Lacto-Fermentation how to ferment vegetables naturally

Cultures For Health is a U.S. based company which provides information about homemade probiotics, and which sells a variety of products, including the various cultures, to allow someone to make their own home-fermented foods. Signing up for their e-newsletter provides you with links to eight free e-books providing instructions, information, and recipes for various different fermented foods. This is their book on Lacto Fermentation. Learn how to ferment your vegetables, naturally! Our Lacto-fermentation eBook features - 200 pages including 64 recipes - What is Lacto-fermentation? - A Basic Formula for Fermenting Vegetables and Preparation Techniques - Choosing Ingredients and Equipment - Tips and Tricks for Addressing Common Fermentation Challenges - How to Know When Your Vegetables Are Ready for Cold Storage - Why Your Ferment Grew Mold, What You Can Do with It, and How to Prevent It - An Introduction to Culturing Fruit - How to Make Fermented Vegetable Juices - Plus 64 Recipes for Vegetables, Fruits, and Condiments INTRODUCTION TO LACTO-FERMENTATION What is Lacto-fermentation?................................13 An Overview of the Process of Vegetable Fermentation .....................................................16 Basic Equipment.................................................................................................................................... 17 How to Make Your Ferment ................................................................................................................... 17 How Long Does It Take?......................................................................................................................... 18 Storing Your Fermented Vegetables...................................................................................................... 19 Introduction to Culturing Fruit.............................20 Types of Fruit Ferments ......................................................................................................................... 20 Achieving Lactic Acid Fermentation...................................................................................................... 21 Busting Lacto-fermentation Myths .......................22 Myth #1: Fermented vegetables must be canned to be safe................................................................ 22 Myth #2: You must store fermented vegetables in the refrigerator. .................................................... 22 Myth #3: You must use whey or a starter culture.................................................................................. 23 Myth #4: You should culture at a warm room temperature for a few days.......................................... 23 Do You Need a Starter Culture? ............................24 Purpose of Salt and Other Ingredients for Fermentation..................................................................... 24 Salt.......................................................................................................................................................... 25 LACTO-FERMENTATION from Cultures for Health 5 | P a g e Starter Cultures...................................................................................................................................... 26 Making Substitutions in Recipes ........................................................................................................... 27 PROPER EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS Fermentation Equipment: Choosing the Right Supplies.............................................................31 Choosing a Fermenting Vessel............................................................................................................... 32 How to Keep Your Fermented Vegetables Submerged When Fermenting in a Glass Jar ...........................35 Here’s How ............................................................................................................................................. 35 Choosing Salt for Fermenting ..............................38 Choosing a Water Source .....................................40 Where Your Water Comes From............................................................................................................. 41 Common Contaminants ........................................................................................................................ 42 Treatment Methods ............................................................................................................................... 44 What Kind of Water Do You Need?......................................................................................................... 45 GETTING STARTED A Basic Formula for Fermenting Vegetables ..........48 The Basics of Fermented Vegetables .................................................................................................... 48 Self-brined Fermented Vegetables........................................................................................................ 49 Added-brine Fermented Vegetables ..................................................................................................... 49 LACTO-FERMENTATION from Cultures for Health 6 | P a g e Grate, Slice, or Chop: How to Prepare Your Vegetables for Fermentation ...............................51 Grating.................................................................................................................................................... 51 Chopping ................................................................................................................................................ 52 Slicing ..................................................................................................................................................... 53 How to Know When Your Fermented Vegetables Are Ready for Cold Storage........................................55 Bubbling ................................................................................................................................................. 56 Smell....................................................................................................................................................... 57 Flavor...................................................................................................................................................... 57 Three Methods for Making Sauerkraut..................59 Different Methods .................................................................................................................................. 60 Why Your Vegetable Ferment Grew Mold, What to Do with It, and How to Prevent It..............................62 Recognizing Mold................................................................................................................................... 62 What to Do with a Moldy Ferment......................................................................................................... 63 Factors That May Contribute to Mold Growth ...................................................................................... 63 Fermentation Temperature................................................................................................................... 63 Vegetable Submersion........................................................................................................................... 64 Salt Content............................................................................................................................................ 64 Introduction of Starter Culture.............................................................................................................. 64 Bad Microorganisms Present on Your Vegetables ................................................................................ 65 LACTO-FERMENTATION from Cultures for Health 7 | P a g e How to Make Fermented Vegetable Juice..............66 Basic Fermented Vegetable Juice ......................................................................................................... 67 Using the Juice of Fermented Vegetables............................................................................................. 68 SEASONAL FERMENTATION Lacto-Fermentation as a Method of Food Preservation ......................................................70 How Fermentation Preserves Food....................................................................................................... 70 The Benefits of Lacto-fermentation...................................................................................................... 71 Fermented Vegetables Troubleshooting Guide ......73 White Layer on the Surface.................................................................................................................... 73 Colorful Layer of Mold on the Surface................................................................................................... 74 Brine is Foamy........................................................................................................................................ 74 Ferment Has a Pungent Odor................................................................................................................ 74 Brine is Slimy.......................................................................................................................................... 75 Finished Product is Too Salty ................................................................................................................ 75 Finished Product is Soft and Mushy ...................................................................................................... 75 Culture Has Crawly Things in It.............................................................................................................. 76 Non-pink Vegetables Turn Pink............................................................................................................. 76 Ferment Bubbles Out of the Jar ............................................................................................................ 77 There is White Sediment in the Jars...................................................................................................... 77 Brine Becomes Cloudy........................................................................................................................... 77 LACTO-FERMENTATION from Cultures for Health 8 | P a g e Vegetables Become Dull or Faded......................................................................................................... 78 Vegetables Turn Dark While Fermenting............................................................................................... 78 Garlic Turns Blue or Green While Fermenting....................................................................................... 78 Vegetables Don’t Seem to Be Doing Anything ...................................................................................... 78 Ferment Your Garden..........................................79 Beets ....................................................................................................................................................... 79 Berries..................................................................................................................................................... 80 Cabbage.................................................................................................................................................. 80 Carrots .................................................................................................................................................... 80 Cauliflower ............................................................................................................................................. 80 Cucumbers ............................................................................................................................................. 80 Eggplant ................................................................................................................................................. 81 Green Beans ........................................................................................................................................... 81 Kale & Collards ....................................................................................................................................... 81 Peppers................................................................................................................................................... 81 Tomatoes................................................................................................................................................ 82 Turnips.................................................................................................................................................... 82 Radishes ................................................................................................................................................. 82 Zucchini and Summer Squash............................................................................................................... 83 Lacto-fermenting Squash, Pumpkin, and Other Winter Vegetables...............................................84 Pumpkin & Squash................................................................................................................................. 84 LACTO-FERMENTATION from Cultures for Health 9 | P a g e Three Tips for Making Crunchy Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles ...............................................................85 Why Lacto-fermented Pickles Are Superior .......................................................................................... 86 ................................................................................................................................................................ 88 RECIPES VEGETABLES.......................................................89 Sauerkraut.............................................................................................................................................. 89 Lacto-fermented Lettuce (or any delicate green)................................................................................. 91 Lacto-fermented Dilly Beans ................................................................................................................. 93 Lacto-fermented Green Beans with Cayenne Peppers and Garlic....................................................... 95 Lacto-fermented Green Tomato Pickles ............................................................................................... 97 Lacto-fermented Whole Cherry Tomatoes............................................................................................ 99 Naturally Fermented Carrot Sticks...................................................................................................... 100 Naturally Cultured Carrot Relish ......................................................................................................... 101 Lacto-fermented Grated Ginger Carrots ............................................................................................. 103 Southwestern Lacto-fermented Carrot Sticks .................................................................................... 105 Fermented Moroccan-spiced Carrots.................................................................................................. 107 Lacto-fermented Carrot and Parsnip Pickles...................................................................................... 109 Naturally Cultured Pickles ................................................................................................................... 111 Lacto-fermented “Kosher” Dill Pickles................................................................................................ 113 Lacto-fermented Radishes .................................................................................................................. 115 Lacto-fermented Daikon Radish Pickles with Garlic .......................................................................... 117 Super Simple Lacto-fermented Peppers............................................................................................. 119 LACTO-FERMENTATION from Cultures for Health 10 | P a g e Lacto-fermented Anaheim Peppers .................................................................................................... 121 Lacto-fermented Sliced Jalepeños ..................................................................................................... 123 Lacto-fermented Garlic Cloves ............................................................................................................ 124 Preservation and Fermentation of Garlic in Apple Cider Vinegar...................................................... 126 How to Ferment Garlic Scapes ............................................................................................................ 128 Pickled Onions ..................................................................................................................................... 130 Simple Grated Zucchini Kraut ............................................................................................................. 132 Lacto-fermented Squash and Zucchini Cubes with Red Pepper and Dill.......................................... 134 Cortido (Latin-American Sauerkraut).................................................................................................. 136 Simple Kimchi ...................................................................................................................................... 138 Hearty Leafy Green Kraut..................................................................................................................... 140 Lacto-fermented Summer Squash...................................................................................................... 142 Lacto-fermented Beets and Turnips ................................................................................................... 144 Lacto-fermented Turnips..................................................................................................................... 146 Lacto-fermented Eggplant................................................................................................................... 149 Curried Lacto-fermented Cauliflower................................................................................................. 151 Southern Pickled Nopalitos................................................................................................................. 153 Okra Pickles.......................................................................................................................................... 155 Lacto-fermented Sweet Potatoes ....................................................................................................... 157 Lacto-fermented Raw Sweet Potatoes ............................................................................................... 159 Lacto-fermented Kohlrabi Kraut......................................................................................................... 161 Lacto-fermented Kohlrabi Pickles with Dill and Mustard .................................................................. 163 Fruits and Sweets ............................................. 165 Lacto-fermented Blueberry Jam......................................................................................................... 165 Lacto-fermented Lemons .................................................................................................................... 167 LACTO-FERMENTATION from Cultures for Health 11 | P a g e Lacto-fermented Watermelon Rind Pickles........................................................................................ 168 Lacto-fermented Rhubarb Chutney .................................................................................................... 170 Lacto-fermented Applesauce Recipe .................................................................................................. 172 Cultured Fruit Leather.......................................................................................................................... 174 Fermented Apple-Cranberry Chutney................................................................................................. 176 Condiments...................................................... 178 Naturally Fermented Salsa.................................................................................................................. 178 Lacto-fermented Green Tomato Salsa................................................................................................ 180 End-of-Summer Lacto-fermented Garden Salsa ................................................................................ 182 Easy Lacto-fermented Ketchup........................................................................................................... 184 Lacto-fermented Olive Oil Mayonnaise............................................................................................... 186 Lacto-fermented Habañero Garlic Hot Sauce..................................................................................... 188 Lacto-fermented Onion Relish ............................................................................................................ 190 Lacto-fermented Corn and Onion Relish ............................................................................................ 192 Lacto-fermented Zucchini-Cucumber Relish...................................................................................... 194 Lacto-fermented Chilero...................................................................................................................... 196 Probiotic Guacamole and Bean Dip .................................................................................................... 198 Guacamole ........................................................................................................................................... 199 Hummus or Bean Dip........................................................................................................................... 199 Lacto-fermented Pear Chutney ........................................................................................................... 200 Fermenting Honey ............................................................................................................................... 202 Beverages ........................................................ 204 Beet Kvass ............................................................................................................................................ 204