So we are having a bad rainstorm today with marble size hail. Since I can’t be in the garden I decided to do this post I have been thinking about for a while.  I have been experimenting with fermenting for many years. At first I only made kimchi. I cleared out the lunchroom one time with a particularly great ferment.  LOL.  I would only do one jar at time of different produce to see if I really liked the taste. I found out that I really do like the taste of lacto fermented produce. The past week and a half I have done four different jars. So far I’ve used the cinnamon apples in oatmeal. So good! The tomatoes I have used as a topping for a salad. I only used oil and vinegar to keep the taste of the tomatoes prominent. I hope you try these recipes.  If you would like to see other recipes, an excellent book on fermenting is “Can it and ferment it” by Stephanie Thurow. Another one is “Ferment,  A Guide to the Ancient Art of Culturing Foods, from Kombucha to Sourdough” by Holly Davis.

Lacto Fermented Apples

• 1 to 2 lbs Apple cubes
  1 Tbsp Sea salt or Kosher Salt
  1 Tsp Lemon Juice
  1 Cinnamon stick
  5 whole Cloves (optional)
  1 quart approximately filtered Water

Wash and core the apples. Cut them into cubes and put into a half gallon jar. Add the salt, lemon juice, cinnamon stick and cloves (if using). Add filtered water until the apples are covered. Cover with a lid. Tighten the lid and shake the jar. Remove the lid. Place a fermenting weight on top of the apple cubes. Replace with a fermenting lid if you have one. If you don’t replace the lid and let it loose to allow any fermentation gases to escape. Label. Let seat on your counter out of direct sunlight at least 5 days. Taste and place in the fridge.

Lacto Fermented Tomatoes

• 1 lb Tomatoes, large cubes
  1 package Cherry Tomatoes
  1/3 c fresh Cilantro, chopped or 1 Tbsp dried
  1/3 c fresh Parsley, chopped or 1 Tbsp dried
  1/3 c fresh dill, chopped  or 1 Tbsp dried
  4 cloves Garlic sliced
  2 Tbsp Sea salt or Kosher Salt
  1 quart approximately Filtered Water

Put all ingredients into a half gallon jar.  Add filtered water until the tomatoes are covered. Cover with a lid and tighten. Shake the jar. Remove the lid. Place a fermenting weight on top of the tomatoes. Replace with a fermenting lid if you have one. If you don’t replace the lid and let it loose to allow any fermentation gases to escape. Label. Let seat on your counter out of direct sunlight at least 4 days. Taste and keep on the counter for several more days or place in the fridge.

Lacto Fermented Radishes

• 1 bag, approximately 14 ounces Radishes, thin sliced
  2 Tsp Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  2 c approximately Filter Water

Put all ingredients into a quart jar.  Add filtered water until the radishes are covered. Cover with a lid and tighten. Shake the jar. Remove the lid. Place a fermenting weight on top of the radishes. Replace with a fermenting lid if you have one. If you don’t replace the lid and let it loose to allow any fermentation gases to escape. Label. Let seat on your counter out of direct sunlight at least 4 days. Taste and keep on the counter for several more days or place in the fridge.

Lacto Fermented Jalapeno’s

• 1 pound Jalapenos, deseeded and sliced into ¼ “ rings (Keep seeds if you like more heat)
  1 small Onion, sliced
  1 Tbsp Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
  2 cloves Garlic, sliced.
  2 c approximately filtered Water

Put all ingredients into a quart jar.  Add filtered water until the tomatoes are covered. Cover with a lid and tighten. Shake the jar. Remove the lid. Place a fermenting weight on top of the jalapenos. Replace with a fermenting lid if you have one. If you don’t replace the lid and let it loose to allow any fermentation gases to escape. Label. Let seat on your counter out of direct sunlight at least 4 days. Taste and keep on the counter for several more days or place in the fridge.