Kosher salt in the jars with a bay leaf too. Everything is submerged so fingers crossed. I’m excited to see how they turn out.
What percent is your brine?View attachment 836339As the title states, my first attempt at fermenting vegetables. Peppers, cauliflower, carrots & garlic on the left. Pepper, green beans, asparagus and garlic on the right.
Kosher salt in the jars with a bay leaf too. Everything is submerged so fingers crossed. I’m excited to see how they turn out.
This might be a rookie mistake. I put six teaspoons of kosher salt in the quart size mason jar. The book I was reading said to use 1-2 teaspoons per cup of water. I figured six teaspoons would be sufficient given the amount of vegetables in the jar.What percent is your brine?
I use a kitchen scale. I usually have two jars. One has the food. I pack the food into it. I cover it to near top with water. I place the other jar on the scale, tare it, then dump the water from the first jar to the second. I get the weight in grams. I calculate what, say 5% of that number is, then tare the scale again. I then add that amount of salt in grams. I close the jar, shake it vigorously then pour the brine back into jar 1.This might be a rookie mistake. I put six teaspoons of kosher salt in the quart size mason jar. The book I was reading said to use 1-2 teaspoons per cup of water. I figured six teaspoons would be sufficient given the amount of vegetables in the jar.
Should I make a brine solution first then pour it in the packed jars? This way I can figure out the brine solution.
Awesome!!! Thank you for sharing your process! Just like anything else here you try, fail or succeed and keep trying while others assist along the way.I use a kitchen scale. I usually have two jars. One has the food. I pack the food into it. I cover it to near top with water. I place the other jar on the scale, tare it, then dump the water from the first jar to the second. I get the weight in grams. I calculate what, say 5% of that number is, then tare the scale again. I then add that amount of salt in grams. I close the jar, shake it vigorously then pour the brine back into jar 1.
Done.
This way I can be sure of percentages. I usually use tables like this to figure out proper brine percentages for the type of food: Brine Calculator - Brine Salt to Water Ratio - My Fermented Foods
Some foods need less than 5% and going over makes the food mushy. Others its the reverse.
Agreed and no problem. I'm still trying to figure out how to get cucumbers and sweet peppers from becoming a soggy mess 90% of the timeAwesome!!! Thank you for sharing your process! Just like anything else here you try, fail or succeed and keep trying while others assist along the way.
How many days has it been? Those do look good. I usually wait 10 days minimum before tasting but then as soon as its where you want it, I'm the fridge it goes and enjoyView attachment 836821A week later the brine is cloudy and it smells like a good fermentation. I’m guessing it’s now at a point to start tasting it to see if it’s where I want it and to let it sit longer or it goes in the fridge. Is my assumption correct?
It’s been one week (7 days). I’ll give it a few more days. I haven’t opened the lids to peak inside but what I see I’m not worried.How many days has it been? Those do look good. I usually wait 10 days minimum before tasting but then as soon as its where you want it, I'm the fridge it goes and enjoy
View attachment 836339As the title states, my first attempt at fermenting vegetables. Peppers, cauliflower, carrots & garlic on the left. Pepper, green beans, asparagus and garlic on the right.
Kosher salt in the jars with a bay leaf too. Everything is submerged so fingers crossed. I’m excited to see how they turn out.
As long as you're not seeing any mold floating and your veggies aren't covered in yeast on top, you're good to let it keep sitting. Just make sure they don't get too soft. If you hit it with the right brine percentage, that shouldn't be an issueIt’s been one week (7 days). I’ll give it a few more days. I haven’t opened the lids to peak inside but what I see I’m not worried.
Thank you!!
Right now it’s to have some additional veggies to have on salads and what not. Although I would like to do some fermented hot sauce and/or salsa.What is the end goal, just pickled/fermented veggies or do you use it for something else?
I've been thinking about fermenting some of my hot peppers next season with the goal of hot sauce as the end product.
Unfortunately to-date I've only gotten as far as fermenting them on the vine
I've been going to town slicing up pickled eggs onto toasted bread w/ cheddar. Kind of has become an every day thing. Always good to have a ready-made egg sammich.I tried some of the carrots, cauliflower and peppers today on a salad. They tasted good and were not mushy, they still had some crispy-ness to them. I would say it was a successful first attempt.
I wish the wife enjoyed pickled foods. I'm always chucking away a half gallon of kraut because u can't get through it fast enough. At least cabbage is cheap af. Next time I'm going to feed it to the chickens.I just moved a 1/2 gallon of sauerkraut to the fridge this morning. Beats the heck out of anything I can buy at the market. Super easy too.
Lacto-fermented veg is not the same as pickled, you can taste as you go with the former. Ferment to taste. If the taste is to your liking before a suggested time, you can place the jar in the fridge and you are good to go. I go about two weeks with sauerkraut and get a good crunch and plenty of tang (but not too much).I wish the wife enjoyed pickled foods.
I make my kraut the same way. Crispy, tangy, delicious. But then it sits in the fridge for months while I also go through all of the other veggies I've fermented. I really need a crew to come in and eat this stuff.Lacto-fermented veg is not the same as pickled, you can taste as you go with the former. Ferment to taste. If the taste is to your liking before a suggested time, you can place the jar in the fridge and you are good to go. I go about two weeks with sauerkraut and get a good crunch and plenty of tang (but not too much).
Agreed. They work great on the side. You're not going to eat a meal of kraut but goddamn its great to complement potatoes.I just tasted my fermented green beans and they are great after only three days, garlicky-spicy-and fresh basily, in the fridge they went. The thing about these fermented veg is that a little bit goes a long way. A little bit with almost every meal works well.
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