Fermented Vegetables & Fruit

Lacto-Fermented Apples: Probiotic Apple Pie Filling (No Cooking!)

Fermented Salsa Recipe: Probiotic Fire-Roasted Mexican Salsa

Learn how to make fermented salsa with this easy probiotic recipe. Complex tangy flavor, fire-roasted option, lasts 6 months. Better than store-bought!

Do You Need a Starter Culture or Whey to Ferment Vegetables?

You don't need a starter culture, whey or old brine to ferment sauerkraut, pickles or other salted vegetables: the lactic acid bacteria are already on them, and the right amount…

Fermented Zucchini: Crisp Summer Squash Pickles in a 3% Brine

To ferment zucchini, cut medium, very fresh squash into thick spears, pack them with garlic and dill, and cover with a weighed 3% brine (30 g salt per litre of…

Fermented Radishes: Pink Radish Pickles in a 3% Brine (Ready in About a Week)

To ferment radishes, slice or halve them, pack them with garlic and spices, and cover with a weighed 3% brine (30 g salt per litre of water). Keep them submerged…

Fermented Green Beans (Dilly Beans): Crunchy Brine-Fermented Beans in About a Week

To ferment green beans (dilly beans), trim fresh beans, stand them upright in a jar with garlic and dill, and cover with a weighed 3% brine (30 g salt per…

Fermented Swiss Chard: Stems and Leaves in a 3% Brine, and When It’s Safe to Eat

Swiss chard stems and leaves ferment well in a weighed 3% salt brine, kept submerged at room temperature for about 5–10 days. Chard is high in nitrate, which turns partly…

How to Ferment Peppers: One Brine Method for Hot, Mild and Sweet Peppers

To ferment peppers, slice or prick them, pack them into a jar with garlic and spices, cover with a 2–3% brine (20–30 g non-iodized salt per litre of water), keep…

Fermented Corn Relish: Sweet Corn Lacto-Fermented With 2% Salt

To make fermented corn relish, mix fresh sweet corn kernels with diced peppers, onion and garlic, add 2% of the total weight in salt, pack it under its own brine…

Fermented Green Tomatoes: Brined With Dill and Garlic, and Which Green Tomatoes to Use

To ferment green tomatoes, use firm, full-size mature-green tomatoes, cut a cross in the blossom end or halve them, and pack them with dill, garlic and spices under a 3%…

Fermented Jalapeños: Lacto-Fermented Pepper Rings in a 3% Brine

To ferment jalapeños, slice about 450 g of peppers into rings, pack them in a jar with garlic and spices, cover them with a 3% brine (30 g salt per…

Preserved Lemons: The Salt-Cured Lemon Method, Timing and Safe Storage

To make preserved lemons, quarter five scrubbed lemons without cutting through the base, pack them with about ½ cup of pickling salt in a 1-quart jar, and cover them with…

Fermented Ginger Carrots: Carrot Sticks in a Weighed Brine With Fresh Ginger

To make fermented ginger carrots, pack carrot sticks and thin slices of fresh ginger into a jar, cover them with a 2.5% brine (25 g non-iodized salt per litre of…

Fermented Leeks: An Easy Brine Ferment With Thyme and Garlic (3 Variations)

To ferment leeks, clean and slice 500 g of the white and pale green parts, pack them into a jar with thyme, garlic, peppercorns and a bay leaf, and cover…

Fermented Sweet Potato: How to Lacto-Ferment Sweet Potatoes (3 Ways)

To ferment sweet potatoes, peel and slice raw sweet potatoes into 5–10 mm coins, pack them in a jar with garlic and spices, and cover with a 2.5% brine –…

Fermented Asparagus: Tangy Brine-Fermented Spears in About 5 Days

To ferment asparagus, trim 450 g of medium spears to fit a 1-litre jar, pack them upright with garlic and spices, and cover with a 3% brine – 15 g…

Fermented Applesauce: How to Make a Tangy, Live-Culture Applesauce

To make fermented applesauce, cook 1.4 kg (3 lb) chopped apples with 120 ml water until soft, mash, cool to room temperature, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of whey strained from…

Fermented Turnips: Pink Lacto-Fermented Turnip Pickles in a 3% Brine

To ferment turnips, cut them into sticks, pack them in a jar with a slice of beet (for pink) and garlic, and cover with a 3% brine by weight –…

Fermented Cauliflower: Crunchy Brine Pickles in About a Week (3 Flavors)

To ferment cauliflower, cut it into 2.5–4 cm florets, pack them into a jar with garlic, peppercorns and a bay leaf, and cover with a 2.5% brine by weight –…

How to Ferment Onions: Sliced and Pearl Onions in Salt Brine

To ferment onions, slice them, weigh them and massage in 2% of their weight in salt (9 g per 450 g), then pack them into a jar under their own…

10 Kimchi Variations: Radish, Cucumber, White, Water Kimchi and More

Beyond napa cabbage baechu kimchi, popular variations include kkakdugi (cubed radish), oi sobagi (stuffed cucumber), baek kimchi (white, no chili), pa kimchi (green onion) and dongchimi (radish water kimchi). All…

Fermented Strawberry Compote: A No-Cook, Lightly Fermented Fruit Spread

To make fermented strawberry compote, toss 450 g chopped strawberries with 2–3 tablespoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, stir in 2 tablespoons of whey from live…

Fermented Mixed Berries: A Short, Tangy Berry Ferment (and How to Keep It Safe)

To ferment mixed berries, lightly crush 500 g blueberries, raspberries and blackberries with 5 g salt (1%), optionally add 2 tablespoons whey from live yogurt, press them under their juice…

How to Ferment Collard Greens: A Simple 2% Salt Method

To ferment collard greens, remove the ribs, shred the leaves into 5 mm ribbons, weigh them and massage in 2% of their weight in salt (20 g per kg). Pack…

Fermented Spinach Recipe: How to Ferment Spinach and What It Changes

You can ferment spinach like sauerkraut: massage it with 2% salt by weight, pack it under its own juice (top up with 2% brine) and leave it at 18–22°C for…

Fermented Garlic: Why It’s Slow, the Botulism Question, and Safer Pickled Garlic

Fermented garlic is peeled cloves soured in a salt brine by lactic acid bacteria. Raw garlic inhibits those bacteria, so it can take days to weeks to become acidic, and…

Can You Ferment Broccoli? Yes – Here’s How (2% Brine, Step by Step)

Yes, broccoli ferments well. Pack florets and peeled stems into a jar, cover with a 2% brine (20 g non-iodized salt per litre of water), keep them submerged and ferment…

How Long Does Kimchi Last? Fridge, Freezer and Signs It’s Gone Bad

Refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below and kept under its liquid, kimchi stays edible for months, getting steadily more sour; it's best as a side dish in the first few…

Best Sauerkraut Brands 2026: 7 Refrigerated Krauts Ranked (Buyer’s Guide)

For live cultures, buy sauerkraut from the refrigerated section that is labeled raw or unpasteurized and made from cabbage and salt. Cleveland Kitchen Classic is the easiest raw kraut to…

Sauerkraut vs Kimchi: Which Fermented Vegetable Is Better for You?

Sauerkraut and kimchi are both lacto-fermented cabbage, but sauerkraut is just cabbage and salt while kimchi adds napa cabbage, chili, garlic, ginger and often fish sauce. Per 100 g, sauerkraut…

How to Ferment Brussels Sprouts: Crunchy Lacto-Fermented Recipe (+5 Variations)

To ferment Brussels sprouts, halve them, cover them with a 2–3% salt brine (10–14 g of non-iodized salt per 2 cups of water), keep them submerged under a weight and…

Fermented Dill Pickles: How to Ferment Cucumbers in Brine

To make fermented dill pickles, trim the blossom ends of fresh pickling cucumbers, pack them in a jar with dill, garlic and spices, and cover with salt brine (NCHFP: ½…

How to Ferment Tomatoes: Fermented Salsa Base and Whole Cherry Tomatoes

To ferment tomatoes, chop ripe tomatoes, toss them with 2% of their weight in salt (18 g per 900 g), pack them into a jar so they're under their own…

How to Ferment Carrots: Easy Probiotic Carrot Pickles in Brine

To ferment carrots, cover sliced or shredded carrots with a 2–3% salt brine – 10–15 g of non-iodized salt per 500 ml of water – keep them submerged under a…

How to Ferment Beets: Easy Fermented Beetroot in Brine

To ferment beets, slice raw beets about ¼ inch thick, pack them into a jar with garlic and spices, cover with a 2–3% salt brine (10–15 g of non-iodized salt…

Fermented Banana Peppers: Easy Recipe in Salt Brine

To ferment banana peppers, slice them into rings (or pierce them whole), pack them into a jar with garlic, and cover with a 3–5% salt brine – about 17–18 g…

Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe: How to Ferment Peppers in Brine or as a Mash

To make fermented hot sauce, cover chopped chili peppers (with garlic, onion or carrot if you like) with a 3–5% salt brine, keep them submerged at 65–75°F (18–24°C) for 1–2…

Kimchi: Health Benefits, Nutrition and a Traditional Recipe

Kimchi is Korean fermented cabbage or radish seasoned with chili, garlic, ginger and usually fish sauce. It's low in calories and a source of vitamin K, folate, iron and live…

Fermented Vegetables Beyond Sauerkraut: Creative Recipes

Expand your fermentation repertoire with creative vegetable combinations that transform ordinary produce into probiotic powerhouses.