The Science Of Fermentation With Denali Canning

Fermented foods are foods that have undergone controlled microbial growth, this results in enhanced nutrient content in the food. The bacteria produces vitamins and enzymes that are beneficial for digestion. Fermenting food is a great way to provide good nutrition year round.

How Do I Ferment?

 While fermenting vegetables does not require a lot of specialized equipment, using the appropriate equipment can make all the difference when getting started. You can count on us to provide the necessary wide or regular mouth lids you need for fermenting in mason jars. After your equipment is sorted, next come the vegetables. There are several ways to prepare the vegetables for fermenting: grating, shredding, chopping, slicing, or leaving whole. How you choose to prepare your vegetables is a personal choice, though some vegetables are better suited for leaving whole (such as radishes, brussel sprouts and green beans), while others ferment better when shredded or grated. 

Next decide whether you want to use salt, whey, or a starter culture. Salt and water are all you need for lacto-fermentation, with sea salt being the best option. Many recipes call for fresh whey as a ferment starter, but it isn’t necessary. You can also use a vegetable starter culture for a faster fermentation, but it isn’t essential. 

Then comes the brine, all you need is clean water to prepare it. Ideally you need enough brine to submerge the vegetables completely. The best fermentation results are achieved with a 2% brine. The easiest way to think about this is in grams. For every 100 grams of vegetables, you need 2 grams of salt. Shortly after this you want to make sure your vegetables are weighed down under the brine in your mason jar. Leave the vegetables to ferment at room temperature. Leave them there until you are happy with the taste. (Check on them every 3 days) Once you got them tasting how you like then you can store them in the fridge!

Like us on Facebook: @DenaliCanning

Join our Private Facebook Group: Denali Canning Community

Follow us on Instagram: @DenaliCanning