What Vegies don't ferment well?

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What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby Mr.V on Tue Feb 16, 2016 12:19 am

I'm new to the world of Vegetable ferments, only two batches of Kraut so far. But I love experimenting. So, I started a batch Saturday that is red cabbage, carrots, kale, and dill. It's starting to bubble nicely.
I'm curious if any of you have found a veggie that just doesn't work well with the wild fermentation process. After reading Sandor's book it sounds like just about any shredded vegetables will pickle down in to a tangy version of themselves. Are there any that change flavor in an unexpected way? For example home made strawberry wine is dryer than you would expect, while carrot wine is sweeter. Also any herbs or spices that do strange things when added to a ferment?
The book is so enthusiastic about the whole idea that I can't Imagine Sandor saying "Don't try to ferment beet greens, it tastes like a muddy gym sock" So, any warnings?

Thanks

Mark
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Re: What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby Christopher Weeks on Tue Feb 16, 2016 9:13 am

Onions produce sulfur dioxide which stinks. Everything tastes good, but sometimes people think it's rotting.

Potatoes and fragile greens like spinach just disintegrate and vanish.

Sweet vegetables like beets and carrots (or ginger bugs) sometimes produce dextran so the brine is gloopy and gelatinous, which puts people off, but is safe.
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Re: What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby NickD on Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:01 am

While we're on this topic, does anyone know if the skins on vegetables make a difference in fermenting? For example, will unpeeled carrots have more of the necessary microbes on the surface to make things happen than peeled?
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Re: What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby blk on Tue Mar 15, 2016 6:28 pm

That is a real interesting question. I would agree with the idea of onions making stinky stuff but not bad to eat. That is strange to me because if it smells odd be careful is the general rule with all ferments. That being said what I do with my cucumbers (NOW) is add a little natural dill just rinsed off in cold water. It has lots of all kinds of the natural bacteria. I also add one small leaf of cabbage from the second or third layer if possible and it also seems to help my pickles ferment. Cucumbers have been my biggest problem but I think I got them now.
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Re: What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby Dgocowboy on Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:21 pm

I have been told, but haven't tested for myself, that broccoli does not ferment well, and nor does that broccoli/cauliflower hybrid you sometimes see in stores. Other than that, I've not had disasters unless of my own making (brussels sprouts that weren't cut in half before fermenting, for example). My biggest and best surprise so far has been pickled kohlrabi - just sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds, in a 3.6% brine and fermented with dilly beans spices. Yum!
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Re: What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby Tibor on Sun Jun 05, 2016 4:28 pm

Hey Cowboy, try making kimchi with Kohlrabi. That is my favorite Kimchi. I use a mandolin and make 1/4 inch sticks and add lots of green onions. Excellent. I've got lots of Kohlrabi in the ground and will try your recipe with some.
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Re: What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby Hanna on Sun Jun 26, 2016 2:26 pm

Rhubarb doesn't seem to ferment very well without the help of a starter - at least that is my experience so far though I'm still a bit of a newbie to fermentation. I've tried to make a rhubarb chutney, only after I added some whey did it start bubbling. The same when I made rhubarb kvass, I had to add commercial yeast.
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Re: What Vegies don't ferment well?

Postby jdinid on Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:20 pm

My carrots get washed straight out of the garden and then into the brine. I don't bother peeling them because they're so fresh. The only issue would be that the carrot color is going to stain the brine. My last ferment was purple carrots so they look like they're preserved in red wine.

The only other issue is that I did this last batch in lidded quart jars instead of the fermentation crock. When I opened the jars after ten days, you would have thought they'd been soaking in club soda. Lol!
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