Fermented zucchini pickles
Fermented zucchini pickles
Yields: 1 litre mason jar
Ingredients
4 cups zucchini – sliced into rounds about ½ centimeter thick
½ cup red onion – thinly sliced
Non-chlorinated water[i]
2 garlic cloves – slice in half (about 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons ginger – large chunks or slices
2 dill sprigs
Himalayan or sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons green tea leaves (tannins help keep the veggies crispy)
Steps
Basic fermenting vegetables formula: vegetable in grams + water in grams x 2.5% = how much salt in grams
Example: 800 grams of vegetables + 400 grams of water = 1200 grams.
1200 x .025 = 30 grams of salt
Weigh your empty mason jar using a digital scale. Tare it to zero. Put the zucchini, onion, ginger and garlic in the mason jar. Fill with non-chlorinated water to cover the vegetables. Weigh it on a digital scale. Use the above formula to determine how much salt to add. Once you have done the math, weigh your salt. Pour the water out of the jar into a glass measuring cup with the salt. I like using a Pyrex measuring cup because it is easy to pour. Pour the brine over the vegetables. Leave about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of headroom at the top of the jar. Add the dill and tea leaves.
Use a weight to make sure the vegetables are submerged. I use an airlock and sealer lid.
Ferment for 5 to 6 days. Remove the weight and airlock. Seal and refrigerate. It can be kept for several weeks. The fermenting will continue, but at a much slower pace in the fridge.
[i] It is important to use non-chlorinated water while fermenting – the chlorine inhibits good bacteria growth which is needed for fermenting.
