NCFC:Recipes/Beet Ferment

(from p. 25 of Kaufmann -Basic recipe for Lactic Acid Fermented Root Vegetables) ~My personal comments

Ingredients: 3 1/4 cups beets, cleaned, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 clove
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 small piece of horseradish
dried dill and tarragon to taste
1 cup onions, coarsely chopped

~I usually use a combination of yellow and red. The more diversity you put into a batch, the better the fermentation result will be. Things work in synergy with a variety of stuff for the microorganism to feed on

1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp Celtic sea salt
2 tbsp lactic acid-fermented juice

~I take juice from a previous batch of ferments (it doesn't matter what kind), this gets it going really nicely. Better than adding some whey

2 tbsp whey (optional)

~I leave it out since I have juice from a previous batch

Directions:

• ~Basically I just multiply the recipe by 6 or so to fill my 2+ gallon harsch. I don't precisely measure things, but I tend to go heavy on the herbs and spices. Maybe 12 bay leaves, etc..
• Mix the ingredients. ~I make it in the morning and let it sit out for an hour or two so that the salt can work on extracting some of the beet juice. That way I don't need to add as much brine to the mix.
• If the beets don't produce enough of their own juice (they will not), add boiled salt water (2 tbsp of sea salt to 1 quart of water until they are just covered. ~I filter my water before I boil it to get out more impurities. The boiling gets the chlorine out which would kill the good microorganisms. Be sure to let the water cool to room temp, hot water will kill microorganisms as well.
• If using a harsch pot.... Leave the pot at room temp (64-69F) for two to three days. Then store in a cool place such as your basement. Root vegetables need at least four to six weeks of fermentation before they are ready to eat.
• ~For some reason, you are encouraged to ferment longer when using harsch pots. I just bring my harsch to the basement for four weeks, after a day or two, the pot starts to burp every once in a while. After two weeks, the burping pretty much stops.
• After 4 weeks, I put the contents in mason jars and store in the refrigerator. I'm careful not to store longer than a few months, because the pressure could build up and cause the jar to explode. This is why most retail stores sell the pasteurized ferments. No chance of explosion. You will hear a slight pop, or pressure release, when you open your jars and this is a good sign. The real stuff has better taste and nutrient/probiotic value.