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The Journal

Ferments

Fermenting Tools

Things to remember

Favorite Ferment Recipes

Simple Cabbage Kraut (start here)

To make 1/2 gallon use 2-3 large cabbage heads. To make quart use 2 medium heads.

  • wash and dry all tools (jar, spoons, big bowl or plastic bin, cutting board, knife, glass weight, airlock)
  • rinse cabbage briefly under cool water
  • chop into small pieces
  • place in large bowl or bin and weigh the pieces in grams
  • calculate what 2% of the weight is (e.g. 1200 grams of cabbage would equate to 24 grams ) 24 grams is how much salt to add
  • with clean (or gloved) hands massage salt into cabbage
  • massage cabbage and salt until a good amount of liquid is coming out of the cabbage (usually 10+ min) - I wear vinyl gloves for this part
  • pack all the massaged food into the glass jar. Pack it tightly. Leave 1" headspace
  • add a glass weight on top
  • put on an airlock and ring
  • for the first 5 days take a clean, dry plastic spoon and shove it down the sides to remove any air bubbles. put airlock back on. do it quickly and avoid prolonged air exposure. this is optional but is important if there are numerous air bubbles in the jar.
  • leave in cool dark area for 10-14 days
  • taste it after 7 days; in a warm space it will culture more quickly. it will have a delightful sour flavor. you'll instinctively know when it's "finished" to your liking.

Spring Harvest Chive Kraut

  • 2 medium red cabbage, chopped
  • 4-6 medium carrots, diced
  • 1/3 cup fresh chives, diced
  • 2% salt by weight

Ferment 2-3 weeks. Push air bubbles out with plastic or wooden spoon once a day for the first 5 days.

Good-on-everything Kraut

  • 2 medium green cabbage, chopped
  • 4 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 small sweet onion, diced
  • 2% salt by weight

Ferment 2-3 weeks. Push air bubbles out with plastic or wooden spoon once a day for the first 5 days.

Backyard Beet Harvest Ferment

  • 4-5 large red beets, rinsed, peeled & shredded (food processor shred blade)
  • 2 medium carrots, rinsed, peeled, & shredded (food processor shred blade)
  • 1/2 green cabbage, shredded
  • 2% salt by weight

Ferment 2-3 weeks. Push air bubbles out with plastic or wooden spoon once a day for the first 5 days. Excellent on rice bowls, grilled cheese, salads.

Homestead Hot Sauce

  • 2 quarts hot red peppers (cayenne, jalapeno, and/or thai chili), halved
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • Brine: 2 Tablespoons salt per quart of water
  • Wearing disposal kitchen gloves through the process is highly recommended

Ferment peppers for 2-3 weeks (7-10 days if using frozen peppers). Strain & save the ferment liquid. Blend in processor, adding brine to thin to sauce consistency. Strain blended material through sieve lined with cheesecloth. Bottle and label. Store refrigerated.

Keep-Em-Coming Curried Carrots

  • 20-30 medium sized carrots, rinsed, peeled, and shredded (food processor shred blade)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons organic malaysian curry paste
  • 2% salt by shredded weight

Massage salt by hand into shredded carrots. When a good amount of liquid is in the bin add whole garlic cloves and curry paste and massage until thoroughly combined. Pack jar as usual. Ferment 2-3 weeks. Store refrigerated.

Fermented Asparagus

  • 2 medium bundles of fresh asparagus
  • 1 Tablespoon of salt per quart of filtered water

Lightly rinse asparagus under cool water. Trim off tough ends then stuff aligned stalks into 1/2 gallon mason jar. Make the brine, stirring thoroughly to dissolve salt. Pour over asparagus, add weight if needed, add air-lock and lid ring. Ferment 10-14 days or to taste. Store refrigerated.

Malaysian Curried Cauliflower

  • 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
  • 2-4 garlic scapes, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon of malaysian curry paste (or to taste/spice preference)
  • 2% salt by total produce weight

Lightly rinse vegetables under cool water. Chop cauliflower into bite sized chunks. Chop garlic scapes into small pieces. Weigh all materials and add 2% sea salt by wieght. Massage salt into vegetables until thoroughly covered and releasing a moderate amount of moisture. Add malaysian curry paste and mix thoroughly. Pack material into a quart sized jar. Add weight if needed, add air-lock and lid ring. Ferment 10-14 days or to taste. Store refrigerated.

Green Beans & Heirloom Onion

  • 2 pounds of green beans of any variety, chopped
  • 3-4 small onion bulbs, quartered (Bianca de Maggio is 👍)
  • 1 Tablespoon of salt per quart of filtered water

Lightly rinse vegetables under cool water. Chop beans into bite sized chunks. Quarter small onion bulbs. Place all material into the 1/2 gallon jar. Make the brine, stirring thoroughly to dissolve salt. Pour over material leaving around 1" of headspace, add weight, add air-lock and lid ring. Ferment 10-14 days +/- or to taste. Store refrigerated.

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