Whole Vegetable or Wet Brine Fermentation

After the success of my Red Cabbage Sauerkraut aka Red Cabbage Coleslaw Sauerkrat, I thought I'd try fermenting my Piccalilli ingredients ie cauliflower and green beans using the @ZOE fermentation guide

Whole vegetables, or vegetables that contain less water, require a wet brine to ensure they are submerged below the brine and kept away from airborne bacteria.

Makes a large 2L  jar

1 cauliflower

200g green beans

Salt

Water

Break the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Top and tail the beans and cut in half. 

Mix the cauliflower and beans in a large mixing bowl. Place the jar onto digital scales, zero them, and weigh in the mixed vegetables plus the water required to cover them.

Note down the total weight of the vegetables and water. 2% of this weight is the required amount of salt.

Weigh the required amount of salt into the mixing bowl, then with your hand over the mouth of the jar to stop the vegetables falling out, pour the water into the mixing bowl. Stir the water until the salt has dissolved and then pour back over the vegetables in the jar.

Use a pickle weight or smaller water filled jar to ensure the vegetables are covered by the brine, and put the lid on if you can. Leave to one side on the kitchen counter.

In a few days the odd bubble will rise up the side of the jar.  Burp the jars daily, or leave the lid on loosely. Mine is in a cheap preserving jar and seems not to seal properly, so I have had to stand it on something to collect the overflowing brine caused by fermentation, but I do not have to burp it.

Zoe Nutrition recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before starting to eat your fermented vegetables. After 2 weeks, the jar can be put into the fridge to slow down the fermentation.  However, you can always leave it out at room temperature to continue fermenting until it is all eaten. Mine is about 5 days old.  I tasted it a few days in, as soon as it started to ferment/overflow.  The cauliflower has a slight garlic taste, even though there is no garlic in the jar.  The beans seem a little tough. 

Already, I am planning my next fermenting combination; red cabbage & grated beetroot, and cauliflower & crinkle cut baby beetroot which should be an interesting colour.

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