Preserving the Harvest

Sharing my Favorite Methods to Preserve the Harvest- Fermenting

Let’s dive into my favorite ways go Preserve the Harvest shall we!?!

Fermenting

There are many ways to preserve foods, I’m going to cover the basics, include some recipes and get you started! I can’t wait to see how much you put up and more than that the desire to fill your pantry each year with your hard work.

Fermenting Onions YouTube Short

Fermenting Carrots YouTube Short

Today’s Topic is Fermenting and this is a really cool one. You can create your own probiotics at home and all of our guts need it!

CONTENTS:

Canning
Dehydrating
Freezing
Fermenting (Today’s Topic)

Videos & More Below!

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Fermenting Vegetables

Fermenting is an awesome way to extend your harvest

+ adding probiotics into your diet!!

Lacto-fermentation is the process of taking beneficial bacteria that are naturally occurring on vegetables and converting them to lactic acid. The veggies are delicious and rich in probiotics.

Learn This & SO much more with my Fermenting 101 Ebook, check it out HERE!

Salsa & Carrot Recipe down below!

This topic could use a lot of attention, many resources, websites, etc but this will absolutely get you started with the process with my 2 favorite recipes that taste great.

Items You Need:
Glass Jars (Half gallon or quart suggested)
Fermenting weights
Filtered or spring water
Fine Salt – Himalayn or Redmond’s Real Salt or from Azure Standard Click HERE
Lids

Fermenting Kit

Basic Brine Recipe:
2 Tablespoons himalyan or Redmond’s real salt to 1 Quart spring or filtered water

Quick Steps on How To:
1. Wash and cut up veggies according to recipe
2. Place the veggies into your glass jar
3. Pour in the brine solution
4. Press those veggies down as good as you can
5. Place the fermenting weights on top
6. Make sure the veggies are completely submerged
7. Store in a 60-70 degree area and check daily to make sure veggies are still under the brine
8. Leave for the time according to direction
9. Remove weight and place lid and into the fridge it goes

Tips: You can use a clean cabbage leaf and/or a small jar filled with water to keep the veggies down below the brine.

***Always keep the veggies under a salt brine and away from air at all times**

Resources:

Fermenting Kit

Glass Weights– I absolutely LOVE these! or Ball Fermenting lids/springs

You’ll need good salt either Redmonds’ Real Salt or Himalayan Salt /Redmond’s Real Salt from Azure Standard Click HERE

Glass Jars/Mason Jars– always a must to have on hand! Ball or Kerr are great brands that I recommend. Half Gallon Jars from Azure are a great price! (Make sure to get wide mouth so your able to place items and weights)

Please use a stainless steel funnel– there are many plastic options however I never recommend using plastic.

Fermented Carrots & Ginger

Total Time: 10 Days 15 Minutes
Learn how to make fermented carrots with just a few simple steps and ingredients.
The process couldn’t be any easier, and the results are a gut healthy, probiotic rich superfood.

Notice the fun bubbles- it’s fermenting!!

Ingredients

1 pound whole carrots
4 tablespoons salt
1 Chunk of Ginger

Instructions

Bring 2 cups of water to a light simmer. Remove it from the heat and stir in the salt, until dissolved.
Add the salt water to a half gallon glass mason jar. Fill the jar the rest of the way with filtered water.
Slice the carrots into long thin sticks. Put them in another half gallon mason jar, and pour the prepared brine over them until they are fully submerged. Leave one to two inches headspace. Add in the chunk of ginger.
Add some kind of fermenting weight to keep the carrots underneath the liquid. This could be a folded up cabbage leaf or a rock in a ziplock bag. If you plan to ferment often, you could even buy weights specifically made for fermenting.
Cover with a loose lid, or a tea towel and rubber band.
Allow the carrots to sit in an undisturbed place for 2-10 days. The amount of time will depend on the temperature in the house and your preferences. You can give the veggies a little taste each day to see if the desired taste and texture is reached.
Once the carrots are done fermenting, cover them with a tight lid and move the jar to the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from farmhouse on boone

Lacto Fermented Salsa

Total Time: 2 Days 10 Minutes
Easy and delicious, this fermented salsa recipe is a simple way to add probiotics to your diet

Ingredients

4 small tomatoes, around 2 cups – of course, this depends on the variety you grew. You could use two large tomatoes, or a bunch of cherry tomatoes.
1 bell pepper
1/2 white onion
1/2 lemon or lime – lime is more ideal.
1-2 cloves of garlic, depending on preference.
1 jalapeno – you can leave this out if you are making this for the kids.
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp salt

Instructions

Dice tomatoes- try to get as much of the juice in the bowl as possible. If your tomatoes aren’t that juicy, you could always add water later.
Chop remaining vegetables and add to the bowl.
Squeeze in lemon/lime juice.
Add 2 tsp salt and mix well.
Add salsa to a wide mouth mason jar and place weight on top, pushing down well, making sure the vegetables are submerged under the brine.
Cover jar with fermentation lid or a loose lid. You want the gases to be able to escape without allowing anything in, like gnats.
Leave on the counter at room temperature for 2 days to allow the good bacteria to take over. If your house is really warm, it may only take one day to ferment.
Throughout the fermentation process, it is good to check your vegetables and make sure they are still submerged under the brine.
Once, it is fermented to your liking, enjoy and keep stored place in the fridge for 3-4 months.

Recipe adapted from farmhouse on boone

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