Fermented Vegetables

Every traditional diet includes some form of fermented food. The Alaskan Inuits consume fermented seafood and fish. Lacto-fermented foods in the European diet include sauerkraut, grape leaves, herbs, and dairy. The fermented sauces and vegetables in Asian cultures (especially miso, soy sauce, and kimchi) are widely known. African communities include ferment grains in their diet.

Fermented vegetables are a healthy way to give your diet an extra boost of enzymes and probiotics. Food is fermented in many different ways. Vegetables generally are fermented through the lacto-fermentation process, which refers to the presence of the bacteria Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid, which turns your raw cabbage into fermented sauerkraut! Fermented vegetables (also known as cultured vegetables) have enhanced nutritional properties and provide a hearty dose of gut-nourishing probiotics.

What Is Fermentation?

Fermentation is a natural process that happens when bacteria, or yeast, come in contact with sugar. Over time, humans have harnessed this process and used it to create fermented foods, including chocolate; yogurt; alcohol, like wine and beer; beverages, like kombucha and kefir; and, of course, vegetables like sauerkraut and pickles.

What Are Fermented Vegetables?

Fermented vegetables have undergone the process in which live cultures feed on and break down natural starches, creating a probiotic-rich, easy-to-digest, highly bioavailable version of the vegetable. Fermenting is also a way of extending the shelf life of vegetables. 

The Benefits of Fermenting Vegetables

One of the original benefits of fermenting vegetables was the extended shelf life of fresh vegetables. Before refrigerators and freezers, vegetables had to be consumed quickly, before they spoiled. With fermentation, vegetables lasted a long time, which enabled our ancestors to consume vegetables in winter, when fresh crops weren’t available. 

Fermented vegetables pack more nutrients than their raw or cooked counterparts. The nutritional content of micronutrients significantly increases, especially vitamins C and B, through fermentation. Since the fermentation process also pre-digests the foods, fermented vegetables are also much easier to digest, which increases the bioavailability of the nutrients.

Fermented vegetables also contain beneficial enzymes that are lost in the cooking process. The presence of enzymes means you will absorb more micronutrients from your food, and ease the digestive burden. Probiotic-rich foods balance and heal your gut microbiome, and promote general health.

The Best Vegetables to Ferment

Technically, you can ferment almost anything. If you are new to fermentation, you might want to stick to the best (easiest) vegetables to ferment.

• Carrots

• Cabbage

• Green beans

• Bell peppers

• Jalapeno peppers

• Radishes

• Beets

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Whole pickling cucumbers

• Onions

• Celery

• Fennel

• Squash

How to Ferment Vegetables

Fermenting your own vegetables can seem daunting, but once you try it you will see that it’s very simple. The process depends slightly on which vegetable you choose to ferment and which starter culture you use. These steps will give you a basic understanding of how to ferment vegetables at home.

Step 1: Prepare Your Fermentation Equipment

Fermentation does not require fancy equipment, but you will need sterilized glass jars (like Mason jars), as well as wooden or plastic spoons/ packing equipment. You can seal your jars with either cloth or a specialized silicone fermentation cap that you can purchase online or in fermentation kits. Sterilization ensures your jars and tools don’t have any other type of bacteria that might spoil your vegetables or grow mold.

Step 2: Prepare Your Vegetables for Fermentation

There are many ways to prepare your veggies for fermentation, including grating, shredding, chopping, slicing, or leaving them whole. The choice is yours, but some vegetables lend themselves to grating, and others (generally those with higher water content) are better whole or in larger pieces. If your vegetables are organic, you can keep the skins on and just give them a good rinse. Otherwise, peel the skin off to avoid pesticides and herbicides.

Step 3: Decide on Your Fermentation Culture: Salt, Whey, or a Starter Culture

Different recipes call for different fermenting agents. Basically your vegetables will require either salt, whey, or a starter culture. Which culture you use depends on your preference, dietary restrictions (whey is dairy based), and which type of vegetable(s) you plan to ferment. If using salt, make sure it is an unprocessed salt, like sea salt.

Step 4: Prepare Your Brine with Water

A brine is the solution in which your starter culture is mixed with water, which creates the environment your vegetables will ferment in. It is crucial that the water you use is pure and free from contaminants like chlorine. Chlorinated tap water will kill the bacteria and make it impossible for your vegetables to ferment. Make sure to use filtered water, or even better use spring water.

Step 5: Weigh Down Your Vegetables in Brine

Once your vegetables are prepared and placed in your brine solution, you need to push them down to make sure all the vegetables are submerged. If your vegetables are exposed to air (even a little), mold and other pathogens will grow, ruining the vegetables. There are many ways to weigh them down, including special fermentation weights that you can purchase online. It’s essential that these weights are also sterilized! Anything you introduce into the jar should be free of any germs; otherwise your cultured vegetables will probably go bad.

Step 6: Store Your Fermenting Vegetables in a Cool, Dark Place

Once your vegetables are weighed down in the brine, store them in a cool, dark place until the fermentation process is finished. The time required will vary depending on which vegetables you use, which culture you used, and the ambient temperature. There are many resources available online that offer timing charts to reference.

Summary

Fermentation is a traditional way of preserving foods and increasing their nutritional bioavailability and probiotic content. It is also an easy way to create delicious variations of everyday vegetables while preserving all the enzymes and nutrients and providing gut-healing microbes. If you’re looking for an easy way to supercharge your health, trying fermenting your vegetables!