· By Suja Juice
EASY LACTO-FERMENTED VEGGIES

- Raw vegetables - any assortment:
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Cucumber
- Cauliflower
- Sea salt or kosher salt
- Filtered water
- Glass jar with lid
- Optional:
- Herbs and spices: fresh dill, bay leaf, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes
- The amounts needed for this recipe will depend on the size of the container you are using. Using whatever size jar you have, fill with water then pour into a measuring cup to measure. Scrub and cut enough raw veggies to fill your jar with one inch of space at the top. For a 34 oz jar I used about 4 cups of cut veggies and 3 cups of water.
- Place cut veggies in the jar with any herbs or spices you like. Make sure everything is tightly packed and leave 1 inch of space at the top.
- Using the amount of water measured in step 1, add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1 cup of water and stir well to dissolve. For a small jar you might use only 1 cup of water / 1 tablespoon of salt. For a large jar you might use 4 cups of water / ¼ cup of salt.
- Pour the salt water brine over your vegetables so they are completely covered. To keep the veggies submerged during the fermentation process use a smaller cup or bowl that fits inside the container as a weight. If your lid will not close just cover the top of the jar with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and secure with a rubber band. Place on a small plate in case water bubbles over from the top of the jar.
- Allow your vegetables to sit at room temperature (around 70 degrees is ideal) out of direct sunlight for about one week or even as long as a few weeks. If your jar is sealed, open the lid to release the gasses once a day. You may start to notice some color changes depending on the vegetables used (my cucumbers darkened a bit and the brine absorbed some color). After a few days start doing taste tests every day or so until your vegetables reach the desired tanginess. The longer they sit out the more sour they will get - it’s really up to your personal preference. During a warm summer week, my veggies took 5 days to develop a nice taste, and were still crunchy.
- Once you are pleased with the taste of your fermented veggies, secure the lid and transfer to the refrigerator. These should last for a month or more, just make sure to use a clean utensil every time you grab from the jar (sorry, no eating straight from the jar). Enjoy with sandwiches, on top of salads or rice, or as a snack on their own!
- "The Good, the Bad, and the Deadly.” Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology. Web. http://textbookofbacteriology.net/lactics.html
- “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fermented Foods.” Science-Based Medicine. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-fermented-foods/