Friday, November 23, 2012

food fermentation

The Powell River Food security project hosted a beginners course on food fermentation last week. I was interested because sauerkraut was on the list and I love sauerkraut.

If you asked me two weeks ago I would have said sauerkraut is cooked and vinegar is used as a preservative, not true .... sauerkraut is fermented using salt and whey.

It's really quite simple, all you need is a little bit of time. This is what we did:

Very thinly slice one head of cabbage
Shred  1 - 2 carrots
add 1/4 cup of whey
add 1tbsp unrefined sea salt or 2 tbsp if you are not using whey

Mix everything together into a large bowl, mix it/beat it well for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the veggies release their juices and are very wet.

Pack the veggies very tightly into a 1litre jar with a tight fitting jar, before closing the lid, add a cabbage leaf and tuck it around the shredded cabbage. The cabbage must be underwater at all times or it will spoil. Leave about 1 inch of head space. Place the jar at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks and then store in the fridge or in a cool cellar. The sauerkraut will be good to eat as early as a week after you make it but it will become more flavourful as it matures. Store leftover sauerkraut in smaller jars to ensure you maintain the 1 inch head space in the jar.


Beat it and massage your veggies!

The class busy chopping, dicing and mixing

From left to right, sauerkraut, kim chi and ketchup
 

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