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Fermented veg.

I LOVE fermented vegetables and was wondering if anyone here makes there own.I buy them in bags at a local store and thought it would be cheaper to make my own, but am a bit worried about bacteria. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Comments

  • Hi mham,

    I am new to this and live in an area where I have to make everything, I will look up fermented vegetables. Good suggestion :) deasmiles

  • Hi deasmiles

    I’ve looked it up many times and it looks risky.Let me know what you find out.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    I tried making sauerkraut. I followed instructions from Renee Underkoffler’s Living Cuisine Book.

    I made it a couple of years ago now, see if I can remember what I did…I processed some cabbage in the food processor, put it into a big jar with some salt I think, put cabbage leaves on the top. I left it for a few days. It stank out the house. Hubby said it tasted fine, I strongly disagreed and haven’t made it since!

    I am sure that it was my ineptness that made it nasty, I probably made a mistake somewhere along the way, the smell of fermenting cabbage just put me off for good though. The recipe method was pretty easy as I remember. I don’t see how it could be seen as a dangerous thing to try, I mean, those bacteria are the good kind aren’t they? It is only rotting plant matter not rottng flesh.

  • Process the cabbage, add some salt, just to make it juicy, and put some sort or weight on it. The goal is that the liquid rises above the cabbage. Let it sit for 1-10 days, depending on your tastes. Then refridgerate and it lasts for weeks.

  • Hi, MammaCassa

    Should be left the jar in a warm area?

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    I left mine in a warm room, all the books say to do that. They also say to make sure the jar is scrupulously clean, and ever some suggest bleaching it. I didn’t do that and is probably why mine was so awful!

  • Still seems risky w/ the bacteria. I guess I will continue to buy mine for now.

  • I read about fermented veges and am very anxious to try to make my own. First though, I bought some at my local coop and they were surprisingly good!!! I HATED ‘kraut the regular way, but I tried raw kraut and something called Zing which is cabbage and beets, etc. These things make great additions to salads and aren’t too bad alone. They definitely kill cravings – for anything.

    The directions for making your own can be found at http://bodyecology.com/cveggies.php. I bought some starter and am waiting for it to arrive. The coconut water kefir looks cool as well!

  • There is no need to be worried about bacteria. Aftewrall, that is what fermentation is; encouraging a certain type of bacteria to thrive in your food by creating an envrionment that is not condusive to other types, otherwise the root would simply rot.

    The best fermenting resource I know is WILD FERMENTATION. It is both a website and a book by Sandor Ellix Katz. Here is a link to his version of sauerkraut: http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?p…

    I highly encorurage you to check out the site. There is a great Q and A section and you can even email Sandor himself.

    Fermentation is really awsome! LEt me know how it goes.

    PS I have a batch of what I call “Dumpster Kraut” going right now! Its made from all dumpster dived produce.

    James

  • Hi mham! You really should try making your own fermented veggies, is not hard! I make them all the time and use cabbage, pieces of carrots, beetroots, onions, garlic, apples etc etc. As long as you clean the jar properly (boiling water or hot oven for a few min) before starting, I don’t see how you could go wrong. Grate cabbage, and pack really hard in a jar, seasalt and cumin seeds in between. Pound the cabbage with your hand to make it release the juice, top with a couple of whole cabbage leaves and seal. Leave in room temp for about a week, you can see bubbles along the sides of the jar as it ferments. Don’t open the jar more than a couple of times during the process. My veggies usually keeps for months in the fridge (unless I eat it all…). Once you get the hang of it you can experiment with bigger pieces (1-2 inches) of other veg. Needless to say, they will be hard to pound the juice out of, so you have to add cooled off boiled water to cover them.Don’t forget seasalt, the water should taste quite salty as the salt is what preserve the veg before the fermentation process gets started. Good luck!!!

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