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. Isn't that the deal with Clausen pickles?

They say something about never having been heated on the jars.

And I've never worried about acidity when canning, but I've only ever done jellies, jams, and relish. And you're boiling all of those prior to canning.

[denverbill]

6. From what I've read, Claussen is just pickled in vinegar, not fermented.

I think they are just refrigerated through the whole process. I made some quick pickles this summer that way myself, where you just use spices and vinegar and pop them in the fridge. Those turned out really well. As long as you plan to eat them in a month or so, you don't need to sterilize anything or boil the cucumbers.

[w0nderer]

4. By fermenting do you mean?

http://nourishedkitchen.com/fermented-food-lactic-acid-fermentation/ (for conservation preservation)
normal fermentation (for wine or similar)
brewers yeast (alcohol being purpose)

[denverbill]

7. The first, although I do the other kind of fermentation as well.

I occasionally make beer or cider, and I have sourdough I make bread with a couple times a week.

The yeast fermentation I had known about forever. Lactic acid fermentation was news to me. It's just so counter-intuitive to me that you can preserve vegetables in nothing more than water.

[pscot]

5. I have read that 5% brine

is the basic element. The Italians have been doing it for 2000 years. Now days were told to boil the brine and load it with vinegar. That isn't really fermented. I do peppers that way, with a pretty fair result. Certainly cheaper than store bought. I've been intending to try some Gardiniere for about 5 years now.

[denverbill]

8. According to what I've read, the salt is more for taste than preservation.

You can apparently do it with no salt at all, though everything I've tried to date I have done with salt, and generally about 5%.

I want to try Gardiniere as well. It will be interesting to see how different it tastes from store bought.

[Warpy]

9. No, the vinegar is to make it safe for canning.

Sauerkraut used to be made in barrels in the basement, layers of shredded cabbage sprinkled with salt until the barrel was full. It was extremely unpleasant when a barrel went bad, a favorite story of relatives of my grandparents' generation.

Likewise, I've drowned daikon in tamari and the resulting vegetable was light and very sweet, odd because neither ingredient started out that way.

Some items, like medlar pears and compacted, drained cheeses, are only good after they've been left to ferment all the way to what some would consider rot, complete with mold.

The idea is to use at least some salt to discourage pathogens.

[justhanginon]

10. I enjoy and occasionally make Kim-Chi which I believe is a fermented

vegetable dish from Korea. It can be made with several different vegetables such as Napa cabbage, cucumbers etc. Simple to make and delicious as a side or in recipes.

[denverbill]

11. Yes that's one of the most common veggies to ferment, cabbage. Kim-chi and sauerkraut.

Do you have a recipe for your kim-chi?

[grasswire]

12. I have made fermented dill pickles in years past.

They are delicious.

But for the past several years now I am making a dill pickle recipe that uses boiling hot vinegar brine over the cucumbers, dill, garlic and a red pepper, and then those jars go into the fridge and last all winter. No processing in a hot water bath. They are VERY crisp and delicious. Of course, nearly the whole bottom shelf is filled with quart jars until I give some away at Christmas.