January Recipe:

Fermented (Cultured) Vegetables

Before the days of mass produced vegetables and fruits, people were unable to buy fresh produce during the winter. Many depended on their own gardens and local farmers for fresh veggies. Without refrigeration and canning machines, the fermenting of vegetables became a safe way to store produce through the fall and winter. For probiotic and enzyme-packed vegetables, try some of the following recipes…

Old Fashion Sauerkraut

You’ll need
3 large green cabbages finely chopped (save six whole leaves of cabbage)
3 tablespoon of fresh dill
3 tablespoon sea salt
¾ cup of whey

1. Mix cabbage, dill, sea salt, and whey in large bowl.
2. Use a meat tenderizer and thoroughly hammer mixture until juices from vegetables are released.
3. Place mixture in mason jars, tightly packing down with fist, leaving an inch of room at top of jar.
4. Roll large leaves of cabbage and pack 1 -2 at the top of each jar.
5. Tightly screw on lids and allow to ferment for four to fourteen days at room temperature.

Cultured Carrots, Garlic, and Ginger

You’ll need
6 cups of finely chopped carrots
2 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger
¼ cup whey

1. Mix carrots, garlic, ginger, and whey in large bowl.

2. Use a meat tenderizer and thoroughly hammer mixture until juices from vegetables are released.

3. Place mixture in 1 quart Mason jars, tightly packing down with fist, leaving an inch of room at top of jar – yields 1-3 jars.

4. Screw on lids tightly and allow to ferment for four to fourteen days at room temperature.

Cultured Greens and Seaweed

You’ll need
3 large heads of cabbage finely chopped (save six whole leaves of cabbage)
1 large bunch of kale finely chopped
2 cups of soaked and drained wakame chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh dill
¾ cup of whey

1. Mix cabbage, kale, wakame, dill, and whey in large bowl.

2. Use a meat tenderizer and thoroughly hammer mixture until juices from vegetables are released.

3. Place mixture in 1 quart Mason jars, tightly packing down with fist, leaving an inch of room at top of jar. Tightly roll cabbage leaves and pack 1 – 2 at the top of each jar.

4. Screw on lids tightly and allow to ferment for four to fourteen days at room temperature. Note: Do not use powder whey. Only use whey from homemade cheese (see whole milk ricotta cheese recipe on recipe page). If you do not have whey, you can use an extra tablespoon of salt or a culture starter. I like the culture starter from www.bodyecology.com.