Pickling and Fermenting

How To Quick Pickle

Any Vegetable

Fermented Vegetables

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Servings: 2 pints

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 5 mins

Total: 25 mins

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots, green beans, summer squash, or cherry tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, dill, or rosemary (optional)
1 to 2 teaspoons whole spices, such as black peppercorns, coriander, or mustard seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon dried herbs or ground spices (optional)
2 cloves garlic, smashed or sliced (optional)
1 cup vinegar, such as white, apple cider, or rice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

Directions:

Prepare the jars. Wash 2 wide-mouth pint jars, lids, and rings in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside to dry, or dry completely by hand.
Prepare the vegetables. Wash and dry the vegetables. Peel the carrots. Trim the end of beans. Cut vegetables into desired shapes and sizes.
Add the flavorings to the jars. Divide the herbs, spices, or garlic you are using between the jars.
Add the vegetables to the jars. Pack the vegetables into the jars, making sure there is a 1/2 inch of space from the rim of the jar to the tops of the vegetables. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing.
Make the brine. Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.
Remove air bubbles. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more brine if necessary.
Seal the jars. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
Cool and refrigerate. Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

*Storage: These pickles are not canned. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. If you process and can the jars, they can be stored at room temperature unopened.

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Servings: 1 quart

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 10 mins

Total: 20 mins

Ingredients:

3 to 4 cups cut vegetables or enough to fill a quart jar (cauliflower, carrots, green beans, etc.)
3 garlic cloves peeled and slightly crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes optional OR coarse ground black pepper
Other optional seasonings: dill, oregano, thyme, etc.
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 quart filtered water if on a public water system, or if well water isn't good

Directions:

Place garlic in the bottom of a clean, wide-mouth quart jar. Layer the cut vegetables, pressing down to fit as many as you can up to the shoulder of the jar (1-2 inches headspace).
Add any seasonings to the contents in the jar.
Dissolve the salt in the water and pour over the vegetables in the jar until the top vegetables are barely covered.

* Use a thin plastic spatula around the sides of the jar to release any air bubbles.

Use a weight to keep the vegetables under the brine and attach a tight regular lid or airlock lid like the Easy Fermenter.
Ferment at room temperature (60-70 degrees is ideal) for about 5 days, tasting to see if they are your desired flavor and texture. If using regular lids, burp daily to release excess pressure.
Once they are finished, move to the refrigerator with a regular lid for storage - the flavor will continue to develop.

*Note: You will not use all the water-salt brine, but since different vegetables will leave different air pockets (cauliflower leaves more than carrots, etc.). The water amount is standard so the salt-water ratio is the same no matter how much you need.

**Storage: These can be kept in the refrigerator for almost two months. Towards the end, the water is a lot more cloudy, but the vegetables are still crisp though not quite as good as at the beginning.