I’d like to share how simple and fun lacto-fermentation of vegetables can be. I’ve only done a bit of it, but enough to see that lacto-fermented vegetables taste fabulous and are very easy to make. What I love the most about it is that I don’t have to heat anything (though some recipes call for a bit of cooking) and that measuring is not that precise. This is the kind of anti-cooking I like!
First, though, let me tell you why lacto-fermentation is so cool. Forgive me if you already know this. Just skip ahead to the recipe. If you already know this recipe, just skip right on out of the room…
Traditional preservation of food was done without freezers or canning machines, through the process of lacto-fermentation. In this process, the sea salt and/or whey inhibits the growth of putrefying bacteria until enough lactic acid is produced to preserve the vegetables for many months. But, the lactobaccili which produce the lactic acid to preserve the vegetables do much more! They enhance the digestibility of the vegetables, increase vitamin levels, produce enzymes, offer antibiotic and anticarcionogenic substances, and support the growth of healthy flora in our intestines. My goodness, all of this from pickling! Compare that with today’s pickles, which offer nothing but pasteurized vegetables floating in an acidic brine of white vinegar.
All of this information is paraphrased from Nourishing Traditions on page 89. This book contains so much more information that I encourage you to read it for yourself for a better understanding!
To make these lacto-fermented foods properly, you must start with the highest quality vegetables, sea salt, and homemade whey (optional in purely vegetable recipes). You also need quart-size canning jars with metal bands and lids, preferably wide mouth. (Even so, I have been having good success with regular-mouth jars.)
This particular recipe is a modification of the Pickled Turnips in Nourishing Traditions on page 99. I don’t follow the quantities listed, but rather, use what quantities of vegetables I have. Also, I have omitted the onions. I love the flexibility!
Lacto-Fermented Turnips and Beets
You will need:
- naturally-grown turnips – peeled, quartered and sliced
- naturally-grown beets – peeled, quartered and sliced
For each jar full of peeled, quartered and sliced turnips and beets (fill the jar up to within 1-inch of the top), you will need:
- 1 cup of pure water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt –OR– 1 cup of pure water with 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 4 tablespoons of homemade whey (dripped out of kefir or yogurt, not from cheesemaking)
- additional pure water
Update 12/09: Now that I have made this more than a few times, I have found that if I make these without whey and with the additional salt, the veggies turn out on the salty side. Soaking the veggies in water for a time draws off the salt, making them tasty. One could also use less salt, but experimentation would be necessary – you need enough salt to suppress the putrefying bacteria.
Start by peeling, quartering and slicing the turnips and beets.
Mix them up to incorporate. Then fill as many quart jars as required to use up all the prepared vegetables. Press down on the veggies to make sure they’re packed in well and don’t fill up higher than within 1-inch of the top.
How many jars did you fill? Use that information to determine how many cups of water with sea salt — OR water with sea salt and whey — you need.
Mix the sea salt and water (and/or whey) together so the salt is mostly dissolved. If using water and sea salt, add 1 cup to each jar. If using water and sea salt with whey, add 1-1/4 cups to each jar. Then top off each jar with more pure water to cover the vegetables.
Put the lids and bands on the jars and tighten securely. Leave on the counter in a warm room (usually the kitchen) for about three days. The process of the lactobacilli’s proliferation should take about three days when the room temperature is 72 degrees. You will know the process is working because the mixture in the jar will be very bubbly. Then transfer the jars to cold storage until you are ready to eat them.
I usually serve our pickled vegetables topped on a green salad, or as a side with a cold cut type of meal (meat salad, bread, and cheese). These veggies taste bubbly, spicy, and fresh, while offering a great crisp and crunch. I love them! I should admit that not all my family loved them right off the bat (some are still getting used to them). For the kids, I have been putting just a few slices on their salad each day, increasing the amount slowly as they adjust. The other day, Naomi admitted to me that she doesn’t think they’re so bad anymore. Truly, I am baffled how they could not like them right away. I think they’re fabulous. But to each, his own. I am the one who adores the kefir and plain yogurt, and not surprisingly, lacto-fermented vegetables! Try them and let me know what you think.
Now what I need to know is… what do I do with the liquid leftover from this natural pickling? I hate to throw it away because I’m certain it is filled with tons of good bacteria. I think it could be used in salad dressings and dips. Anyone have tips for me?
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Wardeh,
The liquid from the pickled veggies mixed with a little lemon juice, and perhaps some herbs of choice, makes a really delicious salad dressing.
This is the only kind of pickling that we ever did when I was growing up.
Sylvia – Awesome! That’s just what I needed to know! Thank you!
What lovely photos! I make lacto fermented pickles out of just about every vegetable that comes my way
The best recipe I have found for introducing people to fermented pickles is my spicy carrots. I slice carrots into long rounds (slice the carrot on a steep diagonal) and mix them with sliced onions and garlic. I add some sliced jalapenos (to taste, half a jalapeno in a pint jar will make the mixture spicy but not too hot – add more if your family likes more heat) and cover with brine and then ferment just like you describe here. These are great with burritos and quesadillas.
Also, I don’t measure salt anymore when making pickles. I add salt to the water until it is “too salty to be tasty but not salty enough to be gross.” It evens out to about the same amount of salt but since you are using your taste instead of a spoon to measure it you never end up with grossly salty pickles.
Alyss – Thanks for sharing your best recipe! I will try it, for sure. I know my husband will love them! I hope to develop your confidence in tasting to know whether or not the brine is salty enough. Thanks for the great ideas!
In my family we like to take a swig from the jar of our fermented foods whenever we are browsing the fridge. Garlic pickle juice is our favorite. Even my 1 and 3 year olds like to drink it straight from the jar. Thanks for the turnip recipe. I feel like fermenting is the perfect thing to do with the odd vegetable.
Wardeh,
I’ve been wanting to try this for the longest time. I just might finally do it! I am just a little nervous, since I DON’T like kefir or yogurt, but I do want to give them a try.
Your photos are lovely, as always.
Cinnamon – Hee, hee, I’ve been doing that myself! I like the flavor of the brine very much, though it is on the salty side.
I have not tried garlic pickle juice. I like what you said, that fermenting is for the odd vegetable. The other day, a friend on facebook mentioned that she pickled watermelon rinds for the first time. Now there’s the odd leftover… perfect for pickles! (She said they turned out well.)
Mindy – Try them. Just try and see. Do you like pickles in general? Have fun with it! I’ll be waiting to hear…
Maybe you should start with a carrot recipe, like Alyss suggested. Or the Ginger Carrots in Nourishing Traditions.
Wardeh,
Check out the recipe for Beet Kvass in Nourishing traditions, I think you’ll find it’s essentially the same thing as the pickle juice but with beets. Amazingly nourishing and tonifying. Tasty too!
Lainey – Thanks for mentioning that! You’re right! Of course I’m going to try it!
I made the kimchi recipe in Nourishing Traditions. It was really good. Two of my four children are Korean and we love kimchi. I need to try beets and turnips. I am growing beets in the garden, but have never had much success with growing turnips.
Mary – Good for you! I have not tried that one yet. My mom and dad always ate kimchi, but I never liked it. However, I don’t remember ever trying it.
Maybe I would like it now that I am more refined… ha, ha!!!! I am so happy for you that you’re growing some of your own food. I look forward to that day!
Yum! Looks good. You have reminded me that i need to lacto-ferment some of my turnips and beets in my fridge. Thanks!
hi wardeh
i am borrowing a nourishing traditions book from kim t and was looking at the pickled beet recipe. i notice she cooks the beets thouroughly before cutting them up to pickle. i know that raw (and uncultured beets) are not healthful to eat, so im curious in this recipe for turnips with beets, how they are raw and pickled?
are you digesting them fine? are they hard on the teeth?
thanks for the hw order today!
gab
my message reads a little confusedly… what i mean by ‘how are they raw and pickled’ is how do you find them? are they as good as pickled cooked beets?
i hope that makes better sense!
Wardeh – To answer your question, I like pickles…but only sweet pickles! Which obviously poses a bit of a problem these days.
I’m trying to re-train my taste buds, though.
I have a question that keeps coming to mind. These recipes (and in NT too) say “cold storage.” Does that mean the refrigerator? Or just a cool shelf in the pantry?
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You inspired me! I made up a jar of beet and carrot pickles this week with the five little turnips I grew in my garden. It is fizzing away like crazy and ready to go in the fridge this afternoon. The NT recipe says to cook the beets before fermenting but I didn’t want to. Remembering you and your beets made up my mind – slice, but don’t cook!
Thanks for being here and being awesome!
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Gabrielle – That’s a good question! I saw both her recipes in the book and one was cooked and one was not. So I figured it was okay never to cook the beets and here’s why it makes sense to me. The process of lacto-fermentation enhances digestibility – wouldn’t that be the same function as cooking, for beets? – but also increases vitamin levels and produces enzymes. I feel like this is a simple answer and possibly too simple, so if you come across anything else, let me know! We are digesting them fine and there’s nothing hard on the teeth. They’re crisp and crunchy, not hard.
Mindy – I think it means a cellar (kept below 45 degrees, but possibly lower to 40 or 35 degrees) or a refrigerator. I don’t think a pantry is cool enough. Perhaps over time you’ll adjust to more salty, sour flavors! We can always hope.
Alyss – Yay! I didn’t follow the recipe you mentioned because of the cooking. Since another recipe didn’t call for cooking, I went the easy way. I’m glad you did, too! Enjoy them!
I pickled some Japanese turnips and some squash today, Wardeh.
Mark saw me getting everything together and made a quick run to the garden to find some radishes too! hahaha!
S
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Yay, Sylvia! That is great! I love it that Mark gathered the last bit!
hi wardeh!
i made the n.t. turnips and beets (as well as the cooked beets) and i have to comment that right away my jar was turning quite purple from the beets- not at all like your photos!
anyway, we opened these after about one week and there was considerable gas built up so that it really *popped* when opened. then we opened it again 3-4 days later and wow, a bigger pop.
this makes me nervous… i feel like i need to go and crack open all the other jars of stuff or they will build up gasses and explode! have you noticed the gas build up?
i do like the turnips and beets. we also made the n.t. ginger carrots but dont like them very much. and we made spicy carrots like alyss describes but havent tried those yet.
by the way… i have your grapeleaves in my fridge. if you are going to be in the area, maybe for an ortho appointment? let me know and i will meet you to get them to you (though they can sit in my fridge until i see you next— assuming they dont explode!)
gab
ps- i am storing them all in the fridge because i dont have other cold storage options… i wonder if that makes the gasses worse??
Gabrielle – My photo shows the beets on the first day. After that, they all got quite purple, turnips and water, included! I have noticed gas build up. Since I have had Kombucha explode on me, I am used to cracking open jars periodically, but I haven’t done it for these in the fridge. Maybe I should! Let me know what you find out. Some jars I’ve had in the fridge for 2 months and no explosions yet. I think the fridge slows down the gassing process.
Thanks for the grape leaves. I’ll be in town this morning, but I think it is probably too short notice to meet you. I’m only going to be around from 9 to 11 and then have to scoot. But Haniya will have a follow up in a week or two, so let’s meet then.
i probably could have met you this morning as i had to meet another friend on harvard at 930- but i didnt check back here. oh well- let me know about next time!
oh, and i know what you mean- but with mine, they were immediately purple. the turnips had purple drips as i was slicing beets and putting them in the jar and by the time i added the liquid it was totally purple- though definitely darker as they sat.
i had some sourdough starter nearly explode recently… i have my own and another that a friend gave me that i forgot about. i was rearranging my fridge and i set a yogurt container on the counter as i moved stuff around. i heard a hissing noise and thought ‘uh oh, the yogurts going to blow!’ and sure enough the top popped right off before my eyes! thats when i realised it was sourdough in the yogurt container.
also had kombucha explode, so i may go and crack open lids breifly right now…
Why can’t you use the whey leftover from cheesemaking? I have four jars full of it in my fridge and I’m trying to use it. Any ideas?
Cosmo – I read it somewhere, but I can’t remember where it was. But… Meg shared that she learned the hard way not to use cheesemaking whey for anything but soaking beans or adding to smoothies because otherwise it gives the pickled veggies a funky taste.
Ideas… soaking beans, smoothies, a cool drink plain or with herbs/spices added (it is suprisingly good to drink!), salad dressings, watering plants, feeding to animals/pets… let us know what you do!
Horning in on your whey talk here, I have used whey from my cheesemaking to make kraut in the past, and it worked just fine. Granted, I only used enough to jump-start the fermentation and used bottled water for the rest of my liquid. I can imagine that an all-whey brine would get pretty funky as Meg and Wardeh note.
Gilbert – thanks for sharing from your voice of experience! What do you think is the max you’d want to use in a quart size jar of pickled veggies, to avoid any funky taste?
My beets are now in and I have never fermented anything except leftovers left in the fridge too long. LOL. I would like a recipe for lacto-fermented sweet and spicy pickled beet. I don’t even know what kifer is and do not drink milk products as I am a vegan. Can you please send me an email with a recipe? Thank you. Terrie
Terri – Hi! I don’t have a recipe for sweet and spicy pickled beet. I’d suggest you google it – or look for library books on traditional fermentation.
Here’s a bit about kefir: http://gnowfglins.com/2009/06/01/why-kefir/
You can also make water kefir, which starts with a different grain (see Resources for sources). BUT, that doesn’t mean it would have whey to drip out for lacto-fermentation – it is totally different in that respect – I’m only mentioning it because it is a probiotic vegan beverage.
Since you won’t be able to use whey, you would want to use only salt in your fermentation recipes. However, this won’t work for fruit, just veggies. Have you read the book Nourishing Traditions? I’d suggest reading the chapter on lacto-fermentation – also getting other books from the library. Such as “Wild Fermentation” by Sandor Katz. (I haven’t read that yet, but it is on my list, there is a link on my Resources page.
I have to comment on your peeling-quarting-slicing picture. Where you at my house? It looks like my cutting board, countertop and silver bowl!
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Too funny, Marg! But I believe I was home and I was sitting at the table.
I am really interested in making lacto-fermented vegetables, but I have so many vegetables to ferment that I can’t fathom having enough space to store them in my fridge. My hope is that I can lacto-ferment the veggies, then heat the jars enough to seal the lids so I can store these jars in my cupboard. Any suggestions?
Kyp – You’ve run into the trouble that we all have in our modern homes that lack old-fashioned food storage options, such as cellars.
It is sad. There are creative ways to build cellars – just put boxes in the ground, etc. You’d have to do some research to find earth-storage options. There are cellaring books at the library or possibly a google search will yield ideas. We ourselves are trying to figure out a solution to this – and have not decided what type of cellar we will do. If you do the heating, you will kill the bacteria and lose all the benefits of lacto-fermentation. Do you have any cellar-storage options? I’m sorry not to give you a definite answer.
You have to keep them in cold storage correct? How long do they last in cold storage all winter? ie a winter supply?
I am a canner so i am acustomed to heating jars to make them sterile & the fruit and veggies too… Is it neccissary to heat the jars..then let them cool and then fill them?
I think from here on in its Lacto fermented for me, I really don’t like the amount of sugar or vinegar required to can …
Please advise me if i need to heat the jars …. how else do you get the lid to seal ?
I have turnip like crazy (and beets too so this receipe is perfect)
Thanks,
Lisa
Canada
Lisa – LF (lacto-fermented) veggies should last in cold storage for several months to a year. LF fruits should be eaten within two months (according to Nourishing Traditions). You would want to start with clean jars, but I rarely see anyone mention “sterile.” This process of LF encourages the beneficial lactobacilli to proliferate and it suppresses putrefying bacteria. Lids are sealed merely by tightening them; no boiling is necessary. However, it is not the “seal” you would usually find through high-heat canning. Enjoy! I’d recommend the book “Wild Fermentation” by Sandor Katz. Boy, is it wonderful! I am reading it right now and it expounds on the principles in NT to a greater extent.
Oh wow! exactly what i was looking for without having to buy a book!
Id rather spend my money on sun dried sea salt then a book
BTW most people will use salt or sea salt from a store… be careful ive read a few books that state most store sea salt is heat dried to high temperatures. this makes the salt inorganic and dead and collects in the body in bad ways… *shocking truth about water (Salt)
a parallel would be vinegar from your ferment verses white vinegar in the store. alive vs dead.
Anyhow are most vegetables the same? as long as they arent cooked they have the natural bacteria on them waiting to help us?! must be true.
So these recipes are often just a matter of salt/veggie and taste combos?
Im on a raw plant diet and this would compliment it greatly with the veggies i find hard to eat. So thanks
I started some lacto fermented beets and summer squash yesterday. Yeah! I am also wondering about storage temperature. (I saw the previous post that recommends 40 degrees. I would like to store the jars in my basement which stays 50-55 degrees in the winter. Any experience with this?
[...] you’d create sourdough bread. Instead of cooked to death canned vegetables, you’d lacto-ferment your [...]
I just prepared my first jar of lacto-fermented beets. Can’t wait to try them in 3 days!
Do you know if lacto-fermentation will work with fruit (such as pears)?
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Kelly – Yes, you can lacto-ferment fruits. I have not done any. But in Nourishing Traditions and also Wild Fermentation, there are fruit recipes. I know you must use whey for those recipes, using only salt is not an option. See my Resources Page for links to those books. Enjoy your beets!
Why can’t you use whey from cheesemaking? I’m bummed b/c I just found a source of raw goat whey but it comes from cheesemaking.
Jill – This whole issue is up in the air for me! The other day, I read something that made me think we could use cheesemaking whey. I guess the usual assumption is that cheesemaking whey is “dead” because the cheese has been heated. But what I read suggested that “raw” whey from cheese that has not been heated (like my cheeses don’t usually go over 86 degrees) could be used. So I am willing to give it a try myself. I just decided that the other day. If you try it, please come back and share what your results are!
P.S. I don’t think I would use the whey from making feta cheese, as the calf lipase added has a very strong flavor that might not go well with fermented veggies. 
Hi Wardeh,
I have been wanting to try to lacto-ferment veggies, but am a bit confused. Some websites say you have to use a contraption that will allow the bubbling gases to escape, but your method states to tightly cap until ready. Have you ever had a jar explode? I appreciate your input, great stuff here!
Daina – You know, I have tried both and they both work fine. This is not an exact science, it is a traditional skill achieved by many people around the globe in various vessels and kitchen circumstances. I have never had a jar explode, though a friend and I have worried about it. None of my LF veggies have gotten older than 3 months. I have had a Kombucha jar explode, and that was only a week capped. In my opinion, if the LF worked properly, then the balance of good bacteria will protect for spoiling if you risk opening the jar and releasing gases. My sauerkraut is in the fridge in a gallon jar and I take some out, repack it, and let it keep aging. (Now that I made in a jar with the airlock attachment, and I didn’t leave enough room in the top for gases to build up, so it bubbled all over. Then I took some out, reattached the airlock, and it continued developing on its merry way.) I believe there are many scenarios that work for LF foods. Hope this helps – sorry I don’t have a firm answer.
I just started to make Lacto Femented Beets now. I am from Japan and we often use Beets leaves as well. I chopped all the leaves and mix with salt and leave them for a while. I am not sure this is going to work but I think my mom used to do that. Do you use leaves?
Misa – I haven’t used beet leaves, no. But you can lacto-ferment almost anything. I think you should try it! Let me know how it goes.
I think I read somewhere that the leftover kraut juice could be used on the next batch of kraut, so last time I made it, I used my leftover juice. It seemed to “jumpstart” the new batch, instead of water/whey. Also, adjust your amount of salt probably, since the juice would be salty already. BTW, my favorite ferment so far was a cabbage, carrot, and green apple mixture. Yummy!
Lori – I just read that the other day, too! It was in Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz. I’m really happy to hear you tried it and it worked. I’m going to do it for sure. The cabbage/carrot/green apple sounds delish!
Hi,
Any idea if whey can be frozen then thawed to use in fermentation? My theory is yes since cheese and bread starters can be frozen. But I don’t want to ruin a bunch of whey, so I’m asking….
Thanks,
Nikki
Nikki – Yes, I believe that freezing is fine. Whey will keep for 6 months in the fridge though, too.
Looks great. I’ll have to try it!
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