Lacto-Fermented Apples

Another great recipe for the bounty of summer's and fall's harvest!

Ingredients:
3+ cups peeled, cored and cubed apples
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Tablespoons whey
Filtered water

Method:
Fill a quart jar with the apples, making sure there is at least an inch of space between them and the top of the jar.

Mix remaining ingredients, minus the water, and pour over the apples.
Add enough filtered water to cover the fruit, still keeping the level an inch below the top of the jar.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days.
Transfer to the fridge.

**Fermentation instructions say that these will keep for two months in the fridge.  I have had them keep for 6 months with no difficulty.  Just give them a sniff before eating.  If they smell bad, they are bad, and toss them out.  If they smell fruity-fizzy-sharpish, they're good to go.

Lacto-Fermented Peaches aka "Fizzy Peaches"

Turning summer's bounty into glorious sunny-tasting fermented fruit for the grey days of early winter is such a good idea!

Ingredients:
3+ cups peaches, peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup whey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Filtered water

Method:
Fill a quart jar with the peaches, making sure there is at least an inch of space between them and the top of the jar.

Mix remaining ingredients, minus the water, and pour over the peaches.
Add enough filtered water to cover the fruit, still keeping the level an inch below the top of the jar.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days.
Transfer to the fridge.

**Fermentation instructions say that these will keep for two months in the fridge.  I have had them keep for 6 months with no difficulty.  Just give them a sniff before eating.  If they smell bad, they are bad, and toss them out.  If they smell fruity-fizzy-sharpish, they're good to go.

***This recipe works with pears, also!

Easy Lacto Fermented Sauerkraut

I used to shy away from making this, but it's just not that hard!

The formula for this is really simple.  You can make as much or as little as you like based on this ratio:

1 pound of cabbage
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 Tablespoons whey

Method:

Shred the cabbage and place in a large bowl.  I use my biggest stainless steel one.
Add the salt and the whey.

Mash and pound the cabbage with a meat mallet or potato masher until there is enough juice in the bottom of the bowl that you can pick up a handful of cabbage and squeeze it out.

Pack the cabbage into quart or half-gallon jars within an inch of the top of the jar.  Push it down so the liquid comes up over the cabbage.

Put on a tight fitting lid and let sit on your counter for about 3 days.

There are lots of ways people do kraut.  This is the one that works for me.  Here are some links to a variety of methods and books:

The Nourishing Gourmet

The Healthy Home Economist

Great Book!
Real Food Fermentation