Six Techniques for ‘Putting Up’ the Best Local Produce from Your Garden and Beyond
The garden is still producing, and now’s the ideal time to turn some of the bounty into things that we can enjoy during the winter months.
Extend the life of vegetables and keep that fresh, just-picked crunch. Store this brine solution in the refrigerator and you can keep almost anything that will have a crisp crunch for weeks.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: MAKES 48 OZ. OF BRINE
FOR 5% BRINE
- 8 cups filtered water or spring water
- 6 tablespoons fine sea salt
Preparation
FOR 5% BRINE
Combine water and salt in a large glass beverage pitcher with a pour spout. Stir until salt dissolves. Store in the refrigerator until your harvest arrives.
START FERMENTING
In glass jars, place any combination of cleaned and cut seasonal vegetables (cucumbers, beets, carrots, peppers, cabbage, green beans, etc). Add aromatics like garlic, onions, celery leaves, green onions, mustard seeds and peppercorns. Add sprigs of herbs like dill, thyme, rosemary or sage.
Tightly pack vegetables and herbs to leave as little space in jars as possible. Add 5% brine until the liquid reaches the top of each jar. Cover the jars with a dishtowel or cheesecloth and let sit on the counter, out of sunlight, overnight in a place that’s between 68°F–72°F.
In the morning, press down lightly on the brined vegetables and notice very small bubbles rising from the bottom—this is the start of fermentation. At this point you can cover the jars and refrigerate to slow down fermentation. Or you can leave the jars on the counter, out of sunlight, to continue until you get to your desired degree of fermentation. When fermented to your taste, cover the jars and store in the refrigerator.
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