Ingredients
| enough vegetables to fill your jars, for example: 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized chunks, baby carrots, baby beetroot, radishes, baby turnips, fennel | |
| 1½ litres cold rainwater, spring water or filtered water (unchlorinated) | |
| 2 tablespoons sea salt | |
| 4 cloves garlic | |
| 4 teaspoons finely grated fresh turmeric | |
| your choice of spices, for example: black peppercorns, pink peppercorns, coriander seeds, fresh or dried bay leaves | |
| YOU WILL NEED | |
| 4 x 500ml jars with well-fitting lids, clean and dry (no need to sterilise) |
Fermented vegetables are easy to make, and you can use absolutely any combination you like – this recipe is just a basic guide. Carrots and cauliflower are my favourite, with a few added spices such as a clove of garlic and some coriander seeds. Fermented radishes are good, too, as are plain carrot sticks – great for kids. Fresh turmeric can be found at farmers’ markets and Asian food stores, as well as in some supermarkets these days, but if you can’t find any, just use the dried powder or leave it out.
Instructions
| 1. | As necessary, wash, peel and remove any dirt or dead leaves from the vegetables, then cut into halves or slices. |
| 2. | There is no need to peel if you are using tender baby veg. |
| 3. | Pour the water into a large jug, add the salt and stir to dissolve. |
| 4. | Fill the jars with the vegetables, packing them in quite tightly, and add 1 garlic clove and 1 teaspoon of finely grated turmeric to each jar as you go, along with any or all of the recommended spices. |
| 5. | You don’t need much spice – ½ teaspoon per jar (or 1–2 bay leaves) would be plenty. |
| 6. | Fill the jars with the salt water, fit a lid to each jar, and then leave to ferment on a shelf at room temperature for at least 2 weeks. |
| 7. | You will need to ‘burp’ the jars each day for the first 7-10 days, to release any pressure that might build up as the vegetables ferment and the liquid fizzes. |
| 8. | The smell that is released is not too pleasant to start with, but I promise you the pickles will end up tasting amazing. |
| 9. | When the jars aren’t fizzing so much, you can leave them alone for the remainder of the 2 weeks. |
| 10. | When ready, pop the jars into the fridge to chill. |
| 11. | Keep in the fridge and eat within 6 months. |
Extract reproduced with permission from Wild Delicious by Amber Rose, published by Random House NZ.Text and food/prop styling styling Amber Rose. Photography Greta Kenyon and Claire Mossong.
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