For my last batch of cultured vegetables, I decided to break out of the box and do some experimenting. I had prepared the basic Body Ecology recipe before (Version 2), as well as a delicious Marinara-Style recipe, but I wanted something new. I poked around online to see what the companies that sell cultured vegetables (for exorbitant prices!) put in their signature mixes. Then I came up with this recipe. We really like the dill flavor, although basil would be wonderful too.
Keep in mind that these “recipes” are incredibly versatile. If you have 8 carrots instead of 10 or no cucumbers around or want extra bell peppers, go for it! This is just a guideline or a starting point. Have fun experimenting.
Although no culture starter/InnergyBiotic/whey is absolutely required (I’ve successfully made cultured vegetables without them before), they’re great to use if you want to have more control over the specific strains of bacteria in your veggies. You are also less likely to ever have a bad batch if you use a culture. If you do get a bad batch, however, you will know it. According to everything I’ve read, a bad batch will smell horrible and look gray. Properly fermented vegetables smell sour or pickled and are still colorful. Finally, consider avoiding the use of salt during fermentation. It is a common practice, and one that’s advocated by Sally Fallon of Nourishing Traditions, but salt can inhibit the growth of some beneficial kinds of bacteria. Check out this article if you’d like more information on that topic.
Garden-Style Cultured Vegetables with Dill
Yield: approximately 9 tightly packed quarts
10 large carrots
2 red bell peppers
2 large cucumbers or 4 small ones (unwaxed)
1 large red cabbage
1 large green cabbage
1 large onion
1 head of garlic, all cloves peeled
1 large bunch fresh dill
1 large bunch celery
1 culture starter, prepped according to package instructions (available here from Body Ecology)
OR
3 oz InnergyBiotic (available here; veggies made with InnergyBiotic will be more bubbly)
OR
whey from homemade yogurt or kefir
To see my tutorial on preparing cultured vegetables, including step-by-step photographs, click here.
This is how your veggies will look prior to fermentation:
(See the “after” photo at the beginning of the post.)
I am getting veggies this weekend to prepare some cultured veggies. I too have made Version #2 from BED. We liked that, but it was a little too gingery and not enough garlic. I will modify that one to our tastes. I also plan on making the marinara style. I know my daughter and I will like that one.
I do still have some BED culture, but I also have an abundance of fresh whey from my goat’s milk yogurt. Should I try culture in one batch and whey in the other or same in both?
I will have whey on hand, until my goat’s milk run out for the winter….
I highly recommend the marinara one! It’s so good. I wish I could take credit for that recipe.
As to the starter you use, it’s totally a matter of personal preference. If it were me, I’d try the BED culture in one batch and whey in the other, just so you can compare the two. I did that the last time I made cultured veggies, except that I put BED culture in one half and InnergyBiotic in the other half. It’s cool to try them side-by-side. The InnergyBiotic is a little milder tasting and *much* more bubbly.
In the future, I’ll probably rotate batches. One batch with BED, the next batch with whey, and the next batch with InnergyBiotic. That way I’ll get a wider spectrum of bacteria.
I’ve also read that you can use the extra liquid from a completed batch of veggies as a starter for the next batch, provided you don’t wait too long between batches. I’ve never done that myself, but I plan to try it today or tomorrow. I’ve got some more vegetables lying around that I don’t want to go to waste, so I’m going to ferment them. Since I don’t have a lot of them, though, I don’t want to use up another BED culture packet, and I don’t have any more InnergyBiotic.
Since I had the BED I used it in both batches. I could have used the whey in the BED recipe since I know how it tastes.
I am tired of chopping! I only have a mini food processor, so it took some time to get that all done. Madeline helped with peeling carrots and the beets. I guess I will be able to give you a report in 5-7 days.
I have a quick question. I tried a recipe similar but with 1 TBSP salt in addition to 4 TBSP whey for a quart full. I tested it and the salt is sooo overpowering. I thought salt was important for fermentation but would be so happy if I could leave it out! What are your thoughts? Thanks!!
deborah40,
Hi there! Here’s the deal with salt and fermentation: it’s actually used to inhibit the growth of bad bacteria so that the good bacteria has enough time to get a head start. But when you’re inoculating your veggies up front with whey or a culture starter, salt really isn’t necessary. In fact, there seems to be some evidence that salt can inhibit the growth of even the good bacteria. Donna Gates of Body Ecology recommends not using salt for that reason. You should definitely be fine leaving it out.
For more on reasons not to use salt, check out this link: http://www.bodyecology.com/06/12/21/using_salt_to_ferment_foods.php
Thank so much for reading. I hope this information helps!
Alison