Pickle power: how to make your first ferments | Kitchen aide

3 hours ago 2

I love ferments and want to start making my own to save money. Where should I start?
Ben, by email
“Maybe with some carrots, onions, cucumber or beetroot – anything Ben has an excess of,” says Connor Wilson, head chef at The Kirkstyle Inn in Slaggyford, Northumberland. “Fermentation is a great way of preserving produce, but it won’t give new life to things that are past their best.”

That said, tired-looking carrots would be perfect for Olia Hercules’ go-to for newbie fermenters: “If they look dehydrated but without any rotting, they’re amazing to ferment,” says the author of Strong Roots. “The sugars concentrate and you get this bright carrot flavour.” Start by slicing carrots (“the thinner or smaller the pieces, the quicker they’ll ferment”), then make a brine by mixing 35g rock or sea salt (“don’t use table salt”) with a litre of water (“tap is fine, filtered is better”), and making sure the salt dissolves. You can then go as fancy or simple as you like: “Drop in some peppercorns, allspice berries, coriander seeds, fennel seeds or anything else you think might go, bring the brine mix up to a simmer, then take off the heat and leave to infuse and cool to room temperature.” Pop the sliced carrots in a sterilised jar, then fill with the brine, making sure the veg are fully submerged: “You don’t want any sticking out and meeting the air, because that’s when bad bacteria can attach.” Hercules then leaves the sealed jar(s) for a few days until signs of fermentation emerge – “The brine will turn opaque, and you’ll see some bubbles” – then taste, taste, taste: “Once the carrots are nice and sour, stick the jar in the fridge.”

Yoko Nakazawa, author of The Japanese Art of Pickling and Fermenting, agrees that Ben should keep things simple. “Cabbage or turnips would be a great choice,” she says. “In Japan, there’s a type of pickle called asazuke, which means ‘lightly pickled’, and they’re made by rubbing cut veg with 2-3% of their weight in salt.” Their taste will evolve over time: “With this one simple method, you can enjoy different flavours – crisp and salty at first, then slightly tangy and finally distinctly sour – and serve at different stages, either as a side dish, palate cleanser or even a simple garnish.”

Of course, half the fun of fermenting is having a play around, so feel free to add spices, herbs or citrus peel as you see fit. Just be sure to follow a few simple rules. “First, it’s essential to keep everything clean to prevent unwanted bacteria and let only the beneficial microbes do their work,” says Nakazawa, who sterilises her containers, jars and utensils with boiling water. Then, she says, it’s just a case of trusting your senses and asking yourself: “Does it look appealing, smell inviting and taste lively?” That’s to say, look for “vegetables becoming bright, remaining crisp and bubbles appearing in the liquid; a pleasant, tangy aroma; a gentle fizzing or small pop when you open the lid; and the flavour evolving from salty to a refreshing acidity and great complexity.”

Finally, just like the rest of us, ferments respond best when they’re treated well: “I speak kindly to them and avoid making them when I’m stressed or rushed,” Nakazawa says. “It’s a mindfulness activity.”