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.
Recently I learned that you dont have to add water if you salt the veg and let it sit overnnight so the juices escape. Then you jar it up juice and all. if you need to add water to completely cover, go ahead.
Doing the salt brine in the beginning is simply a time saver. In this case salt is optional as its just for flavor. (see John Bergman on you tube, he has a video tutorial on this).
Can you explain the no salt bit again? I thought salt was necessary to the process? Thanks! Excited to try!
I am excited I found your post! Last year my family had a brutal
Cold and flu season. I finally found master tonic, which I feel really gave us the immunity boast we needed. I want to take it one step further and make it with fermented veggies! Thanks so much!!!
I want to start fermenting vegetables, but different sites are giving different information on how to do it. For cabbage, another site said that just cabbage and salt, and not adding water. The idea is that the salt draws the water out of the cabbage, and after several hours there is supposed to be enough liquid to submerge the cabbage. But you recommend making a brine with water and salt. Not sure which directions I should follow.
This is how I do it. I assume there are other ways but this is the recipe I use!
Don’t need water for cabbage, just make sure something is pushing it down and water will computer of the cabbage naturally :)
Fiona, cabbage is one veggie that will release lots of liquid when it is exposed to salt. If you want to be really sure, add salt to the cabbage, then “massage” the cabbage for 5-10 minutes to bring out the water. When you put it in the jar, you will see that there is plenty of liquid brine to cover the cabbage. With other veggies that don’t release liquid, you need to create your own brine (salt plus water) to ensure all the veggies are totally submerged in brine.
Do you drain the water off when transferring it to the fridge to be stored, or store it in the water?
Keep it stored in the water.
Chlorine and fluoride prevented my first batch from fermenting for over a month, first time.
Thereafter I use only distilled water. Begins fermenting 1n 30 hours.
Any veg is now my fave for snacking. Try Chinese mustard greens!
Why is a plastic lid required?
a metal lid will corrode after a while.
Hi Gina
Do I have to stirilising jars and lids and what would be the best method to do so ? Thanks for your posts love it
Brigitte Australia
You don’t have to go through the sterilizing process like you would if you were actually canning something.
could you transfer the fermented water to another batch to use? or do you need to always start fresh?
I always start fresh.
you could save lids for salad dressing jars or mayo jars. they work good.
I just tried sauerkraut with a recipe from another site and it turned out WONDERFUL. My husband even likes it and he isn’t a fan of sauerkraut. Now, I’m hooked and can’t wait to make some of these veggies! Thank you for the simple recipe…I’ll repost after I’ve tried it!
Would you please leave a link to that recipe! I would love to try kraut! Thanks!
Not sure what you mean – the recipe to make the fermented vegetables is at the bottom of the post.