Fermented foods

Here at Pickle Patch Gardens we offer a selection of Laco fermented foods. All items are made in our home kitchen. We have a good supply of most items on hand. The quicker fermented items like Salsa and Kefir water are made on order and take between 3 and 5 days to ferment. Our sauerkrauts can be custom ordered as well. They are fermented a minimum of 4 weeks to achieve their sour taste.(to our liking) However, they can be ready to go with in a week.

A few FAQ

1. What is Lacto Fermentation?
The good people over at www.thespruceeats.com have a great explanation

""Traditional lacto-fermentation involves submerging vegetables in a brine solution— salt and water. The salt-brine method involves two stages: 

In stage one of lacto-fermentation, vegetables are submerged in a brine that is salty enough to kill off harmful bacteria. The Lactobacillus good guys survive this stage and begin stage two.In stage two of lacto-fermentation, the Lactobacillus organisms begin converting lactose and other sugars present in the food into lactic acid. This creates an acidic environment that safely preserves the vegetables - and gives lacto-fermented foods their distinctive tangy flavor."

2. Are your ferments dairy free
The "lacto" in lacto fermented foods is from the Lactobacillus organisms and lactic acid not lactose in dairy. There is no lactose in our ferments.

3. Why eat fermented foods?
We could write a few posts on that, but to sum it up. The good bacteria created in fermented foods are probiotics. Probiotics are great for gut health.

4. I bought a fermented product, now what?

Ferments that we currently offer, how to store them and how to enjoy


Sauerkraut

We currently offer 500ml or 1L size jars in the following flavours. 

Plain-  just cabbage and sea salt

Garlic - cabbage, sea salt, garlic 

Garlic/Dill- cabbage, sea salt, garlic, dill

Carrot and caraway seed- cabbage, sea salt, carrots, caraway seed

Red cabbage- red cabbage, sea salt 

Red cabbage and beet- red cabbage, sea salt and beet 

Our sauerkraut is fermented for a minimum of 4 weeks before we move them to the fridge to complete their fermenting process. It must be kept in the refrigerator.

The whole cabbage leaf on top of the kraut helps to keep everything down and oxygen out. You can replace it with a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap if you wish.

If your kraut begins to brown it means it is oxidizing. It is still good, but may become mushy and reduce its shelf life.

If your kraut becomes slimy. This is Kham yeast. It can be washed and eaten.

How to enjoy 

Eat 1 to 2 tbsp raw daily to enjoy the probiotic benefits. Never put a dirty utensil into the jar as it can upset the bacteria 

It can be heated up if you prefer warm but you will kill the probiotics.  Heat until tender and warmed through out.

Salsa

We currently  offer with or with out cilantro. Heat levels can be adjusted upon request.

Must be refrigerated.
Since salsa is a quick ferment it is quite lively and will create pressure. If the top lid is stiff or bulging open to release pressure.
****open slowly in a clean bowl in the sink if showing signs of pressure. Once opened push contents back with a non metal utensil. Any contents that spilled over can be eaten or poured back into the jar**** 

Will last 4 to 6 weeks in the fridge. If it becomes too bitter or boozy toss.

How to enjoy

Pour into a bowl and enjoy as you would any store bought salsa 

* you can extra seasonings to the salsa once out of the jar. We recommend cilantro, jalapenos or cumin 

* salsa can be pureed in a blender before serving. Pureed leftovers can not be added back to the jar.

Water Kefir
The sky is the limit when flavouring water kefir. Our flavours change every month so just ask what we have or request a flavour and we will custom make a batch for you.

How to enjoy
It is recommended to start with only a 1oz shot or two daily as you introduce the probiotics into your system. After a week if your body is taking to the kefir water then 8oz a day is good enough. anything after that and you can find tings will start to get a little loose

How to Make your own water Kefir with our grains

What you need

1Tbsp water kefir grains

1/4C sugar

1L of water (dechlorinated, not distilled or Reverse Osmosis)

1L Mason jar

Stainless steel strainer

First Fermentation (F1)

Fill mason jar to neck with water. Add sugar and dissolve in water. Add grains. Put lid on and loosely screw on band. Leave on counter out of direct sunlight for 48hours.

Second Fermentation (F2)

Put strainer on top of clean mason jar and strain out grains to start a new batch or store. Let sit at room temperature for another 48hours or until it has reached your desired fizziness. Burp the jar, retighten and store in the fridge.

Flavouring options

After straining grains in F2 you can add fruit or fruit juice. Adding fruit juice can make it get fizzy quickly. Keep an eye on bubbles and pressure build up by pressing the lid. If the lid is hard then burp and put in the fridge. Another option is to only add fruit/fruit juice just before drinking to avoid exploding jars.

How to Store

You can make a new batch of water kefir every 2 days. However, if you find your grains are multiplying too fast or you need a break you can store your grains in the fridge.

1Tbsp sugar and 1cup of water add grains. Strain and change out the sugar water every 3 weeks.