Fermenting Foods at Home During Quarantine

Pickled and fermented foods contribute good bacteria to our digestive system, help fight fatigue, and reduce muscle cramping and spasms. Here are our three favorite items we’re Fermenting At Home while under quarantine.

Kimchi

What you’ll need:

• Large Bowl
• Large Jar
• Blender
• 2 lbs. green cabbage, savoy or napa
• ½ cup coarse salt
• 4 green onions
• 1 ginger, 2-inch (5 cm) piece
• 6 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup daikon radish
• ½ cup white rice
• ¼ cup water, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegan sugar
• 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean Chili pepper flakes)

What you’ll do:

1. Remove the ends of each cabbage, careful to use the rich center body for your kimchi. Then slice crosswise into the cabbage making 5 cm pieces.
2. Add cabbage and salt together into a large bowl. Gently massage the salt into the cabbage and notice it begin to soften. Cover bowl with a towel or breathable covering and let stand for 90 mins.
3. After 90 mins, rinse the cabbage under cold water, then let drain.
4. Prepare the ginger and garlic.
5. Cut the daikon radish into thin, slick, lines. Chop the green onions.
6. Combine the rice, water, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce in a bowl together. Then blend them all together in a blender until a smooth paste is formed.  Add in the sugar and gochugaru, starting with 1 tablespoon for a mild flavor and so on.  This kimchi is yours!
7. Make sure the cabbage has no remaining water and place into a bowl with the green onions and daikon. Begin to toss.
8. Add the smooth paste to the cabbage.  Begin to massage for even distribution.
9. Pack the bowl contents into a large jar, pressing down until the seasoning paste rises to cover the vegetables and leaving at least 2.5 cm of space at the top. Seal the jar.
10. Depending on your fermentation desires, let the jar stand in a dark place at room temperature for 2-14 days. Check the kimchi once a day. When it reaches your desired flavor, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. Eat right away or let sit for another week allowing the flavors to deepen!

Related Article: The Ten Best Herbs to Grow at Home

Sauerkraut

What you’ll need:

• Mason jar or any glass jar with a lid
• Bowl
• Cheesecloth
• Ingredients
• 1 medium head cabbage
• 1 tbsp Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt)
• Optional: 1-2 tsp dill

What you’ll do:

1. Shred the cabbage in 2 cm strips and place into a bowl. Sprinkle salt on top and start to massage the cabbage. Notice the cabbage begin to ferment and produce juices.
2. Continue doing this for 10 minutes at least. Mix in the dill and chopped garlic, if using.
3. Begin to pack your cabbage into a sterilize and clean quart-sized mason jar. pressing down firmly on the shreds every few minutes to ensure compactness. Stop packing when you are an inch or two from the top and place the heavy outer cabbage leaf you reserved, folded to fit into the jar.
4. Use the brine liquid you produced to cover the cabbage shreds and the outer leaf. Continue to pour into the jar until all the cabbage is submerged. None of the vegetable should be exposed to the air. If for any reason you need more brine, make extra by mixing 1 cup water with 1 ¾ tsp salt.
5. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and put a rubber band around the neck to hold it in place. If you have a two-piece lid, screw it on loosely so the water can vent if needed. Place in a bowl or dish, out of direct sunlight and in a cooler place.
6. Let it sit. The average time for sauerkraut to sit is 8 days. You should start seeing some bubbling in just a couple of days.
7. Continue to watch the sauerkraut, at about the 8-day fermentation mark remove from dark area, refrigerate for two hours and ENJOY!

If at any point the cabbage looks moldy, or spoiled, do not taste it. Just throw it away.

Related Article: Supplements to Have in Your Cupboard at All Times

Dill Pickles

What you’ll need:

• 3 cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
• 2-4 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 clove garlic

For Brine:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ or 1 teaspoons dill seed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed

What you’ll do:

1. Combine brine ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow brine to simmer for  90 seconds before removing from heat.
2. Place and arrange the dill, garlic, and cucumbers inside of the mason jar.
3. Pour the warm brine over the vegetables until the mason jar is just about full, making sure to completely submerge the items you want to get pickled. Seal the jar while the brine is still warm and allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge.
4. The pickles will reach their peak readiness in fermentation period of 5 days, enjoy!

Fermenting At Home is very easy and efficient, especially now that we are always at home.