My Current Favorite is Kiwi Salsa:
Ingredients: 3 cups kiwis, 1 1/2 onions, 4 garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 2 TBSP salt, 1/2 jalapeno. See directions below. Great condiment for eggs, meats, fish, vegetables.
Lacto Fermented foods are a traditional way of cooking, a great source of probiotics, a tasty way to enjoy raw food and a remarkably effective way to preserve food for months. Take a look below for some favorites. The cabbage in sauerkraut is especially helpful in healing the gut lining.
Tips for Fermenting:
Salt ratio is critical. Too much and you inhibit the growth of the good bacteria and the ferment won't get started. Too little and you will be overrun with the wrong bacteria and your beautiful ingredients will spoil. Two tablespoons per quart is a rule of thumb. If you add a culture from a previous batch or from whey made from draining yogurt, you can use less.
You might find it helpful to use a bowl where the quart (or whatever amount you are going for) measure is marked on the side of the bowl, so you can determine, as you are mixing ingredients, just the right amount for your fermentation vessel.
To make develop the brine, salt the vegges and kneed them with your hands to allow the juices to come out. Press the ingredients down as much as possible. Leave 1” headroom in the jar. It is important to have the vegetables covered in water as they ferment. If you need more liquid to do so, add about 3/4 T salt to 2 cup of warm water mixed well. The vegetables tend to float. One way to press the vegetables down is to save the core of the cabbage (or carrot tops, or perhaps half an apple) and place it on the top of your vegetable mix so that, when you tighten the lid of the jar, it holds the vegetables submerged when the bubbles of fermentation would otherwise heave up out of the water.
Be sure to put a bowl or rimmed plate underneath your jar. The heaving contents can cause liquid to overflow the jar.
Loosely seal the jar and store undisturbed in a dark place for at least 4-5 days to 2 weeks for more probiotic benefit. Try it and see which taste you enjoy best.
The surprising thing, is that it is difficult to go wrong. Even if a white substance appears on the top of the ferment, you can scrape it off and underneath the ferment is fine. Sandor Katz, the guru of fermenting in the US reports that the FDA shows no records of food poisoning from fermented vegetables. If you sprinkle a little salt on the top, you can avoid discoloration at the surface.
Sauerkraut or Cortido a Salvadorian Sauerkraut.
1 cabbage cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup carrots coarsely grated
1 bunch green onions (or globe onions)
2 tablespoon sea salt (the darker the better)
For Cortido add:
1 chopped jalapeno pepper
1/2 Jalapeno pepper (flavor varies: taste as you go!!)
In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Place in a quart jar and compress into place until juices rise to the top or add just enough water until the water reaches the top. The top of the cabbage should be at least 1" from the top of the jar. Cover loosely and leave at room temp for a minimum of five days before transferring to cold storage. The flavor matures with time.
Polly’s Purple Cabbage Sauerkraut
Make the cabbage sauerkraut above using purple cabbage and add: thyme, winter savory and marjoram.
Salsa du Jour
3-4 Tomatoes
1 ½ Onions
1 ½-2 c. of some other favorite vegetable that you have on hand: cauliflower, zucchini, kale, carrots
Handful of Chives
Handful of Parsley
Couple of sprigs of Basil (or Oregano)
5-6 Cloves of Garlic
½ C cilantro (optional)
2 Tbsp Sea Salt
3-4 tsp Lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper chopped. I find the hotness varies: the key is to taste your salsa and correct the amount of pepper to taste.
Son Ethan tells of traveling in Guatemala where each village had their own variation on lacto-fermented salsa. That gave me the courage to try out different combinations. Cauliflower is great, zucchinis or summer squash taste great and have a wonderful crunch. Feel free to improvise with vegetables and herbs! It is a delicious to way preserve food for several months.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes, onions and other vegetables. Mince the herbs and garlic. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Ladle into a quart jar and keep compressing into place with some flat ended implement until juices come to the top of the mixture, or add just enough salted water until the water reaches the top. The top of the mixture should be at least 1" from the top of the jar. Place a glass weight or a vegetable (cabbage core or green tomatoes) to hold the salsa submerged as bubbles from fermentation cause them to heave. Lid loosely and place in a small bowl to receive the spill of liquid as the mixture ferments. Leave at room temp for at least five days (longer in the winter, shorter in summer temperatures) before transferring to cold storage. The flavor matures with time. The salsa should last for several months in the refrigerator.
1 ½ Onions
1 ½-2 c. of some other favorite vegetable that you have on hand: cauliflower, zucchini, kale, carrots
Handful of Chives
Handful of Parsley
Couple of sprigs of Basil (or Oregano)
5-6 Cloves of Garlic
½ C cilantro (optional)
2 Tbsp Sea Salt
3-4 tsp Lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper chopped. I find the hotness varies: the key is to taste your salsa and correct the amount of pepper to taste.
Son Ethan tells of traveling in Guatemala where each village had their own variation on lacto-fermented salsa. That gave me the courage to try out different combinations. Cauliflower is great, zucchinis or summer squash taste great and have a wonderful crunch. Feel free to improvise with vegetables and herbs! It is a delicious to way preserve food for several months.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes, onions and other vegetables. Mince the herbs and garlic. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Ladle into a quart jar and keep compressing into place with some flat ended implement until juices come to the top of the mixture, or add just enough salted water until the water reaches the top. The top of the mixture should be at least 1" from the top of the jar. Place a glass weight or a vegetable (cabbage core or green tomatoes) to hold the salsa submerged as bubbles from fermentation cause them to heave. Lid loosely and place in a small bowl to receive the spill of liquid as the mixture ferments. Leave at room temp for at least five days (longer in the winter, shorter in summer temperatures) before transferring to cold storage. The flavor matures with time. The salsa should last for several months in the refrigerator.
Ginger Carrots:
4 cups coarsely grated carrots, tightly packed
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (I use a bit more)
2 tablespoon sea salt (the darker the better)
In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Place in a quart jar and compress into place until juices rise to the top or add just enough water until the water reaches the top of the carrots. The top of the carrots should be at least 1" from the top of the jar. Cover loosely and leave at room temp for at least five days (longer in cooler weather) before transferring to cold storage. The flavor matures with time.
Add 1 tablespoon freshly grated Turmeric to the above recipe for an anti-inflammatory boost.
Pickled Ginger Pears 1 quart
Cut 4 c. pears into ½” pieces
Grate 1 tbsp ginger
1 Tbsp sea salt
Place in a 1 quart jar to where you have 1” head room at the top of the jar. Leave the jar at room temperature for at least 5 days. Skim the top layer which might look whitish.
Refrigerate. This will keep for months, but is not likely to because it is so good.
Serve in a bowl with diced almonds or coconut cream. Delicious.
Grate 1 tbsp ginger
1 Tbsp sea salt
Place in a 1 quart jar to where you have 1” head room at the top of the jar. Leave the jar at room temperature for at least 5 days. Skim the top layer which might look whitish.
Refrigerate. This will keep for months, but is not likely to because it is so good.
Serve in a bowl with diced almonds or coconut cream. Delicious.
Pickled Beet mix one quart
2 Cups diced Beets
1 Cup diced Carrots
1 cup sliced Cabbage
1 1/2 Tbsp grated Ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Place in a quart jar and compress into place until juices rise to the top or add just enough water until the water reaches the top. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1" from the top of the jar. Cover loosely and leave at room temp for at least five days (longer in cooler weather) before transferring to cold storage. The flavor matures with time.
1 Cup diced Carrots
1 cup sliced Cabbage
1 1/2 Tbsp grated Ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Place in a quart jar and compress into place until juices rise to the top or add just enough water until the water reaches the top. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1" from the top of the jar. Cover loosely and leave at room temp for at least five days (longer in cooler weather) before transferring to cold storage. The flavor matures with time.