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Sally's Fermented Beets
Delicious (super healthy) Fermented Beets
Prep Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour
Equipment
  • mason jar or Harsch pot
Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups beets cleaned (no need to peel) and chopped (not too fine, yet not too big - somewhere between 1/2" - 1")
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 clove
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 small piece horseradish
  • dried dill and tarragon to taste
  • 1 cup onions coarsely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 tbsp Celtic sea salt
  • 2 tbsp lactic acid-fermented juice I take juice from a previous batch of ferments, it doesn't matter what kind, this gets it going really nicely. Better than adding some whey
  • 2 tbs[ whey optional, use if you don't have lactic acid-fermented juice to start the cultures
  • water, enough to cover vegetables filtered, chlorine kills microorganisms
Instructions

Initial instructions

  • Boil water (add 2 tbsp of sea salt to 1 quart of water).
  • Let water cool to below 115 as not to kill the microorganisms.
  • Mix the above ingredients

Mason jar or airlock instructions

Harsch pot instructions

  • Root vegetables need at least four to six weeks of fermentation before they are ready to eat. Harsch pots are nice because you can do a larger quantity, they are more idiot proof (less chance of mold), and the longer fermentation time makes the beets that much more medicinal.

Final instructions

  • When the beets are ready, put the contents in mason jars and store in the refrigerator. Be careful not to store longer than a few months without opening, because the pressure could build up and cause the jar to explode. This is why most retail stores sell the pasteurized ferments. No chance of explosion. You will hear a slight pop, or pressure release, when you open your jars and this is a good sign.
Adapted from Making Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables at home by Klaus Kaufmann, DSc and Annelies Schoneck - Basic recipe for Lactic Acid Fermented Root Vegetables
Don't be picky, substitute what ever you have, anything works. Also, I don't precisely measure things, and I tend to go heavy on the herbs and spices.
Colorful vegetables are always good.
Diversity of vegetables and spices and herbs is helpful. Things work in synergy with a variety of stuff for the microorganism to feed on.
Other roots go nicely with beets - daikon radish, carrots, burdock.
Beet kvass is simpler and faster than fermented beets
Directions for beet kvass are all over the Internet
Be creative, try other combinations as well:
  • beets, organic caraway seeds, organic rosemary
  • beets & ginger
  • beets, ginger, garlic and peppercorn
  • beets, ginger, turmeric and peppercorn