Hello!

Here is a quick and flavorful way to lacto-ferment those lovely salad turnips from this week’s share. The flavorings used are similar to kimchi – chiles, scallions and garlic – and can be altered to suit your tastes. The 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes lends a slight spiciness on the finish so feel free to add more for additional heat. Also, I used a lot of garlic in proportion to the turnips, but I love the flavor of fermented garlic. You can always cut back if desired.

We have posted about the tips and tricks to lacto-fermenting before, but there are a couple keys worth repeating:

• The amount of salt you use is very important. Too little and you run the risk of spoilage, too much and the fermentation may not work at all. I am using a brine of 1 tablespoon fine sea salt to 2 cups of water. I think this is a good starting point but it may take some experimentation to find out what works best for you.
• Keep the vegetables submerged under the brine. Our favorite way to achieve this is with the Kraut Source canning jar lid. It allows you to make small batches of ferments without committing to too much at once (which is great for those just learning about this process). If you need other ideas, check out this post.

Enjoy!

Korean Lacto-fermented Salad Turnips
makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 10 ounces turnip roots (about 3 small), scrubbed clean, cut in half, and then cut into thin half moon shapes
• 1 large scallion, cut in half and then cut into 1″ pieces
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

• Add 1/2 cup of water and the salt to a small saucepan, cover and heat over medium. Bring to a boil, ensuring the salt has dissolved, and remove from heat. Add an additional 1-1/2 cups of cold water and set aside until it has reached room temperature.
• Prepare the vegetables and toss together in a medium mixing bowl. Pack into a pint and a half wide mouth canning jar (#42 on the bottom) or evenly divide between two smaller jars. Once the brine is at room temperature, cover the vegetables completely and ensure they are submerged (see top section). Set aside, out of direct sunlight, and test daily until the desired flavor has been reached.
• Secure with an air-tight lid and transfer to the refrigerator. The ferment should keep for at least a month.