General Recipe
You can experiment with various vegetables. Here are some guidelines to help you get started:
Cabbage - Contains plenty of bacteria naturally available and is a recommended source for fermentation. It makes an excellent base for your fermented vegetables.
Carrots - Despite their sugar content, carrots are fine to use because the sugar gets broken down and turns into lactic acid during fermentation.
Celery - Used to make celery juice with which the starter culture is mixed.
Other veggies, herbs and fruits in our recipe include: golden beets, ginger, garlic, Granny Smith apples, sweet potatoes and parsley. You can add other herbs and vegetables for optimum taste.
Himalayan Salt (optional) - If you choose not to use celery juice, you can add 1 ½ tbsp. of Himalayan salt to a quart of filtered or distilled water as an alternative. The water must be filtered or distilled to prevent the veggies from rotting due to chemicals in tap water.
Easy-to-Follow Steps
Shred and cut your chosen vegetables. Cabbage makes a great base.
Juice some celery. Used as a brine, it contains natural sodium and keeps the vegetables anaerobic. However, if you prefer to use salt, you can add 1 ½ tbsp. of Himalayan salt to a quart of filtered or distilled water in lieu of celery juice. The water must be filtered or distilled to prevent the veggies from rotting due to chemicals in tap water. Use one pre-measured stick pack for every quart of vegetables you have of Kinetic Culture in the juice.
Pack the veggies and celery juice into a wide-mouthed canning jar. A kraut pounder tool can help compress the ingredients and eliminate air pockets.
Top with a cabbage leaf, tucking it down the sides. Make sure the veggies are completely covered with celery juice and that the juice tops off the jar to eliminate trapped air.
If using a regular Mason jar lid, cap the lid loosely to allow the gases to escape, or use one of my Fermenting Jar Lids, which will allow the gases to escape without releasing the odor. Then store the jar in a warm, slightly moist place for 24 to 96 hours, depending on the food being cultured. The ideal temperature range is 68 to 75° Fahrenheit, 85° max (20 to 24° Celsius, 29° max).
When done, store in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process. Experiment and enjoy the results!
To Make Our Recipe
First, prepare the celery juice. Clean 1 bunch of celery, putting it through the juicer to extract the juice. Or, you can add 1 ½ tbsp. of Himalayan salt to a quart of filtered or distilled water as an alternative.
Use one pre-measured packet of Kinetic Culture for every quart of vegetables. The vegetables mentioned in the recipe below will produce between 6 and 8 quarts. Add the starter culture to the celery juice or salt mixture and stir well.
Gather the vegetables you want to use and scrub them clean.
Cut them up into small enough pieces to add to your shredder. Save some cabbage leaves for later. If using hot peppers, be sure to use a plastic or rubber glove to avoid burning your fingers.
Shred the vegetables. You will need:
2 medium heads of cabbage
3 ¼ pounds of carrots
⅓ of a red bell pepper
½ of a large sweet potato
½ a bunch of golden beets
½ of a Granny Smith apple
1 bunch of parsley
½ a bunch of cilantro
4 inches of ginger root
1 head of garlic
Mix your ingredients evenly in your bowl. Add the celery juice or salt mixture with the probiotic and mix well. It's important to have the culture distributed throughout all the vegetables.
Fill your cleaned jars. We use quart-sized Ball jars. Pack the shredded vegetables as tightly as you can, using a masher to eliminate air pockets.
Be sure to leave a half inch or so at the top for your cabbage leaf cover.
Arrange a cabbage leaf over the top of the vegetables, tucking the edges down inside the jar. Make sure the vegetables are completely submerged with the celery juice or salt mixture.
Screw on the lid loosely. Carbon dioxide is produced during fermentation, so you want to be able to allow air to escape as the vegetables ferment. I recommend to use one of my Fermenting Jar Lids, which is equipped with a pressure valve to allow the gases to escape and a carbon filter to reduce odors. Find a location where the temperature will be stable, like a cooler, and allow to ferment for about seven days.
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Best Practices
Your fermented vegetables will last for approximately 3 months in the refrigerator. Do not freeze them.
Do NOT seal the jar tightly with a standard jar lid. During the fermentation process, carbon dioxide is produced. If you close the jar too tightly, the gas will not be able to escape and your jar can break ideally you’ll want to use a Fermenting Jar Lid, which has been specially designed to allow the gases to escape while eliminating odors.
Make sure your vegetables are always covered in brine. This prevents your vegetables from turning rancid.
Resist the urge to eat out of the jar! This can introduce organisms from your mouth into the jar. Instead, always use a clean spoon to portion what you want to eat; then, ensuring the remaining veggies are covered with brine solution, recap the jar.
Storing and Enjoying Your Fermented Vegetables
Your fermented vegetables should keep for approximately 3 months in your refrigerator.
You can remove the cabbage leaf after your vegetables are done with their initial ferment. Just make sure your vegetables remain under the brine. If they are not under the brine, they can become rotten.
Use a clean spoon to get your fermented vegetables out of your jar. Using a dirty spoon can introduce unwanted bacteria into your fermented vegetables.
If you haven't eaten fermented vegetables before, start with just a few teaspoons and work your way up to a ½ cup with each meal.
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