Fermented Cauliflower, Carrots, and Red Onions with Habanero
Description
I was surprised by how well cauliflower ferments with other vegetables. It does smell a little bit different while it ferments, but the taste of the finished product is really amazing. Since I normally cook at home for two people, I find an entire head of raw cauliflower is often too much for a fermentation project. If I have some extra cauliflower and vegetables lying around, I’ll often lacto-ferment them for a few days before storing them in their brine in the fridge.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Fermentation duration: Approximately 5 days.
Serves: 20
Note: In the version of the recipe below, I added one habanero, which can be omitted if you prefer to create a version without heat. You can mince the habanero in this recipe, if you want your final product to have small bits of habanero in every bite. I prefer to cut the pepper in half and let the heat from the halved habanero gently infuse into the other vegetables.
Try chopping the fermented vegetables in this recipe for use as a component in a hot or cold sandwich.
Ingredients
Instructions
When you are ready to begin your fermentation, clean a 2-quart mason jar or fermentation vessel.
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Break the cauliflower into small florets, discarding the stalk.
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Cut the red onion, tomatoes, and carrots.
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Toss the vegetables together in a large mixing bowl.
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Transfer the contents to the clean 2-quart mason jar.
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Add the halved habanero pepper on top of the vegetables.
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Press the vegetables down as best you can.
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Whisk together the water and Kosher salt until the salt is completely dissolved.
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Pour the liquid brine over the vegetables, and press down until the vegetables are completely covered by the liquid.
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Add a glass or ceramic fermentation weight to keep the contents submerged below the surface of the liquid as best you can.
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Cover the jar with a lid, and check on the ingredients every day to release the gas that has built up inside the jar. You can open the jar a few times on the first day that the product is fermenting, as it is very active early on.
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After roughly five days, transfer the contents to the fridge.
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Enjoy over the next week or two.
User Reviews
This is a really fun recipe idea, and great way to use extra cauliflower!