If you missed our recent fermentation class, below are the recipes, provided by Fermenters Club founder Austin Durant.
Slow Sauerkraut Recipe
Total Prep Time: 20 minutes Fermentation Time: 7 days to 6 months
1) Shred & Salt Cabbage
2 large heads (5 lbs.) organic cabbage (green or purple) 3 Tablespoons sea salt 2 teaspoons caraway seeds 1 teaspoon juniper berries
1 cup other fruit or veggies-- fennel bulb, celery, apple, e.g. (Optional) Working in four batches (1/2 head at a time):
Shred cabbage & other veggies to a uniform size using a chef’s knife, mandolin, or V-slicer. Add cabbage and 1⁄4 of the other ingredients to a 1-gallon or larger fermenting vessel (glass, ceramic crock, or food-grade plastic container).
Mix ingredients together thoroughly with clean hands.
2) Pack into Vessel
Pack contents down with your hands. Add a plate or plastic lid that fits inside vessel & covers the top layer of cabbage. Add a heavy object such as a glass bottle filled with water, or a zip-top bag with salt-water to weigh cabbage down. Cover the container with a dish towel or other cloth (not cheesecloth) to keep out flies and dust. Brine will form as salt draws water from the cabbage (may take a day).
Ferment
Stash it in a cool, dark place– a cellar, under the stairs, or the coolest place in the kitchen. Check on it every few days (in warmer weather) to weekly (in cooler weather). Some mold may form on the surface. Remove weight and lid; wash them with warm soapy water. Then skim off the surface mold, getting as much as you can. Don’t worry if you don’t get it all. The contents are safe under the brine.
Ensure that contents are always under brine. If there is not enough brine to cover the contents, dissolve 1 Tbsp salt per 1 Cup of filtered water (mix as much as you need to cover the contents). Pour on top of contents. Leave for as little as 7 days or as long as 6 months.
When it tastes the way you like it, do a final mold cleaning and transfer to smaller (quart- or pint-sized) jars. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.
© Fermenters Club 2012.
Kimchi
Soak Vegetables
Add to 1 gallon glass jar or ceramic crock: o 1 1⁄2 medium heads (2-3 lbs). cabbage (green, Napa, or bok choy), cut into 1”
chunks o 2 carrots, thinly sliced o 1 medium daikon radish, thinly sliced o 1 scallion
Dissolve salt into water. Pour brine over contents. o 3 pints filtered water o 4-5 tablespoons sea salt
Weigh veggies under brine with heavy glass bottle or plate with weight for 4 to 6 hours.
Make paste
Add to food processor: o 4 Tbsp. red pepper powder o 1 Tbsp. fish sauce o 1 Tbsp. soy sauce o 6-8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped o 3 scallions, sliced o 1 Tbsp. (about 3”) ground ginger
Pulse in food processor until paste forms.
Pack Jar or Crock
Drain vegetables, reserving 1 cup of soaking liquid. Wearing glove, mix paste thoroughly into vegetables with your hands. Pack into jar or crock. Even out top surface. Weigh down with plate or lid & weight. Contents should be under brine within 1 day. If not, top off with reserved brine.
Ferment
Cover with towel to keep dust/flies out. Let sit in warm dark spot for 7 days. Note: Your kitchen will smell like kimchi. Transfer to smaller (quart- or pint-sized) jars. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.
