Oil Free, Probiotic Pickle Recipes: Radish and Jalapenos
Lacto-Fermentation Recipes
Below are a few tips and recipes to make pickles using the lacto-fermentation process.
Requirements
- Any vegetable of your choice like cucumbers, radish, cauliflower, carrots etc.
- Brine: this is easy to make. You need to dissolve approximately 1.5 tbsp salt in every 1 liter of water. That’s it, brine is ready.
- Air tight glass jar
- Some weight to put on top (explained in the video and written recipe) this is optional but very helpful. Avoid using metal or plastic as there react with the bacteria. Ceramic, glass or stone works best. I use soapstone ice cubes, pebbles will also work.
Glass Jar
Take an air tight glass jar. They come in various varieties, I prefer the ones with screw top plastic lid. The metal lids get rust over time.
Sterilize the jars by washing in hot water or you can also keep them in sunlight for 2-3 hours.
When packing the vegetables in the jar, leave around 1″ (2.5 cm) space from the top (as shown in the diagram below).
When adding brine, leave about 1 cm space on the top, as shown below. We need to leave this space as some gases will be produced during the fermentation process.
PICKLED JALAPENOS Jump to Recipe
Red Radish Pickle
Equipment
- 1 clean air tight glass jar. you can wash with hot water or keep in sunlight for few hours
- some weight like pebbles or soapstone ice cube or fermentation weights - these are optional - but very helpful to ensure the radish will not not float above the brine
Ingredients
For Brine
- 500 ml filtered water
- 2 tsp natural rock salt or sea salt Avoid table salt as it will have preservatives
For Pickle
- 250 g red radish (or any radish you want to use)
- Brine, as much as you need to fill the jar, I always make a little extra
- 2 bay leaves
- 8-10 whole black pepper
- 1 large cabbage leaf to cover
Instructions
For Brine
- in 500ml water, dissolve 2 tsp rock salt or sea salt. No table salt please. Prefer to use organic salt. In summers, add just a bit more salt to slow down fermentation.
For Pickle
- Wash and air dry or sun dry the radish and cabbage leaf.
- tightly pack the radish in the clean jar, leaving about 1" space from the top
- fill the jar with brine (made by mixing 2 tsp salt in 500ml water) leave about 1cm space from the top.
- now add the bay leaves and black pepper.
- cover the top with the cabbage leaf and place some weight on top - this step is optional but helps to make sure that radish wont come above the brine and catch mold
- close the lid
- this will take few days to get ready - depends on how sour and tender you like it. For first few days, open it once a day to release the gases. After that check every few days till it reaches the tenderness that you like. After that move it to the fridge.
Notes
It is best to consume within 2-3 months as they become very sour and tender with time.
To watch video of both these recipes:
Pickled Jalapenos
Equipment
- 1 clean air tight glass jar. you can wash with hot water or keep in sunlight for few hours
- some weight like pebbles or soapstone ice cube or fermentation weights - these are optional - but very helpful to ensure the jalapenos will not not float above the brine
Ingredients
For Brine
- 500 ml filtered water
- 2 tsp natural rock salt or sea salt Avoid table salt as it will have preservatives
For Pickle
- 150 gm jalapeno chilli
- Brine, as much as you need to fill the jar, I always make a little extra
- 1 large cabbage leaf to cover
Instructions
For Brine
- in 500ml water, dissolve 2 tsp rock salt or sea salt. No table salt please. Prefer to use organic salt. In summers, add just a bit more salt to slow down fermentation.
For Pickle
- Wash and air dry or sun dry the jalapeno chilli and cabbage leaf.
- tightly pack the chilli in the clean jar, leaving about 1" space from the top
- fill the jar with brine and leave about 1cm space from the top.
- cover the top with the cabbage leaf and place some weight on top - this step is optional but helps to make sure that radish wont come above the brine and catch mold
- close the lid.
- this will take few days to get ready - depends on how sour and tender you like it. For first few days, open it once a day to release the gases. After that check every few days till it reaches the tenderness that you like.
- Once ready, move it to the fridge. It will continue to ferment slowly in the fridge.
Notes
pickles can be stored in the fridge for few months, they don't really get spoilt but keep getting softer and more sour and eventually you will not be able to eat them. Its better to consume within 2-3 months.
