How To Ferment Vegetables

An easy homemade tutorial on how to ferment vegetables in a mason jar.

You’re probably thinking I’ve caught the hippie train straight out of here with this post but hear me out.

Do you like pickles? Yes? (note -you should check out this post on how to make simple homemade pickles and spicy garlic dill pickles if so).

Ok then, you’re going to like fermented vegetables. 

So read on.

Unfortunately, I had to be on antibiotics 3 times over the last 6 months.

I absolutely hate taking them and believe me, if there was a way I could’ve avoided it, I would’ve.

I’m a huge proponent of probiotics so while I was filling prescriptions in the drug store these past few months, I was simultaneously buying some kick ass probiotics to try and help keep some good bacteria in my system.

And let me tell you, the *good* probiotic pills, yeah, well they’re costly.

Six times more costly than the antibiotics in fact.

So, when the second round of antibiotics came around, I decided that instead of spending $30 on probiotic pills and $4 kombucha bottles every time I ventured into the hippie-mart (my loving name for the local natural foods store), I should probably look into this whole lacto-fermented vegetable thing.

Lacto-fermented vegetables

Lacto-fermented…it sounds crazy, right?

First thing I thought was “wait, there’s milk in this?”

Um, no. Lacto, in this case, doesn’t refer to milk, it refers to lactic-acid.

The naturally occurring bacteria on fruits and vegetables is called lactobacillus. When they’re placed in an oxygen free environment, the bacteria convert sugar into lactic acid which is what gives fermented foods their characteristic tangy/sour flavor.

So now that the science lesson is out of the way, here’s the cool part:

Vegetables + water + salt + a few days = a probiotic powerhouse of tangy vegetable deliciousness.

Bonus: it doesn’t cost $30 and they’ll last in the fridge for months.

How to Ferment Vegetables

What you’ll need to ferment vegetables:

• 1 quart wide mouth mason jar
• plastic lid
• sea salt
• water

These are the basics. There’s a whole world of fermentation supplies that can be purchased to make the process both easier and safer once you’ve got the method down.

You can literally ferment whatever vegetables you like. If you ferment cabbage you get red cabbage sauerkraut!

They’re perfect for snacking on or adding to your meals for a probiotic boost.

I’ve been adding them to salads, on top of my protein with lunch or dinner or, just picking at them throughout the day when I’m bored.

I do the same with pickled garlic scapes – another vegetable that transforms into a tangy delight once fermented/pickled.

Yeah, a lot of that.

And this is where I’m going to sound like a total nerd, but every time I eat them I silently say “take that, antibiotics.”

Kimchi is an Asian version of fermented vegetables so if you like that, you’ll definitely like these fermented vegetables.

More pickled recipes to try if you love the taste of fermented vegetables:

Spicy Pickled Pineapple
Balsamic Pickled Shiitake Crostini
Pickled Fennel Citrus Salad
Pickled Blueberry Panzanella Salad
Mango Melon Soup with Pickled Cucumber