Homemade Fermented Vegetables
An easy sauerkraut-style ferment of white cabbage, carrot, apple and ginger. Just salt, veg and time: a great first fermenting project for a happier gut.
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
- 500 g white cabbage
- 500 g carrots
- 1 red-skinned apple
- 2 Tbsp sea salt non-iodised
- 2 cm piece of root ginger 3/4 inch
Instructions
- Sterilise the jar: wash it in hot, soapy water, rinse, then put it in an oven heated to 140°C / 285°F for at least 10 minutes. Leave to cool completely. Make sure all your other equipment is very clean. Remove any jewellery you are wearing.
- Thinly slice the cabbage, carrots and apple, discarding the apple core.500 g white cabbage, 500 g carrots, 1 red-skinned apple
- Mix together in your large bowl with the salt. Press down well to release as much liquid as possible. This takes about 15 minutes working the salt into the veg, pressing as you go. You’re aiming for your shredded veg to be limp and easy to squeeze out its water. Add in the thinly sliced ginger.2 Tbsp sea salt, 2 cm piece of root ginger
- Transfer to the glass jar, a little at a time, pressing each addition into the jar so that its water keeps it submerged. Once all the veg is in the jar, ensure it is fully submerged under the liquid. You can use a piece of cabbage stalk to fill any space left between the veg mix and the lid so that once closed, this keeps the veg submerged. Leave about 2–3 cm of space at the top.
- Leave to ferment at room temperature (out of direct sunlight) for 1-4 weeks. Once opened, store in the fridge and enjoy within 4 weeks if it lasts this long!
- Start tasting after a week. When it's as tangy as you like, move it to the fridge. Once opened, eat within 4 weeks.
Notes
Recipe from Soil to Gut: How to Regenerate Your Health with Food by Lucy Williamson (5m Books, £24.99). Reproduced with permission.
- Serving size: this recipe makes 1 litre of fermented vegetables, or about 30 servings of 2 tablespoons each.
- Serve it: as a side with salads, a quinoa lunch bowl, a jacket potato, or cheese and crackers.
- What's normal: bubbles, a cloudy liquid and a sour smell are all signs it's working.
- When to throw it away: if you see fuzzy mould, pink or slimy veg, or it smells unpleasant, discard the whole batch.
- Salt: use non-iodised sea salt, as iodised salt can slow fermentation.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 14kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 486mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2804IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.1mg