4 Veggies to Ferment for Fall

As the summer ends, now is your last chance to ferment the fruit and vegetables of your summer labor. Since most people are only able to harvest a handful of crops from their own garden, we recommend fermenting in Mason jars. They’re easy to store and hold smaller batches, making them better suited for personal fermentation experiments (plus you can use Masontops easy fermentation tools). 

1. Fermented Cherry Tomatoes

Bursting in your mouth with tang and fizz, fermented cherry tomatoes are a great way to awaken your taste buds and can be stored for fall. Cherry tomatoes are a popular go-to for gardeners and fermenting them is a great way to preserve an abundant harvest.

We love this simple recipe from Cultures for Health. It will only take you a few minutes to prepare and they can easily be made with Pickle Pebbles and Pickle Pipes. Pickle Pebbles will hold the cherries down below the brine do you don't have to worry about mold and the Pickle Pipes will automatically release CO2 out of the jar... so easy! 

Not sure how to eat them? Try dipping a baguette in oil and vinegar and topping them off with fermented cherry tomatoes and goat cheese. Yum! 

2. Fermented Roasted Red Peppers

Roasted red peppers are delicious on homemade pizzas, flatbreads and sandwiches, but fermented roasted red peppers are even better. To ensure you keep the probiotic goodness in fermented food, don't bake them. These peppers can be added after the food has cooked or added to cold dishes, like pasta salad and hummus. 

Real Food in Little Rock has a great recipe for lacto-fermented peppers. In the post she mentions releasing the pressure in the jars to prevent them from exploding (fermenting food creates CO2), but you can avoid this with Pickle Pipes. 

3. Fermented Cabbage for Sauerkraut 

Well, duh! Cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables to ferment and it creates our absolute favorite dish: sauerkraut. 

Shred the cabbage, salt the cabbage, pound, pound, pound, Pickle Pebble it, Pickle Pipe it and enjoy. It's that easy (and that fun). Take a look at our free Fermentation Guide, which includes our recipe for sauerkraut on page 13. 

4. Fiddleheads

Although the opportunity to ferment fiddleheads has come and gone (they’re only available in the spring), now is the perfect time to plan for next year. September is your last safe opportunity to divide or plant new ferns before winter, which is something to think about if you want to ferment your own fiddleheads.

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook has an easy recipe, but you absolutely don't want to take any chances with mold. Use a Masontops Pickle Pebble to weigh the fiddleheads down below the brine. If they're not exposed to oxygen, they won't grow mold. 

Have questions on how Masontops can help you ferment? Contact us or visit our Facebook page to ask our very friendly (and very knowledgeable) community. Facebook is also the best place to get updates on our new blog articles, so make sure you "Like" us while you're there!