Recipes  

Vegetable Ferments  

 

Gundru  

Gundru, also known as kyurtse, is a strong and delicious pickle made from vegetable greens. This is a traditional fermenting method of the Newar people of Nepal. What distinguishes this ferment is that the sole ingredient is the vegetable itself, greens. No salt or any other ingredient is required. A quart (1 liter) requires the greens of about eight plants. Try using turnip greens, radish greens, mustard greens, kale, or collards — or any hardy green in the Brassica family would work.  **Please note Lettuce will not work in this recipe**

TIMEFRAME: Weeks  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

• Quart-size (liter) jar 
 
•  Screw-top for jar 
 
• Rolling pin

INGREDIENTS (for 1 quart/liter): 
 

• Greens, about 2 pounds/1 kilogram

 

PROCESS:  

1. Start on a sunny day. Set greens in the sun for a few hours until they wilt. 
 
2. Use a rolling pin on a cutting board or other hard surface to smash and crush the wilted greens. This is to 
encourage the juices out of the leaves, but you don’t want to lose any of the potent juice. 
 
3. Stuff the leaves and any juice oozing out into a jar. Use whatever implements are at hand, including your fingers, 
to compress the greens into the jar. Use pressure to force more crushed greens in, and this will force water out of them. You may be surprised how a great volume of greens can be squeezed into a small jar. Keep stuffing them in until the jar is full and the greens are covered with liquid. The liquid will be strongly pungent vegetable juice. 
 
4. Screw the lid on the jar and place it in a warm, sunny place for at least 2-3 weeks. Longer is fine.  
5. After a couple of weeks, open the jar and smell the greens. They should be pungent and sharp. Gundru packs a 
lot of flavor. Taste them. You can cut them up and serve as pickles, just like this.
6. Or, you can dry them and use Gundru to flavor soups, as it is used throughout winter in Nepal. To dry Gundru, 
remove fermented leaves from the jar and hang them from a line or spread them in the sun. Make sure greens are completely dry before putting them into storage or they will mold. 
 

Source: Wild Fermentation  

 

Sauerkraut  

Sauerkraut originates from Germany and consists of lacto-fermented cabbage. Cabbage is probably the most often lacto-fermented vegetable out there, probably because the end result tastes so good.  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

•   quart-sized, wide mouth mason jar 
 
•  wooden pounder or meat hammer 
 
• Tablespoon

INGREDIENTS: 
 

• 1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 T caraway seeds (optional so add if you like the flavour)
• up to 1 T Sea Salt
• 4 T Whey (If Whey is unavailable or Dairy Intolerant, use twice the amount of sea salt)

 

PROCESS:  

1. In a large, sturdy bowl, mix cabbage with caraway seeds, salt and whey. 
 
2. Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for about 10 minutes to release juices. 
 
3. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices 
come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. 
 
4. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to the refrigerator. The sauerkraut 
may be eaten immediately, but it improves with age. 
 

Source: The Nourishing Cook 
  

 

Cortido  

This Latin American Sauerkraut is absolutely delicious.  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

•  large bowl 
 
•  wooden pounder or meat hammer 
 
•  two quart-sized, wide mouth mason jars with tight sealing lids 
 
• tablespoon (TB)
• teaspoon (tsp)

INGREDIENTS: 
 

•  1 large cabbage, cored and shredded 
 
•  1 cup carrots, grated 
 
• 2 medium onions, quartered lengthwise and very finely sliced 
 
•  1 TB dried oregano 
 
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
 
•   1 TB sea salt 
 
•  4 TB whey (if Whey is unavailable or Dairy Intolerant, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt or package of culture starter)  

 

PROCESS:  

1. In a large bowl mix cabbage with carrots, onions, oregano, red chile flakes, sea salt and whey (if using). 
 
2. Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for about 10 minutes to release juices. 
 
3. Place in 2 quart-sized, wide mouth mason jars and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices 
come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jars. 
 
4. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to 
the refrigerator. 
 

Source: Nourishing Days 
 

 

Gingered Carrots  

So much for fermented vegetables only being a condiment; these are so delicious they may become a main dish.  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

•  grater or food processor 
 
•  quart size, wide mouth mason jar with tight sealing lid 
 
•  pounding tool  
• tablespoon (TB)

INGREDIENTS: 
 

•   4 cups grated carrots 
 
•  1-2 TB freshly grated ginger (I like a lot) 
 
•  1 TB sea salt 
 
•  4 TB whey (or use packet of culture starter, or 1/4-1/2 cup of juices from a previous batch.)

**
If looking for starter, Caldwell or Body Ecology culture starters can be found online. **
 

 

PROCESS:  

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients and pound with a wooden pounder or meat hammer to release juices. 
 
2. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices 
cover the carrots. The top of the carrots should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. 
 
3. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature about 3 days before transferring to 
the refrigerator. 
 

Source: Kelly the Kitchen Kop 
 

 

Sauerruben  

Sauerruben has a sweet, radish-like bite — although that will mellow out after a few weeks in the fridge.  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

•   1 gallon jar 
 
•  pounding tool 
 

INGREDIENTS: 
 

• 10 lbs turnips, topped, tipped, and washed with any bad parts cut off, but the skins left mostly intact 
 
•  3 TB salt 
 
•  3 TB fresh ground pepper 
 
•  culture starter packet (optional) 
 

 

PROCESS:  

1. Shred, grate, or finely chop your turnips (or rutabagas, if substituting). Add the salt, and mix well. 
 
2. I let this sit on the counter for several hours or overnight (this step is in place of pounding) so that the salt can 
begin to draw water out of the turnips. The water contains nutrients, and these nutrients then become the substrate for the growth of the lactic acid bacteria which is what turns your turnips into sauerruben. (Steinkraus, Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods, p.120.) 
 
3. After some water has been drawn out, pack the rutabaga WITH its water into a glass jar. You really want to pack it in there (use your fist or any kitchen tool), because this will help squeeze more water out. You can also use a specially-made ceramic sauerkraut crock, or a glass or ceramic bowl (anything except metal, since salt and acid can react with metal). 
 
4. Keep the turnips submerged under the brine by placing a smaller plate on top and weighing it down with something heavy (a jug of water, a boiled rock, etc.). Or, nest a smaller jar of water inside your larger glass jar. 
 **Whatever method you devise, just be sure that all traces of turnip are completely submerged in the brine. Little 
bits sticking up above the water line will quickly lead to a moldy situation (and if you do end up with mold, scrape off the entire top layer, but the rest underneath should be fine!). So if you need to mix up some more brine (which is just a fancy name for salt water), use the ratio of 1 tsp salt to 1 cup of water. 
 
5. Cover the jar with a towel to keep bugs out. Leave it to ferment at room temperature until you like the taste of your sauerruben. Let your tongue be your guide to done-ness. Taste it every few days, and transfer into the fridge when it tastes the way you like it. I like mine pretty sour, so I usually leave it out for 1-2 weeks or more, depending on how warm it is in the kitchen. If the taste is right but the ‘ruben is still too bitey, shove it to the back of the fridge for several weeks for it to mellow out. 
 
6. Once in the fridge, your sauerruben will keep for many months. And when it’s all gone, don’t throw out the juice; it’s full of beneficial Lactobacillus (lactic acid bacteria) and is said to be a very good digestive tonic. And if you like, add a little of the juice to your next batch of sauerruben as a starter 

Troubleshooting: If you see a white film develop on the surface of the brine, scrape off what you can each day until the ‘ruben’ is done fermenting. Sometimes I don’t get any film. Sometimes I get a fair amount. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason. The film won’t harm anything, but if you keep getting a lot of it day after day, it can sometimes (not always) impart an off taste to the brine. Just try to scrape it off on a regular basis (daily is nice).  

Source: The Herbangardener  

 

Fermented Vegetable Medley  

Vegetable combinations are a great idea when lacto-fermenting and this summer vegetable medley of cucumbers, carrots, apples and cauliflower is a great example.  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

•  mason jar with tight fitting lid 
 
•  pounding tool  

INGREDIENTS: 
 

•  4 apples, cored and diced 
 
•  4 cups cauliflower florets 
 
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced 
 
•  8 green onions, sliced thinly 
 
•  3 TB grated fresh ginger 
 
• 1 TB sea salt 
 
•  1/4 cup whey, one packet of culture starter, or an additional TB sea salt

**
If looking for starter, Caldwell or Body Ecology culture starters can be found online. **
 

 

PROCESS:  

1. Combine the apples, cauliflower, carrots, onions and ginger together. 
 
2. Place the mixture little by little in your fermentation jar, pounding them vigorously and sprinkling some of the sea 
salt as you go. 
 
3. Make sure the mixture fills the jar up to 1 inch below the top (because of the expansion), adding more if needed, 
and that the extracted water covers the vegetables entirely. If not, create a brine of 2 tablespoons sea salt to 4 cups water and add it to the jar. Press the mixture until it is under the brine. Close the jar with tightly sealed lid. Place the fermentation jar in a warm spot in your kitchen and allow the mixture to ferment for
3 to 5 days 
4. Check on it from time to time to be sure that the brine covers the mixture and to remove any mold that may form on the surface. 
 
5. A good way to know when it’s ready is to taste it during the fermentation process. It’s ready when you’re satisfied with the taste. 
 

Source: Paleo Diet Lifestyle  

 

Apple and Beet Relish  

A near-perfect side to pan-fried pork chops seasoned with sage or to a classic roast beef. Apple and Beet relish provides an intensity of flavor coupled with nourishing micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

•  grater or food processor 
 
• mason jar or vegetable fermenter 
 
•  tool for mashing 
 

INGREDIENTS: 
 

•  3 large apples (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored but not peeled 
 
•  3 large beets (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled 
 
•   2 star anise pods
•  1 TB whole cloves 
 
•  1 TB unrefined sea salt 
 
•   fermented vegetable starter culture, if desired

 **
If looking for starter, Caldwell or Body Ecology culture starters can be found online. **
 

 

PROCESS:  

1. Shred apples and beets by hand, or in a food processor. 
 
2. Toss the shredded apples and beets together until well-combined and mixed together. 
 
3. Add the star anise and whole cloves to the apples and beetroot, and continue to toss until the spices are evenly 
distributed among the shredded fruit and vegetables. 
 
4. In a mason jar or, preferably, a vegetable fermenter, layer the apple and beetroot. 
 
5. Periodically sprinkle unrefined sea salt or vegetable starter culture over the layers of apple and beetroot and mash 
with a wooden spoon or mallet to encourage the fruit and vegetables to release their juices, creating a luscious 
brine to encourage the proliferation of beneficial bacteria. 
 
6. If, after mashing the apples and beets with a mallet or wooden spoon, the brine created by the salt and juice fails to completely submerge the vegetables, prepare a separate brine by dissolving 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt in 1 quart filtered water and pour this salty mixture over the apples, beets and spices until they are completely covered. Doing so minimizes the risk of contamination by undesirable bacteria, mold and fungi.  
7. Ferment in a mason jar or vegetable fermenter for a minimum of three to four days, or longer, depending on the level of warmth in your kitchen. 
 
8. After your apple and beetroot relish has sufficiently cultured, remove it from the vegetable fermenter and gently pick out the star anise pods and whole cloves.  
9. Place the apple and beetroot relish into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. 
 

Source: Nourished Kitchen   

 

Kimchi  

Kimchi is a very spicy and pungent Korean fermented combination of napa cabbage and radishes. Other vegetables, like cucumbers, are often used.  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

•  fermentation jar 
 
•  pounding tool 
 

INGREDIENTS: 
 

•  2 heads Napa cabbage 
 
•  2 Daikon radishes, peeled and sliced 
 
•  5 carrots, peeled and sliced 
 
•  1 bunch scallions, sliced 
 
•  2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced 
 
• 16 garlic cloves, chopped 
 
• 1/4 cup fish sauce 
 
•  1/2 cup chili paste, to taste 
 
•  1 and  1/4 cups sea salt 
 

 

PROCESS:  

1. Wash the cabbage leaves and let them soak overnight in a brine of 1 cup sea salt and 1 gallon water. 
 
2. Once soaked, discard the soaking liquid and combine the cabbage with the radishes, carrots, scallions, ginger, 
garlic, fish sauce and chili paste. 
 
3. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sea salt to the mixture and combine well. 
 
4. Place the mixture little by little in your fermentation jar, pounding it vigorously to release the juices. 
 
5. Make sure that the extracted water covers it entirely. If not, create a brine with ratio of 1 tablespoons sea salt to 2 
cups water and add it to the mixture. 
 
6. Press the mixture and keep it under the brine by placing a plate or a lid on top weighted down by a rock or a jug of 
water. Cover with a clean towel if needed to keep out fruit flies. 
 
7. Place the fermentation jar in a warm spot in your kitchen and allow the Kimchi to ferment for 5 to 7 days. 
 
8. Check on it from time to time to be sure that the brine covers the mixture and to remove any mold that may form 
on the surface. 
 
9. A good way to know when it’s ready is to taste it during the fermentation process. It’s ready when you’re satisfied 
with the taste. 
 

Source: Paleo Diet Lifestyle 
 

 

 

Fermented Salsa  

Culturing our salsa allows us to keep our fresh salsa for at least several months in the fridge, and gives us a huge boost of health benefits. In addition, it tastes wonderful!  

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:  

• quart sized, wide mouth mason jar 
 
•  pounding tool 
 

INGREDIENTS: 
 

•   4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced 
 
•  2 small onions, chopped 
 
•  3/4 cup chopped chile, jalapeño, or milder pepper (seeded) 
 
•  6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped or pressed 
 
•  1 bunch cilantro, chopped 
 
•  1 tsp. dried oregano (or a good TB or two of fresh) 
 
•  juice of 1-2 lemons 
 
•  1 TB sea salt 
 
•  4 TB whey, packet of culture starter, or 1 extra TB salt 
 
•  1/4 cup filtered water 
 

  

PROCESS:  

1. Mix all ingredients and place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. 
 
2. Press down lightly with a wooden pounder or meat hammer until the juice rises up; if there is not enough liquid to 
cover the vegetables then add a little water. The top of the vegetables/liquid should be about an inch below the 
top of the jar. 
 
3. Cover with tight fitting lid and keep at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to the fridge. 
 
4. A note about timing: that “2 days” is a very subjective figure. It depends on a number of factors. If you use the 
whey (or culture starter), this process goes very quickly. If you don’t, it takes a little longer. The temperature of 
your kitchen is also a factor. This took 2 days in our kitchen, but we used whey. 
 
5. How do you know when it’s done? Taste it every single day. Twice a day if it’s really warm in your kitchen. Open it 
up, press the vegetables down, and give them a taste. When it tastes really good, it’s done. As you can see, there is pretty much no way to get this wrong. If you use the no whey-extra salt method you’ll know it’s done when it starts to taste less salty. I don’t know that I’d let this one go too long… probably better slightly fermented than sauerkraut-level fermented. 
 

Source: The New Home Economics 
 

 

Cucumber Relish 

This dill pickle relish recipe produces an old-fashioned, fresh, dill pickle relish that will last up to a couple of months in the refrigerator.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 

• quart-sized, wide mouth jar with tightly fitting lid

INGREDIENTS: 

•  4-5 pickling cucumbers
•  2 TB fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried dill)
•  1 TB sea salt
•  4 TB whey drained from yogurt. If not available or Dairy Intolerant, use an extra 1 TB salt or package of 
culture starter

 

PROCESS: 

1. Wash cucumbers well and chop or grate them in a food processor or by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients.
2. Place mixture in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. Using a kitchen mallet or wooden spoon, squeeze the 
grated cucumbers down and allow liquid to cover them. If there’s
 not enough liquid to cover, add filtered water to get the job done. The top of the liquid should be at least one inch below the top of the jar (that’s to make room for all that glorious fermentation).
3. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days (or up to 5 days) before transferring to refrigerator. You can taste the relish during the fermentation process to know if it’s ready or not.

Source: Food Renegade 

 

Dill Pickles 

Favorite traditional condiment.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 

• quart-sized, wide mouth jar with tightly fitting lid

INGREDIENTS: 

•  4-5 pickling cucumbers or 15-20 gherkins
•  1 TB mustard seeds
•  2 TB fresh dill, snipped
•  1 TB sea salt
•  4 TB whey (if not available or Dairy Intolerant, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
•  1 cup filtered water

 

PROCESS: 

1. Wash cucumbers well and place in a quart-sized wide mouth jar.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cucumbers, adding more water if 
necessary to cover the cucumbers. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.
3. Cover tightly and keep and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
4. For pickle slices simply cut cucumbers into 1/4 inch slice and cut back the fermentation time to 2 days instead of 
3.

Source: Nourishing Days 

 

Pickled Jalapeños 

This is a probiotic, fermented version of conventional pickled jalapeños that you’ll find on grocery store shelves. Best used with a moderate hand, these are a spicy and fiery condiment.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 

• One quart vegetable fermenter or mason jar

INGREDIENTS: 

•  1 quart fresh jalapeño peppers
•  1/2 onion, sliced
•  3 – 4 cloves garlic
•  3 TB unrefined sea salt
•  1 quart filtered water

 

PROCESS: 

1. Gently wash and clean the jalapeños, discarding any bruised, marred or mushy peppers.
2. Add the peppers, garlic and onions to your vegetable fermenter or mason jar.
3. Combine unrefined sea salt and filtered water to create a brine and pour over 
the vegetables.
4. Ensure that vegetables are below the water-line. Cover with tightly fitting lid.
5. Culture at room temperature until the jalapeños change color from deep green to 
an olive green. This usually takes approximately 5 to 7 days depending on the temperature of your home.
6. When finished culturing, transfer to the refrigerator for storage.

Source: Nourished Kitchen 

 

Fermented Chili Sauce 

Seasoned with fresh garlic this fermented hot chili sauce is rich with flavor, bright and fiery. Traditionally, all hot chili sauces were prepared through fermentation – and many of the world’s most renowned and well-loved sauces are still prepared through this time-honored technique of combining hot chilies with salt and allowing it to sit and brew away.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 

•  food processor (optional)
•  mason jar
•  fine mesh sieve

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 pounds fresh chili peppers (any chili will do – cayenne peppers, jalapeños, Scotch bonnets, Holland chilies, serranos etc.)
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
•  2 TB unrefined cane sugar, optional
•  2 tsp unrefined sea salt
•  vegetable starter culture dissolved in 1/4 cup water, or 1/4 cup fresh whey

**
If looking for starter, Caldwell or Body Ecology culture starters can be found online. **
 

 

PROCESS: 

1. Snip the stems from the chilies, but leave their green tops intact.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, or mince by hand, until chopped to a fine pasty texture.
3. Spoon the chili paste into a glass mason jar and allow it to ferment, covered, at room temperature for five to seven 
days.
4. After the chili paste has bubbled and brewed for about a week, set a fine-mesh sieve over a mixing bowl and 
spoon the fermented chili paste into the sieve.
5. With a wooden spoon, press the chili paste into the sides of the sieve so that the sauce drips from the sieve into 
the waiting mixing bowl.
6. Once you’ve pressed and pushed the chili sauce through the sieve, pour the sauce from the bowl into jar or bottle 
and store in the refrigerator. The sauce will keep for several months.
7. Don’t discard any remaining chili paste; rather, use it to season stir-fries, eggs and 
other dishes.

Source: Nourished Kitchen 

 

Poi 

For centuries, taro has been a nutritious staple food for Hawaiians and many other Polynesian peoples throughout the Pacific Rim. Poi is an acquired taste, but quickly makes converts of those who persist.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 

•  roasting pan
• wooden pounder or meat tenderizer

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 pounds taro root (or yams or sweet potatoes)
•  1 TB sea salt
•  1/4 cup whey (homemade from raw milk or yogurt) or use packet of culture starter

 

PROCESS: 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Poke several holes in the taro with a fork.
2. Bake them in the oven for 2 hours or until soft.
3. Let cool, then peel and mash with salt and whey (a sauerkraut pounder or meat 
tenderizer works great).
4. Leave this mixture in a bowl and leave out at room temperature, covered with a dishtowel, for 24 hours. Store in 
an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Source: Cheeseslave