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.
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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.
Also make sure to try out this bulgogi kimchi rice plate and this kimchi potato hash.
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
How To Ferment Vegetables
Equipment
Ingredients
- sliced or chopped vegetables, anything will do, I really like broccoli, radishes and carrots
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 1 quart wide mouth mason jar with plastic lid, not necessary, but if you’re going to do this often, the regular metal lids will corrode from the acid
- any spices or herbs you like, peppercorns, dill, basil, bay leaf, etc.
- 1 small cabbage leaf
Instructions
- Place vegetables and any spices/herbs you’re using in the mason jar right up to the bottom of the neck, there should be about 1 inch of space to the top.
- Stir the salt and water together until dissolved.
- Pour the salt water over the vegetables until it reaches just below the top of the jar. There should be about 1/2 inch of room left.
- Fold a small cabbage leaf and press it down on top of the vegetables so that it keeps the vegetables submerged in the salt water. This isn’t necessary, but helps make sure the vegetables are submerged. Feel free to skip this step if you don’t have cabbage on hand.
- Close the lid on the jar tightly and place the jars out of direct sunlight in a relatively moderate temperature (68-75 degrees).
- You will start to see some bubbling around day 2 or so. After day 2, over a sink (in case it leaks/drips), gently loosen the lids to let some of the gas escape once or twice a day.
- The vegetables are ready anywhere from day 4-10. The longer they sit, the more tangy they’ll be. Taste them starting on day 4 to figure out your preference. I like them best around day 5 or 6.
- Once you decide they’re the level of sourness you’re looking for, place the the jar in the refrigerator where it will keep for a couple of months (not that they’ll last that long!)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Are we cooking the vegetables first?
Nope, just follow the directions in the recipe :)
I see in most recipes that the Jarvis only filled to the neck. Yet it’s suppose to be an oxygen free environment. Is the space between the end of the fill at the neck and the jar lid an oxygen issue?
If the veggies are all below the brine then the veggies are in an anaerobic environment. If you have problems with the veggies floating, you can get pickle weights to hold them under.
What do you do when the weather gets too cold?
While shopping to make some fermented veggies, I wondered how “leafy” veggies might do. Have you ever tried this? I was thinking about mustard greens, cilantro, swiss chard etc.
I haven’t tried but I bet they’d work just fine!
So should I heat the water so the salt dissolves? And then let the water cool before adding it to the veggies or no?
I’m with you on the natural probiotics! I got a stomach problem when I was in India and the only long-term solution has been fermented foods!
question: where do you find plastic lids for the mason jars?
I got them off amazon. I linked to it in the post and in the recipe, just click on the plastic lid link (it’s in that teal/green color) and it will take you to the ones I bought on Amazon.
I buy plastic mason jar caps at Walmart, right next to the mason jars. They are inexpensive.
Hi!
Love my first time making these. 4 large Mason jars and 1 super large jar. I used regular standard lids on 3 jars, and 2 mason jar lids on others. The regular standard jar lid, (jelly. Pb, pickle or anything), works great as long as it seals tight. I’ve had better results and next time I’ll use regular lids or plastic. My next thing is kimchi spicy and I love tempeh. Any advice on making tempeh? I’m not a meat eater, but these foods can be hard to find, and expensive. Thanks!!!;)
Hi Rebecca- Sorry for the late reply. I’ve never tried fermenting tempeh so I’m not much help there. Good luck!
Try using a plastic wrap over top of mason jar before putting on lid. Keeps acid from eating the metal. It’s been a godsend for me!
and what happens if you see no bubbles after a couple days?
Have you loosened the lid a little and heard the gasses leaving (like you would if you opened soda)? If not, try that and see. If you hear something, even if faint, you’re good.
Thank you! It’s working :)
Does it matter whether it’s tap water or bottled water? I’m inclined to use the Ozarka speing water.
It doesn’t although I would use the best available water you have at your disposal. I use tap water but we have a basic filter on it where it enters the house from the well.
I have noticed questions about water and veggies not fermenting, if you have a public water source with chlorine added it will keep your fermentation from happening. In this case use filtered water or let the chlorine “gass off” before using, though I wouldn’t use public water either way because of other added chemicals like fluoride.
Commercial spring water may have chlorine or other additives as required by the FDA to make it “safe”. Use distilled water. It’s readily available at your local pharmacy/CVS/Walgreens/etc. and much cheaper than spring water.
Hi there, it’s me again. I am on day 3. I let off some gas as instructed (should have done it yesterday). One of the jars let off quite dramatically and I lost some liquid, taking it under the veg so I topped it up. Was that the right thing to do? Also, I tried to press the veg down with a big round slice of apple (didn’t have any cabbage) and it worked when I first put it in the jar but the apple turned a brown and green colour so I took it out and replaced it with some baking paper. (I was really worried about mould, especially after I had to fully open the jar and top up the liquid. What’s the deal on any veg not being fully immersed? Will it spoil the whole jar or what?
Sorry to be a pain, I am very interested in doing this and really like to understand how things work and get them right.
Thanks in advance.
If you lose liquid when you let the gasses escape, just add a little water until the vegetables are covered again. If they’re exposed to air, they might form some mold. Honestly, it’s nothing to freak out about. Just scrape it off as best you can and you can still eat the fermented vegetables below it. This is pretty common actually, especially in warm weather.
Hey there,
Thanks for your last reply. You are so good at responding! Today was day 5 and I tried the veg. The good news is that they are definitely edible but quite salty. Does that mean I need to leave them longer? They’re not very tangy at all.
Hmm…did you use a quart size mason jar? Just want to make sure the water to salt ratio is right b/c at 1 1/2T of salt, they don’t seem particularly salty to me. I’m surprised there’s no “tang” to them yet after 5 days. You can let them sit longer as they should just get more tangy each day.
Do you also use the fermented liquid for anything?
I don’t…
Hi. Been reading the comments and I’ve used baking paper to push down the vegetables instead of cabbage too. Will any nastiest leach out of the paper
I use coffee filters