{"id":2688,"date":"2016-04-30T19:20:28","date_gmt":"2016-04-30T23:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/?p=2688"},"modified":"2016-04-30T19:20:28","modified_gmt":"2016-04-30T23:20:28","slug":"fermentation-recipes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/?p=2688","title":{"rendered":"Fermentation & Recipes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IMG_2710\"<\/a>The Spring Fair was wonderful! Thanks all who came out. Here is a little something about fermentation and a few recipes to go with the demonstration today.<\/p>\n

I lived on the West Coast for over a decade, so of course I\u2019ve heard of the benefits of naturally fermented vegetables \u2013 it\u2019s like a right of passage \u2013 you have your first European style cappuccino, and then a tempeh reuben with sauerkraut that was made in the sandwich guy\u2019s basement. And I always thought that I should be fermenting vegetables, but aside from a few batches of pickles, and some fermenting at the restaurant I worked at, I didn\u2019t do much at home. Until now! Now I\u2019m at the farm, surrounded by all these vegetables\u2026and it seems like every other week there\u2019s another study out, linking our gut health with a healthy immune system, mental health or digestive prowess. Fermenting increases the availability of vitamins and aids in digestion. There\u2019s a reason that almost every culture on the planet has some version of fermented food as a traditional food staple \u2013 think yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, kefir, miso\u2026<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t go into much more detail \u2013 y\u2019all can look it up on your own, or you\u2019re like me and you already know that you should be eating more fermented foods, but they\u2019re too expensive or they seem too daunting. But it\u2019s so easy and fun. I love pickles, but the standard pickles are just vinegar and salt and cooked vegetables and they\u2019re doing nothing for you. So I\u2019ve got a recipe here for Garlicky Dill Carrots that are crunchy, salty and perfect with a sandwich. But I also think it\u2019s really convenient to have something in the fridge that\u2019s a little bit like a pickle and a little bit like a salad. I\u2019ve been known to throw together the Curried Kraut with some celery, leafy greens and some tuna\u2026et voila – hippy Nicoise! Enjoy. And bring me some of your fermented creations to try \u2013 that\u2019s the thing, once you make a good one, you\u2019re hooked and you can\u2019t wait to share them.<\/p>\n

Fermentation \u2018Recipe\u2019<\/p>\n

I always thought that it was annoying that all these fermentation people didn\u2019t just have a good recipe \u2013 it was always so loose-y goose-y it seemed like a joke. And now here I am, trying to write a recipe \u2013 but the thing is that it\u2019s hard because there are sooo many things you can do, as long as you work within the basic rules. Don’t worry – there are recipes below!<\/p>\n

The basic premise with lacto-fermentation is that you\u2019re creating the perfect environment for only the bacteria that you\u2019re interested in \u2013 not the mold, not the nasties, just the lactobacilli (that\u2019s why it\u2019s called lacto-fermentation, nothing to do with milk, just the particular family of bacteria). As the sugars in the vegetables are broken down by the bacteria into lactic acid, the taste becomes less sweet, and more tart \u2013 hence the vinegar-esque flavor. The longer the ferment, the more tart it will be \u2013 because of the increase in lactic acid. The texture of the vegetables will also be affected \u2013 if it\u2019s too long, they will get mushy. Around 2 weeks is good for most of the vegetables that I\u2019ve used. The flavor is more developed and the vegetables are still crisp.<\/p>\n

Here are the rules:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Keep oxygen out (anaerobic fermentation) \u2013 some may argue that this is not necessary, but it makes it a lot easier and takes the guess work out of it. So use an airlock or a crock with a water moat (google it!). Harvest Pantry \u2013 upstairs at the Western Fair Market in London – sells some lovely, simple gallon jars with an airlock that are perfect for about $16. Keep in mind that every time you open your fermentation jar, you\u2019re allowing oxygen in. Not a big deal if you do it once at the 10 day mark, but you don\u2019t want to open it every day.<\/li>\n
  2. Salt \u2013 the less salt you use, the greater the chance that another bacteria is going to take up residence, and it also helps to create the pickle\/kraut flavor and texture. Too much and it\u2019s inedible. Use a nice sea salt, not factory salt. Himalayan pink salt, Real Salt, or grey salt are all great. Not Kosher salt, not shaker salt.<\/li>\n
  3. Keep it long sleeve t-shirt temperature – most of the time, a cool room temperature is good for fermenting – around 68\u02daF. A little warmer makes things happen faster, a little cooler makes things take a little bit longer.<\/li>\n
  4. Basic cleanliness \u2013 wash your hands, wash your fermenting things, keep clean cutting boards clean, don\u2019t get any meat\/dairy juices in there, etc.<\/li>\n
  5. Use good water if you\u2019re making a brine (i.e. not chlorinated water). At the farm we have well water, which is great. If you live in the city, use bottled water.<\/li>\n
  6. Good vegetables! I almost forgot this one because it\u2019s a given, right? Organic, local, fresh.<\/li>\n
  7. Keep it in the dark(ish). It doesn\u2019t have to be a blackout, but keeping it in a cupboard or wrapped in a towel is a good idea.<\/li>\n
  8. Keep the vegetables submerged in your liquid. Use a plate, boiled rocks, or a clean mason jar to keep the veggies submerged. Cabbage leaves are really handy for this too \u2013 use the big ones from the outside of the head to wrap around the surface and push the veg beneath the liquid.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Some people think that a little mold on the top is no big deal, but I say no! Aim higher! Who wants mold in their food? Unless it\u2019s cheese, of course. I don\u2019t like mold \u2013 I feel like most of the time, you can taste it, and if you have a proper set up (air-lock, good vegetables, good salt, etc), there really is no reason that it should become moldy. Cloudiness, and a sort of a white, silty look is normal and desirable. Any mold, sliminess or discoloration is a chance to start again!<\/p>\n

    Garlicky Dill Carrots<\/strong><\/p>\n

    8 cups water<\/p>\n

    4 Tablespoons sea salt<\/p>\n

    3-5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half<\/p>\n

    2 medium hand-sized dill fronds<\/p>\n

    around 4 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into sticks<\/p>\n

    Place the dill fronds and garlic in the bottom of the fermentation jar. Layer (or toss) the carrot sticks in on top. If you get strategic at the top, you might be able to layer them so that they won\u2019t float when you add the brine.<\/p>\n

    Dissolve the salt in the water by putting them in a bowl and stirring, or whisking. If you\u2019re using a salt that it is tough to dissolve (large chunks, etc), throw it in the blender on low while you\u2019re prepping the rest of the vegetables.<\/p>\n

    Pour the brine over the carrots until it covers them by 2\u201d. You will probably have some left over brine, which can be saved in the fridge for your next fermentation project. Use a small plate, clean, boiled rocks, or a clean pint sized mason jar to weigh down the carrots in the brine.<\/p>\n

    Put on the lid, and put the jar in a dark corner (a cupboard, behind a book shelf, etc). Wrap it in a towel and make a note to check it in a week. After a week, don\u2019t open it, but check that the vegetables are submerged and that it there isn\u2019t any mold or weirdness. Taste it at the 2 week mark (or 10 days if you\u2019re antsy).<\/p>\n

    Harvest your ferment by moving it into smaller, labelled jars to put in the fridge. Use long tongs and a wide mouth funnel to move the vegetables into mason jars. Remove the dill and garlic as you come across them.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Curried Kraut<\/strong><\/p>\n

    4 cups water (non-chlorinated, room temperature)<\/p>\n

    2 Tablespoons sea salt<\/p>\n

    1-2 small shallots, sliced thinly (or 3 cloves garlic)<\/p>\n

    3 small thumb sized pieces of ginger, peeled<\/p>\n

    3 Tablespoons mild curry powder<\/p>\n

    1 jalepeno or serrano pepper, de-seeded & minced (optional)<\/p>\n

    12 cups shredded vegetables:<\/p>\n

    2-3 medium golden beets, peeled and grated<\/p>\n

    8 medium carrots, peeled and grated<\/p>\n

    \u00bd cabbage, shredded<\/p>\n

    1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (use the stalk too!)<\/p>\n

    other ideas:<\/p>\n

    1-2 small green or red meat radish<\/p>\n

    2 small kohlrabi (or, like an 1\/8 of the giant storage kohlrabi)<\/p>\n

    1 rutabaga<\/p>\n

    5 small hakurei turnip<\/p>\n

      \n
    • A note on the vegetables \u2013 it doesn\u2019t really matter what vegetables you use (see note below in the FAQs section), but using a range of different colours is nice, and the more cruciferous vegetables (kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower), the more stinky it will be \u2013 stinky in a good way ;).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      If you\u2019re using a cabbage \u2013 save 4-5 outer leaves for wrapping before cutting it up. Grate or cut up the vegetables \u2013 on a box grater, with a mandolin, or with the grating attachment of a food processor. I usually use a combination \u2013 I generally hand slice the cabbage, shallot and cauliflower, and use the food processor to grate all the root vegetables. In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables to mix them well and sprinkle on the curry powder.<\/p>\n

      Dissolve the salt in the water by putting them in a bowl and stirring, or whisking. If you\u2019re using a salt that it is tough to dissolve (large chunks, etc), throw it in the blender on low while you\u2019re prepping the rest of the vegetables.<\/p>\n

      Pack the vegetables into your fermentation jar. Press on it to compress it. Use some of the large cabbage leaves to layer on the top of the grated vegetables to help keep them submerged below the surface of the brine. Pour the brine over until it comes 2\u201c above the surface of the veg.<\/p>\n

      Use a small plate, clean boiled rocks, or a clean pint sized mason jar to weigh down the vegetables in the brine.<\/p>\n

      Put on the lid, and put the jar in a dark corner (a cupboard, behind a book shelf, etc). Wrap it in a towel and make a note to check it in a week. After a week, don\u2019t open it, but check that the vegetables are submerged and that it there isn\u2019t any mold or weirdness. Taste it at the 2 week mark (or 10 days if you\u2019re antsy).<\/p>\n

      Harvest your ferment by moving it into smaller, labelled jars to put in the fridge. Use long tongs and a wide mouth funnel to move the vegetables into mason jars. Remove the big chunks of ginger as you find them. Or don\u2019t worry about it and watch your friends find them as they chew them!<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Beet Kraut with Lime and Ginger<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \u00bd tsp lime zest<\/p>\n

      4 – 1 inch chunks of ginger, peeled<\/p>\n

      10 Cups beets, peeled and shredded (around 6 medium)<\/p>\n

      1 \u00bd Tablespoons sea salt<\/p>\n

      1 Cup brine (same brine as above \u2013 or 1 Cup water to 1 \u00bd tsp salt)<\/p>\n

      Toss the grated beets with the zest, ginger and salt. Pack it into your fermentation jar, and top with brine to bring the brine 2\u201d above the beets. Use boiled, clean rocks to weigh down the grated beets. A few will float to the top, skim off some if there are a lot, but if you\u2019re using an airlock, it will probably be ok. Taste it after a week (the ferment we tasted today at the demonstration was a week old), but keep it going for a little longer if you’d like.<\/p>\n

      FAQs<\/strong><\/p>\n

      What vegetables are good for fermenting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Most of them. Texture is the only hiccup. If you\u2019re going to ferment leafy greens or eggplant, you\u2019d have to have a pretty high tolerance for soft, mushy savory things! But carrot, cabbage, any kind of radish, turnip, snap peas, asparagus, green beans, kohlrabi, celery root, beets, onions, garlic, shallot\u2026all delicious.<\/p>\n

      How long is it good for? <\/strong><\/p>\n

      Once you taste the ferment and decide it\u2019s where you\u2019d like it, throw it in the fridge and munch away til it\u2019s gone. After a couple of months, the texture might start to degrade a bit. But if it\u2019s a good one, I\u2019ll bet you eat it before it\u2019s gone. It\u2019s a great way to use up some of those extra vegetables in your fridge and keep them around for another month or two.<\/p>\n

      Can I ferment a smaller quantity? Why are your recipes so big? <\/strong><\/p>\n

      The path to success is paved with gallon jars. The bigger the jar, the more consistent the results. Sure, you could go to the trouble of making a quart of something. But then you sit it in your cupboard for 2 weeks, and it could be gone in a week. Make a little bit more and give it away to your friends!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The Spring Fair was wonderful! Thanks all who came out. Here is a little something about fermentation and a few recipes to go with the demonstration today. I lived on the West Coast for over a decade, so of course I\u2019ve heard of the benefits of naturally fermented vegetables \u2013 it\u2019s like a right of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[63,64,102,100,105,56,91,83,58,103,57,59,104,101,65,69,66,67,61],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2688"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2688"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2693,"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2688\/revisions\/2693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.orchardhillfarm.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}