How to Ferment Food

I’ve been fermenting our garden surplus for years, but this is also a great way to preserve any bits of leftover raw veggies you have that you bought at the store or farmers market and are lingering in the the recesses of your fridge.

I just put my final jar of fermented cherry tomatoes away for the winter, so I thought I’d sit down and walk through the steps with you. While I’m showing you my tomatoes, know that you will follow this same process for any vegetable.

Fermenting fruit

You can also ferment fruit (in fact, I LOVE fermented fruit), but you follow a different method. Go here for:

Fermenting blueberries

Fermenting peaches

Fermented pears

But the recipe below focuses on fermenting vegetables.

Can I make fermented food at home?

Everyone can make fermented food at home. It’s much easier than you think, as long as you know the right details. Fermentation preserves food by changing the sugars that naturally occur in the veggie into organic acids. And you do that by using the right amount of the right salt (both details are very important… read on for more).

Also feel free to add spices and herbs if your fermenting recipe calls for that.

How does fermentation work?

Salt keeps all the bad microbes from being able to grow on your vegetables and spoil them. Even better, salt promotes the growth of the good bacteria that produce lactic acid. Lactic acid is the secret sauce of fermented food. It’s the magical conversion of sugars to acids.

And lactic acid helps with cancer prevention (ref.), decrease in cholesterol absorption(ref.), and reduction of food allergies (ref.).

And we know that butyric acid–the main energy source for the good bacteria in our gut–is produced while food ferments. ( source )

But that’s not all! Fermentation makes the nutrients that are present in vegetables available, a process called “bioavailability.”

A stark difference from canned vegetables, fermented vegetables retain all their nutrients and vitamins. In fact, their nutritional value increases! ( source )

You see, during fermentation, microorganisms are creating amazing nutrients, like vitamin C, B group vitamins (including the famous B12), and vitamin K.

Does fermenting add nutrients to your food?

Best-selling author, Kristen Shocke explains everything you want to know about fermenting on episode 185 of my show: the Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy podcast.

How to ferment vegetables

How to make a ferment brine

The brine concentration you should use for vegetables depends on the type of vegetable.

Today, I used 4% brine. My tomatoes weighted 41 oz, so that meant I added 1.7 oz of salt. (I measured that out. It was 3 TB.)

 

Can you use tap water for fermenting food?

• Filter it… Use a water filter, such as a charcoal filter or a filtering pitcher, to remove chlorine. 
• Boil it… Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least 20 minutes to allow the chlorine to evaporate. But make sure you let it cool completely before using it for your ferment. 
• Let it sit… Pour the tap water into a bowl and leave it out on the counter overnight to allow the chlorine to naturally evaporate from the water. 

How to make fermentation lids

All you need, in a fermentation lid, is to have a way to keep the bugs out but let the air in. I personally love this fermenting kit that works so nicely with any mason jar. The lid allows the brine to bubble out and the good bacteria in the air to get into my ferments, but it also keeps the bugs out.

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How to Ferment Vegetables

Instructions

• Clean your vegetables.
• Weigh your vegetables, then multiply that number by the percentage of brine you want to make (1.5-5%)
• Place veggies in jar.
• Add salt.
• Fill your jar with filtered water and shake gently to agitate the salt to start dissolving.
• Place weight on vegetables, to keep them under the brine. (I use this.)
• Place fermentation lid on jar. (I use this.)
• Let sit for at least 3 days, at room temperature.
• Taste daily. When it tastes the way you want, remove weight (or spring) and fermentation lid, add a high-gauge stainless steel lid that won't corrode from the brine, and place in fridge.

What you need to ferment food

More about Fermenting Food

How to ferment peppers

How to ferment cauliflower

How to make kombucha with a SCOBY

Adding nutrients to your food by fermenting (listen)

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I hesitated if I would like fermenting whole pears, but the organic ones I ordered from my favorite independent food supplier were the perfect size to be able to ferment 8-10 of them whole in a 1/2-gallon jar and I decided it would be an awesome treat on the dark cold winter nights to pull out a whole pear to enjoy, if it worked.

Man oh man am I glad I was adventurous and went for it. These are SO good.

They’re carbonated pears! You need to make these.

What do fermented pears taste like?

Fermented pears taste exactly like fresh pears, just a little mushier (it’s great to ferment slightly green pears if you want them less mushy) and quite carbonated. Seriously, who wouldn’t love bubbly carbonated fruit? (Do you see the bubbles bursting out of that jar above? Yeah, baby, bring it on.)

Why should you ferment fruit?

The main reason I ferment fruit is to keep it longer. I hate canning, and honestly it doesn’t produce results that are as delicious as when I ferment. 

I also love that fermented food is 1000x better for us than any processed food. (Not a scientifically baked statistic, but it’s definitely true.) And bonus, fermented food captures good bacteria in the air and then when we eat it we are helping our microbiome by replenishing the good stuff in it.

How do you store fermented fruit?

Typically, I store my fermented fruit in the fridge. When I’m fermenting peaches or fermenting blueberries, I separate the fruit from the brine when it’s time to store the fruit in the fridge, otherwise the fruit will become total mush. 

But with these whole pears, I’ll leave them in the brine, since they’re so large and won’t go mushy as easily. Since there are only 8-10 in a jar they won’t last more than a few days in my fridge anyway. But I could also store them separate from the brine.

For the whole pears that I’m going to store in my root cellar, they definitely have to be stored in the brine.

Fermented Pear Recipe

What you’ll need:

A large wide mouth jar. I used this one.

8-10 small sized organic pears. (I got mine from Azure Standard.)

1 tsp chopped fresh ginger 

1/4 cup sugar

1-2 TB kombucha starter tea (see notes)

Directions:

1. Wash your pears in water. No need to scrub them. We want the natural microbes on the skin to do their job and make some ferment magic.
2. Place them in the jar. I needed to spend a minute or two finagling them until I could fit the most possible.
3. Add your ginger, sugar, and kombucha starter tea.
4. Top with a ferment spring and lid (or anything you have that will keep the pears on the top submerged in the brine and bugs out of your jar).
5. Place your jar on a plate, to catch the brine as it bubbles out in the days ahead, as the lactic acid builds up.
6. After about 3-5 days, remove the fermenting spring and lid, replace with a standard lid, and place the jar in your refrigerator.

Notes about fermenting pears

• Any fermented starter would work. If you make cheese, use some whey; if you make water kefir, use some of the liquid.
• If you don’t have a starter culture on hand, like kombucha or whey, you can still ferment your berries, just grab this 6-pack of starter cultures. You’ll only need 1/2 of 1 packet for this recipe.
• I used raw cane sugar instead of a more expensive all-natural sugar option like I normally use (like maple syrup or honey or one of the great options in this Ultimate Guide to Choosing Sugars). This sugar is just there to feed the good bacteria, it’s not so much for us.
• This fermenting kit has ingenious springs that do an amazing job keeping your food submerged in the brine and lids that keep your ferment breathing yet keep out what you don’t want in your ferment. I have 3 sets and need more.
• You can definitely also cut up your pears, into slices or cubes, before fermenting. I do that too.
• If you’d like to know how to make your own kombucha, I got ya covered with everything you need to know about Simple DIY Kombucha.

How to eat fermented pears

If I ferment my pears whole I like to eat them whole with breakfast, or for a mid-day treat or late-night snack. I will sometimes eat them without cutting them, but they are a little soft and messy that way, so more often I will cut them into fourths and enjoy them that way.

But fermented pears are honestly delicious to enjoy in any way you’d enjoy pears. They’re delicious:

• over oatmeal
• mixed in cereal and milk
• on top of a tossed salad
• on top of vanilla ice cream
• mixed in yogurt
• blended in a smoothie

More on Fermenting Food:

• Foods to eat for gut health (podcast episode)
• How to ferment blueberries
• How to ferment cherry tomatoes
• The Cost of DIY Kombucha
• Making sourdough without wasting discard

–> AND DON’T MISS THIS! … Go here to grab my FREE 8-page Pantry Checklist, loaded with discount codes on my favorite things in my kitchen. You’ll be glad you did.

“He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9

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But I had an abundance when I ordered 20 pounds of fresh peaches from Azure Standard this month and I knew I didn’t want to can them. I hate lugging out the canning equipment and doing all the prep work and getting the kitchen so hot while the food processes and then after all of that sometimes the seals fail and I have to eat a jar or two right away anyway.

I knew I LOVE fermenting blueberries, and fermented pears are amazing.

In fact, I ferment a lot of other foods–my top shelf of my fridge has a lot of jars of fermented foods filling it up right now–so it was a no-brainer.

Hesitation or not, I was going to try fermenting peaches.

What do fermented peaches taste like?

The short answer is DELICIOUS. Fermented peaches are a salty, slightly tangy version of fresh… peaches 2.0 honestly. They will be a little mushier than fresh peaches, but truly delicious.

Why would you ferment fruit?

The primary reason I ferment fruit is to preserve it. Canning is too much of a pain, and honestly doesn’t produce results that are as delicious as when I ferment. Not to mention that fermented food is 1000x better for us than any processed food. And bonus, fermented food captures good bacteria in the air and then when we eat it we are helping our microbiomes by replenishing the good stuff in it.

Do you need special equipment to ferment food?

The equipment you will need to ferment food:

• some sort of container to hold the food while it is fermenting (I love using mason jars)
• something to keep bugs out (it can be as simple as a piece of fabric held on to your container by a rubber band)
• a weight, to hold your food under the ferment brine (this could be a rock that you have cleaned and sanitized)

While you can seriously use almost anything around the house for these simple pieces of “fermenting equipment” (a lot easier than canning, yes?), I gotta shamelessly plug my absolute favorite fermenting kit here because it’s that awesome.

There’s no plastic involved, and it adjusts to work with any amount of food I’m fermenting–just a tiny bit or so much I need to squish it in. In fact, these fermenting springs allow me to ferment more food at a time because they compress the food under the brine. If you do purchase a kit, make sure it is a high-grade stainless steel (this one is) or it will corrode over time.

How long does it take peaches to ferment?

Fruit ferments quickly. You want to start tasting it after 24 hours and store it away as soon as it tastes perfect to you. (Keep reading for how to store your peaches.)

How do you store fermented fruit?

Once your fruit tastes perfectly fermented (usually this is right around 24 hours of fermenting for me, but you can let it go 2-3 days if you prefer a more tangy taste), you need to separate your fruit from the brine, otherwise the fruit will become total mush.

Store your brine and your fruit in two separate, sealed containers in your fridge.

Can I save leftover brine?

Always save your brine from your fermented peaches (or any ferment really). I love to use my peach brine to make the most amazing kombucha. Simply add about 1/4 cup of the brine to a 1/2 gallon second ferment of kombucha.  Unbelievably delicious and bonus EXTRA good for you.

If you don’t make kombucha, dive into my free kombucha resources and recipes here and get started! Better yet, take my Simple DIY Kombucha master class and be an overnight fermented drink pro. You’ll eliminate all soda from your family’s diet and improve their gut health in one fell swoop.

You can also add a few tablespoons of your peach ferment brine to a tall glass of ice cold seltzer water. Delicious!

What do you do with fruit after fermentation?

There are so many ways to thoroughly enjoy fermented peaches and all fermented fruit…

• straight up eat it. seriously. it’s a great midnight snack.
• enjoy it on your breakfast cereal. (This might be my favorite way.)
• use the brine, combined with a favorite seltzer flavor, to make a refreshing electrolyte drink. (Ok, maybe this is my favorite way.)
• toss some on a side salad.
• cover a bowl of ice cream with them.
• mix a spoonful in your bowl of yogurt.

Fermented peaches, and fermented blueberries, are truly two of my favorite treats to have on hand. Go here to download my 8-page Pantry Checklist to check out all of my favorite foods and ingredients and enjoy discount codes on many.

Can you accidentally ferment fruit?

If you’ve ever had fruit or jam turn odd tasting it could be you’ve accidentally fermented fruit, but that’s not the way to go…  because there is yeast and good bacteria in the air at all times and because fruit is naturally sugary, accidental fermentation can happen, but trust me you want to do it on purpose… keep reading…

Fermented Peaches

Fermented Peaches Ingredients:

• 1.5 tsp salt*
• 6 tbsp of sugar
• 9 tbsp of filtered, warm water
• 6 tbsp of kombucha (See notes below for alternative)
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups of fresh, sliced or diced peaches

* for the best results, weigh peaches and make a 2% salt brine, based on their weight. My 2 1/2 cups of peaches weighed 15 ounces. I multiplied 15 by .02 (since I want a 2% brine) and got .3, so I knew I needed .3 ounces of salt. Now the math gets a little harder… I know that 4 3/4 teaspoons of salt weighs about 1 ounce. So I multiply 4 3/4 by .3. The answer is 1.4. That’s how many tsps of salt I need for my exact amount of peaches. But you should be fine in the range of 1-1.5 tsp of salt for 2 1/2 cups of peaches.

Fermented Peaches Directions:

1. In a bowl, add cut up peaches, salt and sugar. Mix and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
2. Transfer peaches to a jar. (I used one of the tall, narrow mason jars linked below.)
3. Add kombucha.
4. Add enough water to fill jar.
5. Weigh down peaches with a fermentation weight that fits inside your jar. I love this kit. All the fruit must stay below the brine.
6. Add your ferment kit lid to the jar (or a loose lid, or a secured piece of fabric, if you don’t have this fancy kit).
7. After 24 hours, taste a few times a day until your ferment reaches the desired taste. It won’t take long. (Fruit ferments faster than veggies.)

Notes on Fermenting Peaches:

• Any fermented starter would work. If you make cheese, use some whey; if you make water kefir, use some of the liquid.
• I use this salt, for the bonus minerals; use code SOULYRESTED for 15% off every order, every time.
• I used raw cane sugar; I have to research if I can use maple syrup next time.
• This fermenting kit has ingenious springs that do an amazing job keeping your food submerged in the brine and lids that keep your ferment breathing yet keep out what you don’t want in your ferment.
• If you don’t have a starter culture on hand, like kombucha, you can still ferment your berries, just grab this 6-pack of starter cultures. You’ll only need a little from one packet for this recipe.
• If you’d like to know how to make your own kombucha, I got ya covered with everything you need to know about Simple DIY Kombucha.

My Favorite Fermenting Tools:

More on Fermenting Food:

• Foods to eat for gut health (podcast episode)
• How to ferment blueberries
• How to ferment cherry tomatoes
• The Cost of DIY Kombucha
• Making sourdough without wasting discard

–> AND DON’T FORGET! … Go here to grab my FREE 8-page Pantry Checklist, loaded with discount codes on my favorite things in my kitchen. You’ll be glad you did.

“He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9

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Fermenting Blueberries

Fermenting blueberries is a simple process that produces truly delicious results.

It is done in a sugary brine and both the berries and brine are delicious to use in so many ways. Add the immense benefits to your gut health and you really can’t resist these amazing little guys.

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Fermented Blueberries

Ingredients:

• 2-2 1/2 cups of blueberries (about 300 grams)
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp of sugar
• 9 tbsp of filtered water
• 6 tbsp of kombucha (See notes below for alternative)

Directions:

1. In a jar, add sugar and salt. (I used a tall, narrow mason jar.) Pour in warm water and stir to dissolve, then allow water to cool.
2. Add kombucha and berries.
3. Weigh down blueberries with a fermentation weight that fits inside your jar. I love this kit. All the fruit must stay below the brine.
4. Add your ferment kit lid to the jar (or a loose lid, or a secured piece of fabric, if you don’t have this fancy kit). After 24 hours, taste a few times a day until your ferment reaches the desired taste. It won’t take long. (Fruit ferments faster than veggies.)

Notes about fermenting blueberries

• Any fermented starter would work. If you make cheese, use some whey; if you make water kefir, use some of the liquid.
• I use this salt, for the bonus minerals; use code SOULYRESTED for 15% off every order, every time.
• I used raw cane sugar; I have to research if I can use maple syrup next time.
• This fermenting kit has ingenious springs that do an amazing job keeping your food submerged in the brine and lids that keep your ferment breathing yet keep out what you don’t want in your ferment.
• If you don’t have a starter culture on hand, like kombucha, you can still ferment your berries, just grab this 6-pack of starter cultures. You’ll only need 1/2 of 1 packet for this recipe.
• If you’d like to know how to make your own kombucha, I got ya covered with everything you need to know about Simple DIY Kombucha.

Find out more about fermenting kombucha in this video:

Can you lacto ferment frozen blueberries?

I’m asked this a lot and I just need to try it, honestly, so I know for sure… I’ve only ever fermented fresh berries, but my hunch is that frozen will work almost as well. I assume frozen blueberries will be a mushier consistency but taste just as delicious.

What do lacto fermented blueberries taste like?

Fermented blueberries are a wonderful combination of sour, salty, and slightly sweet. I love them.

Other Recipes You May Like:

Fermenting peaches

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Blueberry Cake

Fermented cauliflower

Lilac Blueberry Kombucha

Talk to me!

If you have any questions, leave a comment below. And please tag me on ig to show me your delicious fermented fruit @souly.rested.

The post Fermenting Blueberries first appeared on Souly Rested.

I don’t like all fermented veggies. In fact, I won’t even go near sauerkraut. But I’m here to tell you that fermented cherry tomatoes are awesome.

Find out all the other foods I keep stocked in my pantry by downloading this FREE 8-page checklist that will get you started towards a more nutritious family table.

How to Ferment Cherry Tomatoes

Keep reading for every detail, or if you’re more of a visual learner, I walk you through the whole process in this video as well:

Some favorite fermented foods?

For some reason, I think many people are like I used to be when they hear the word “fermented.” They think of sour tasting cabbage. But the truth is there are so many options for fermented foods beyond sauerkraut and kimchi.

• Yogurt is a fermented diary product made with bacterial cultures. Homemade maple yogurt is one of my favorite snacks, ever.
• Sourdough bread is made with a fermented flour starter. And we make at least one or two loaves of sourdough bread every week around here. Would you like the full scoop on my unique recipe? Right here I explain exactly how I make sourdough bread with zero wasted discard.
• Kombucha is a delicious, carbonated, fermented tea that you can make at home. More about DIY Kombucha right here.

Why eat fermented foods?

We do so many things in our modern culture–from not getting enough exercise and time outdoors to being too stressed–that destroys our gut health. Enjoying fermented foods and drinks helps restore the good gut flora that we need.

Is it okay to eat fermented tomatoes?

It’s more than “okay,” eating fermented cherry tomatoes (or any fermented foods) is extra good for your gut health. We chat all about this, in detail, on this episode (S5 E20) of the Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy podcast:

What do fermented cherry tomatoes taste like?

Fermented cherry tomatoes taste like salty, slightly tangy tomatoes. They’re delicious on salads, sandwiches, and in scrambled eggs, and topping homemade pizza.

Folks get tripped up on this often. Let me just tell you right now, all fermented foods do NOT taste like sauerkraut. In fact, my favorite veggies to ferment (tomatoes and peppers) simply taste like saltier, slightly tangy, versions of themselves.

What’s the best food to ferment?

I love making sourdough bread. I give you my complete recipe and the full scoop on how i make fermented sourdough bread every week without one ounce of wasted discard right here: My Sourdough Recipe Without Discard.

But even more than bread, my favorite thing I’m always fermenting in my kitchen isn’t even “food”… it’s my favorite drink. Kombucha. This recipe right here is my absolute favorite kombucha. And right here I give you the full scoop into making kombucha yourself.

Do you need fancy equipment to ferment cherry tomatoes?

You can ferment any veggie in any container you’d like to try, as long as you have some sort of weight to keep the veggie in your salt brine and some sort of a loose lid, to keep the bugs and critters out.

But I find the easiest way to ferment any veggie is with this fermenting springs kit. Granted, the smallest cherry tomatoes can creep up around the spring, so I should probably lay a cabbage leaf or some other such thing over top of my tomatoes before inserting the spring. Maybe I’ll think of this next time… But even so, most of the tomatoes stay submerged with this set up.

Edited to add: This is my current tomato ferment on my kitchen counter… A nice piece of iceberg lettuce laid under the spring does the trick at keeping all the food under the weight.

Fermented Cherry Tomatoes

What you’ll need to ferment cherry tomatoes

• Jar of washed cherry tomatoes (any size is fine)
• 2 – 3 fresh basil leaves
• 1 – 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns (optional)
• 1 head fresh dill (optional)
• Prepared brine (see below)
• Some way to keep the tomatoes submerged and the bugs out… I love my springs and special lid 

Note: feel free to play around with whatever seasonings you’d like to try. The only thing you can’t alter is your brine. You want to be sure you have the right amount of salt and the right kind of salt! But often I will just toss in a few basil leaves and garlic cloves for seasoning.

Brine for fermented cherry tomatoes

• 2 cups of filtered water
• 1 ½ tablespoons unrefined salt (this is the best… use code SOULYRESTED to try it yourself and enjoy a nice savings)
• Double or triple this, as needed

Directions for fermenting cherry tomatoes

1. Dissolve salt in water to make brine.
2. Place your flavorings into a clean mason jar. I use whatever I have on hand, which is usually fresh basil and dill, garlic, and peppercorns. But I’ve made them with just garlic as well, or any combination of the above. It’s always good.
3. Place your cherry tomatoes on top of your seasonings. I pierce each one with a toothpick, to allow the brine to easily infuse the kinda tough tomato skins.
4. Pour your brine over the tomatoes until they’re completely covered, and top with a fermenting spring. If you don’t have a spring, feel free to be creative with any thing you can place on top of the tomatoes to keep them under the salt water.
5. Cover the jar with the fermenting lid, which has built in air holes that are lightly covered to keep out the unwanted pests. Or use a well-secured piece of fabric over the jar.
6. Place your jar in a larger bowl, to hold any brine that may bubble out of your jar, and set the jar in a little used (preferably kinda dark) area of your kitchen.
7. Taste around day 5-7. If it tastes great, place a regular lid on the jar and move it to the fridge. I like to remove the added flavorings before storing them, to keep the garlic or dill, or whatever I’ve used, from getting too overpowering in the months ahead. If you’d like to let it ferment longer, go for it and just taste it every so often until it’s the way you want it.
8. Store your fermented cherry tomatoes, in their brine, in the fridge for many long months. I’ve kept them up to a year, in the back corner of my fridge, and enjoyed them just as much at the end as at the beginning.

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Fermented cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

For cherry tomatoes:

• Jar of washed cherry tomatoes any size is fine
• 2 – 3 fresh basil leaves
• 1 – 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns optional
• 1 head fresh dill optional
• Prepared brine see below
• Some way to keep the tomatoes submerged and the bugs out… I love my springs and special lid

For the brine:

• 2 cups of filtered water
• 1 ½ tablespoons unrefined salt
• Double or triple this brine recipe as needed

Instructions

• Dissolve salt in water to make brine.
• Place your flavorings into a clean mason jar. I use whatever I have on hand, which is usually fresh basil and dill, garlic, and peppercorns. But I’ve made them with just garlic as well, or any combination of the above. It’s always good.
• Place your cherry tomatoes on top of your seasonings. I pierce each one with a toothpick, to allow the brine to easily infuse the kinda tough tomato skins.
• Pour your brine over the tomatoes until they’re completely covered, and top with a fermenting spring. If you don’t have a spring, feel free to be creative with any thing you can place on top of the tomatoes to keep them under the salt water.
• Cover the jar with the fermenting lid, which has built in air holes that are lightly covered to keep out the unwanted pests. Or use a well-secured piece of fabric over the jar.
• Place your jar in a larger bowl, to hold any brine that may bubble out of your jar, and set the jar in a little used (preferably kinda dark) area of your kitchen.
• Taste around day 5-7. If it tastes great, place a regular lid on the jar and move it to the fridge. I like to remove the added flavorings before storing them, to keep the garlic or dill, or whatever I’ve used, from getting too overpowering in the months ahead. If you’d like to let it ferment longer, go for it and just taste it every so often until it’s the way you want it.
• Store your fermented cherry tomatoes, in their brine, in the fridge for many long months. I've kept them up to a year, in the back corner of my fridge, and enjoyed them just as much at the end as at the beginning.

Notes

feel free to play around with whatever seasonings you'd like to try. The only thing you can't alter is your brine. You want to be sure you have the right amount of salt and the right kind of salt! But often I will just toss in a few basil leaves and garlic cloves for seasoning.

Side note: When I made this batch of tomatoes, I had a large colander full of tomatoes I had just harvested from our garden. It was about 11 or 12 cups of cherry tomatoes. I didn’t want to unnecessarily squish them, so I divided them among two 1/2 gallon jars, but I could have filled up one jar and left it at that if I wanted.

Other side note: If you have more veggies in your near future that you might want to ferment, feel free to make things super easy for yourself and make extra brine. Just store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. The wonderful minerals will settle out to the bottom (in the second picture below), but that’s totally fine. Just give it a stir, and it’s good to use.

Other recipes for fermenting cherry tomatoes

Fermented cherry tomatoes are delicious y’all. And so forgiving. Seriously there are so many ways you could try out different flavors in your brine. Consider adding any of these options:

• any combination of add-ins that you like of what I list above
• feel free to use or 1/2 tsp dill seed in place of fresh dill
• feel free to use 1/2 tsp of dried basil in place of fresh leaves
• mustard seeds
• peppers that you want to ferment with the tomatoes
• really any other fermenting veggie would be fine (and pretty)

You can also use any non-iodized salt, but I never use any salt other than Redmond’s Real Salt for fermenting. But I do change up which Redmonds salt I use, if I don’t have the fine powder salt in my pantry. It is my preference though, because it dissolves so nicely.

If you need to stock up on Redmonds, be sure to use my special coupon and enjoy 15% off your entire purchase (cause um, who doesn’t want that?). Just order at this link and use code SOULYRESTED.

How long can you keep fermented cherry tomatoes?

You can store your tomatoes, in their same jar and brine that you fermented them in, in the fridge for months. Dare I say many months, and they’re still delicious.

The first picture below was when the tomatoes had been stored in my fridge for 3-4 weeks. The second picture was 6 months later. A little flatter, but just as tasty.

Also, these were Matts Cherry Tomatoes, not the ideal choice for fermenting, just because they are softer than most.

What varieties of cherry tomatoes are good for fermenting?

I have found over the years that my favorite varieties for fermenting are:

Sunrise bumblebee

Black cherry

Chadwick

Bonus, these three together make for a gorgeous jar of tomatoes. (This is the combo I used in this youtube video: How to Ferment Cherry Tomatoes.)

Other varieties I’ve tried but found to get mushier over time:

pear

matts (pictured below)

How do you use fermented cherry tomatoes?

You can use fermented cherry tomatoes in any meal you would use tomatoes in.

If I’m adding them to things like soup or alfredo sauce (served over pasta, with a slice of bacon on the side… mmmmmm….), I’ll add them in right at the end, so the heat in the pan or skillet doesn’t destroy any of their wonderful fermented properties.

All the ways I use fermented cherry tomatoes?

• On a tossed salad with this dressing
• Mixed in in the last minute to scrambled eggs
• In a sandwich, with sprouts and meat
• As part of antipasto
• With hummus
• Mixed into guacamole
• In soup, especially squash soup
• In alfredo sauce, over pasta

However you use these slightly salty tomatoes with a nice little kick, I’m pretty sure you’ll love them. These and fermented peppers are two of my favorite fermented veggies.

What is that white stuff in my ferment?

If you are new to fermenting veggies, I should tell you about the yeast. It’s pretty cool once you know what it is, but it can be pretty shocking if you don’t.

You see, kahm yeast starts to form over fermenting veggies when the lactic acid builds up (which is great news for your gut health). You might not have this happen to your jar of tomatoes, but you are definitely more likely to see a thin layer of kahm yeast with sweeter veggies, like beets, carrots, sweet peppers, and tomatoes.

If you do have yeast form, it may be much less dramatic than mine, which looked kinda like the surface of the moon, huh? But it’s all good. Just skim it off and you’re good to go. While kahm yeast won’t hurt you to eat it, it may not taste so good, so I feed the veggies on top of the brine, that have the yeast on them, to my chickens.

Yeah, my chickens love me. I grow herbs just for them and I feed them my yeasty tomatoes. I’m kinda a rock star in their little poultry eyes.

What are other easy ways to preserve tomatoes?

I also love to dehydrate tomatoes. It’s so easy, preserves almost 100% of the nutrients, and my kitchen stays cool (Can I just say it? I hate canning food.)

• Go here to find out which varieties of tomatoes are best to dehydrate (Or pin that for later right here.)
• Go here for 10 ways to use dehydrated tomatoes (Or pin that for later right here.)

Other Gut-Healthy (aka Fermenting) Articles You’ll Love:

How I ferment peppers

My Hesitant Experiment fermenting cauliflower

Sourdough, gut-friendly pizza crust (yep, you read that right)

DIY Kombucha–What’s it really cost?

4 Foods to Eat for Gut Health (and yes, fermented cherry tomatoes is one) podcast episode

He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.  Psalm 136:25

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Fermenting Peppers

Every summer I’m kinda obsessed with fresh food from the garden. While I eat it till it’s “coming out of my ears,” as my momma would say, I have a lot to preserve too. There’s nothing better than enjoying the delicious produce of summer all winter long.

So every summer I tend to have something either fermenting on the kitchen counter or filling up the dehydrator.

Today we’re talking all things Fermenting Peppers. In fact, everything you need to know to do this right is all here. Just scroll down, read, and dive in. Oh, and be sure to pin this recipe for later, because I’m pretty sure you’ll love these delicious, salty fermented peppers and want to make them again and again.

Which peppers are good for fermenting?

I’m using Banana Sweet Peppers this week, but truly any pepper can be fermented. The sky–and your taste buds–are the limit.

I choose this pepper for a few reasons.

1. It’s a pleasing, subtle pepper taste before fermenting, so after fermenting the taste is amped to just the right punch.
2. I love growing these peppers. The New England growing season is just not long enough for a typical pepper to prosper here. At least in my experience. I have tried every single summer in the 6 summers we have lived on our New England homestead to grow peppers. I have failed every single year. Until now. Until I discovered these amazing, wonderfully producing, delicious peppers.
3. These peppers are easy to grow, and they’re prolific once they get started, with just 6 small plants providing way more peppers than we could ever eat fresh. So fermenting is the most logical choice for me.

How long does it take for peppers to ferment?

This isn’t a set answer. There are variables, such as the temperature of the room and your preferences. In fact, if you read a recipe that gives a very set answer, look for another recipe. With all ferments the timing is totally up to you and I always recommend you base it on your own taste buds and preference. 

After just a few days you’ll notice the brine is cloudy and the color of your peppers has dulled. At that point, go ahead an taste it. Taste it often and when it’s the way you like it move your ferment to the fridge, where the cold temps will slow it down dramatically.

What percent brine for fermented peppers?

There is definitely some leeway here, but I’ve found the sweet spot to be a 3% brine for peppers. If you want to experiment with a saltier ferment go for it, but I wouldn’t use less than 3 TB of salt in every quart of water when fermenting peppers, they have a little more tendency toward mold than any other veggies I ferment.

Why are my fermented peppers mushy?

You may find that any peppers that aren’t fully submerged in the brine are mushy. To avoid this, just use a good ferment kit and add a large piece of lettuce, cabbage, or kale if needed, under the weight or spring, to keep all the peppers in the brine where they should be instead of floating on top.

How can you use fermented peppers?

Again, the sky–and your taste buds–are the limit to how you can use your fermented peppers. Here are just a few ideas:

• On a tossed salad
• In any chicken meal (our family favorite is Kung Pao with fermented peppers)
• Added to salsa, for a fermented “kick”
• Added into a bean salad
• Grilled with onions and sausage for a delicious sandwich
• In a taco salad
• On an Italian Sub
• Mixed into scrambled eggs
• On any sandwich

Why eat fermented foods?

Why did I add fermenting to our family diet? As my momma would’ve said, I could talk your ear off on this topic. In fact, I have a whole module on this topic in my Simple DIY Kombucha Master Class.

Suffice it to say, we do so many things today in our modern culture that is destroying our gut health. Fermented foods add the good stuff back to our guts. Deliciously.

Well, except for sauerkraut. Sorry if you’re a fan, but I can’t stand that stuff.

But fermented pickles, fermented cauliflower, fermented cherry tomatoes, fermented blueberries, and fermented peppers? Give me more please!

All my fermenting recipes

There’s no reason to stop with just peppers. Fermenting is such a wonderful way to preserve your food. So pick another option and dive in. Here are some of my favorite fermented food recipes:

Fermented cherry tomatoes … Save it for later and pin the recipe here.

Fermented peppers… Save it for later and pin the recipe here.

Fermented Tea (it’s called kombucha)… Save it for later and pin the details here.

Fermented  bread & how to make it easier

Fermented  cauliflower

Fermented  peaches

Fermented  blueberries 

Fermenting Peppers

The process to fermenting is truly super easy. The hard part? Waiting. 5-7 days.

Ingredients

• 4 cups filtered water
• 3 TB fine salt (this is the best)
• 2 peeled garlic cloves
• Two large handfuls of Banana Sweet Peppers

Directions

1. Sanitize your jar.
2. Prepare your brine by dissolving the Redmond salt into the water and set aside.
3. Slice your clean peppers.
4. Fill your clean jar with peppers. It’s totally fine if you don’t have enough peppers to fill your jar, as long as you have enough brine to cover your peppers.
5. Pour brine over the peppers.
6. Insert a weight to ensure that your peppers stay below your brine at all times. I use these fermenting springs, which work wonderfully whether I just have a few peppers to ferment or a stuffed-full jar of peppers.
7. Cover jar with a breathable fabric or (my preference) these breathable, stainless steel lids.
8. Place jar in a bowl if you want to avoid any possible mess if your ferment overflows in the days ahead.
9. Place jar in a corner of the kitchen and wait patiently (truly the hardest part).
10. Taste your peppers after 4-5 days and every day thereafter until they are the taste you’re looking for.
11. Remove fermenting springs and lid, place a regular lid on the jar, and store your fermented peppers (in the brine) in the fridge for many months.

Ways to alter this recipe

Feel free to alter how you season your fermented peppers. In place of garlic, your choices could include cumin, sliced onion, cilantro, or parsley.

Also feel free to chop the peppers into any size you would like. Or ferment whole peppers.

Even the blooms of the Banana Sweet Pepper are gorgeous in my garden.

One way to NOT alter this recipe

Keep in mind that this brine recipe calls for fine salt. Coarse salt is much different, size wise, so you would need to use a differing amount. I only use this salt, so I would recommend you do some research if you plan on using any other kind.

Stick with NON iodized salt. Iodized salt gives ferments a funky color and possibly a funky taste. More importantly, studies show that iodine may negatively affect the fermentation of foods.

One Way to Save Money!

Stock up on my favorite salt on the planet and save 15% with code SOULYRESTED. Go here to see all my favorite Redmond Real Salt products in my pantry.

More food preserving goodness:

How to can crisp dill pickles.

How to preserve strawberries by making 1-ingredient fruit roll ups

How to make pasta sauce with dehydrated tomato powder

 

 

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“

When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.”  Duet. 8:10

 

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Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of all the supplies I use and recommend for everything from gardening, to homeschooling, to chicken care, to nature journaling, to maple syrup making.

 

 

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I should say, right up front, I’ve never even considered fermenting any vegetables. Cause well, there’s sauerkraut. I despise sauerkraut. So I was pretty sure I would despise all fermented veggies.

Kombucha led me to this

But the more I learned about the crazy-good-for-you stuff that happens to kombucha because it’s fermented, the more I thought about trying to ferment some veggies.

Maybe I should explain the whole “kombucha thing.” I started making our family’s own kombucha after I learned the amazing health benefits for our guts. I kept making kombucha after realizing how delicious it tastes and how cheap it is to make it yourself. (If you’re curious to know more about kombucha, you’ll find some of the many things I’ve written about kombucha here and you can find out about my master class, Simple DIY kombucha, here.)

So it stands to reason that maybe… just maybe… fermented veggies would offer us the same benefits. And bonus, if they don’t all taste like sauerkraut, maybe I’d be on to something.

I love these fermenting springs!

So I got these really nifty fermenting springs in the mail from True Leaf Market.

I’ve been getting my seeds from True Leaf for a while because they’re a small, independent seed company that I’m really impressed with. In fact, they’ve been around since the 70s, so I have no idea why I hadn’t heard of them sooner. But when I saw this fermenting kit on their site, I knew had to dive in and give this fermenting thing a try.

Does the salt matter?

When you’re fermenting cauliflower, or any vegetable, you want to use a high-quality salt, not the standard table salt most folks buy at the grocery store.

You see, table salt has iodine in it. Iodine inhibits the growth of the good-for-you stuff in a culture that is trying to mature in your fermented veggies. So read your salt label and avoid iodized salt, as well as any salt that has anti-caking agents. Instead, choose an unrefined, whole salt that is naturally full of vitamins and minerals, because the best ingredients lead to the healthiest and most delicious fermented veggies.

This salt is my go-to.

Check out this discount!

Simply use this link to place any order at Redmond’s Real Salt & use my code SWEETSALT to enjoy 15% off.

WhooHoo! Cause everybody loves a discount, yes? But don’t wait to snag this one; it may not be available for long.

So what’s fermented cauliflower taste like?

Turns out, fermented cauliflower tastes nothing like sauerkraut. I’d say it’s a cross between pickles and raw cauliflower, and it really adds some umpf to a tossed salad. It’s nice for a different snack to crunch on. Of course this snack has something most can’t offer me–minerals, nutrients, vitamins, and enzymes that all lead to good gut health.  And there’s no hint of sauerkraut. Win-win.

How to Ferment Cauliflower

Ingredients

More Fermenting Information for You

• If you’re intrigued by fermented tea (aka kombucha), you may be fascinated at how much money you can save by making your own.
• Want to try your hand at fermented bread? Every detail is here in this Ultimate Guide to Making Sourdough Bread.
• You have numerous fermenting weights and systems to choose from, but these oh-so-simple and oh-so-effective fermenting springs are amazing.
• Make sure you use an unrefined, healthy salt for your fermenting. Try this one and use code SWEETSALT for 15% off.

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For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude.

I Timothy 4:4

 

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Find out why SoulyRested was considered to be one of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018 and then one of the Top Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well.

Glance at my Resource Page if you’d like to get a glimpse of all the supplies I use and recommend for everything from gardening, to homeschooling, to chicken care, to nature journaling, to maple syrup making.

 

 

I’d love to connect!

To find me in some other neck of the woods, just click any (or every!) icon below:

 

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The post My hesitant experiment fermenting cauliflower first appeared on Souly Rested.