Lacto-fermentation. It's my new obsession. I love looking down the produce aisle and thinking, "What can I ferment today?" As I was picking up a bottle of apple cider vinegar (which has nothing to do with lacto-fermentation), I spied a jar of pickled cauliflower and thought, "Wow, I bet that will taste awesome!" So I picked up a couple heads of cauliflower, one to eat and one to ferment. Unlike pickling, lacto-fermenting actually makes veggies better for you by adding probiotics, they're more easily digestible and actually increase the vitamin content. And they taste good to boot. Woohoo!
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower
- herbs and spices to taste (I used garlic and jalapenos)
- 2 tbsp sea salt, divided
- 8 tbsp whey, divided
- filtered water
- 2 quart sized mason jars
I cut the cauliflower into medium to smallish sized florets and even cut up the stem, removing any woody parts. Stuff as much as you can into 2 quart sized mason jars along with any pickling spices you prefer (parsley, peppercorns, garlic, coriander, dill) leaving about 1" of space at the top. I also put in a few slices of peppers to add a little kick. Add 1 tbsp sea salt, 4 tbsp whey (you can easily get whey by dripping yogurt) in each jar and cover with filtered water. Cover tightly and place in a warm spot for about 4 days or up to a week.
Crack open the jar, it should fizzle and smell good. If it doesn't smell good, don't eat it, haha! The fizzle is the best part. Like a party in your mouth! Pictured next to the cauliflower is a jar of pea pods, green beans and a mix of green beans and red bell pepper.
These should keep in the fridge or cellar for a few months but I doubt they stay around that long. I almost ate a whole jar yesterday!
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