This is for a portion size of 1 quart. We like to make 4x in a gallon container.
Ingredients:
2 lb turnips
1 lb ruatabaga
1 medium sized turmeric root
1 shallot
2 tsp dried poblano pepper
2 tbsp unrefined sea salt
Process:
1) Prep your turnips and rutabaga by cutting them julienne style. I measure each of my cuts at 2-3 bites per pickle. Toss them in a big bowl. Rutabagas have hilarious stray hairs! Go ahead and give ‘em a haircut before you start cutting them.
2) Peel your shallot and slice it in quarter inch slivers. Add your shallot to the root vegetables.
3) Thinly slice the turmeric and add to your ingredient bowl.
4) Add the pablano pepper. If you like more heat, be more generous in your addition.
3) Toss your vegetables and evenly distribute all your ingredients. After they’re all mixed up, pack them snug in your container.
4) To make the brine, dissolve 1.5 tablespoons of salt in one quart of the purest water available to you. Pour the brine over your ingredients and seal tightly with lid, so you can give the vessel a few quick, non-violent flips to distribute the spices. Take the lid off.
5) Now you have an open container of pickles and it’s time for one of the most important parts to keep your ferment happy: a weight that will keep your root vegetables underneath the brine. It’s easy to fill a small jar with water and sit it on top of the carrots – if you have other ideas for weights, that still allow your ferment to get exposure to air, give it a try. As you can see with our gallon container below, we’ve inserted a plastic yogurt lid that fits perfectly under the neck of our jar. It allows the water to rise above the lid without offering any possibility for the carrots to float above. There are a lot of good methods, and many come straight from our creative common sense. Cover your vessel with a cloth and rubber band, to keep random bugs and dust particles out.
6) Wait a week and try a turnip – it’s probably going to need another week, but it’s good practice to try your ferments along their journey. Ferments will work at different speeds depending on their environment. Temperature is a huge factor – most ferments thrive best at 68-76 F, just like us.
7) When your ferment is to your liking, cover it with a lid and place in the fridge or other cold storage. Keeping your new pickles cool stalls fermentation process, so you can enjoy the fermented flavor from when you sealed the jar.
If you have any questions on this recipe, email us at info@fermentationonwheels.com.
