A week ago, I posted about my latest foray into lactofermentation. I abandoned the veggies in my guest bathroom tub for eight days before I transferred them to the refrigerator yesterday. Then, this afternoon, I opened them up for a taste test. Here are the results, from left to right:
Liver Lovin’ Veggies
My own creation, this blend turned out very well. I used an imprecise mix of shredded green cabbage, grated daikon radish, thinly sliced celery, grated carrots, and minced fresh ginger. These veggies have a distinct, though very pleasant, bite from the ginger. Grade: B+
Ginger Carrots
I adapted a Nourishing Traditions recipe, combing shredded carrots and minced ginger. I thought I would love these veggies, but they’re only so-so. I’ll eat them for their health benefits, of course, but I won’t make them again. I’m surprised, as I love both carrots and ginger. Grade: C
Bioflavanoid Blend
Yum! These are definitely my favorite veggies in the bunch. I used GoHealthGirl’s marinara-style cultured vegetable recipe as a starting point for a blend of shredded red cabbage, grated beets, grated carrots, and minced onion, garlic, and fresh basil and oregano. As much as I love the original marinara-style veggies, I think I like these even better. The addition of cabbage lends a more pleasant texture, in my opinion. Grade: A
Basil Carrots
Oh, the disappointment!! Of all the flavors, I most looked forward to trying this one. I based it on one of my favorite recipes, a savory carrot salad by Kimi, The Nourishing Gourmet. Grated carrots, slivered basil, garlic, and mustard seeds–what’s not to like? I don’t know what transpired in that bathtub over those eight days, but whatever happened, it ruined these ingredients. They do not seem to be truly spoiled, as the colors are still vibrant and they don’t smell funky. Nevertheless, I can’t bear to eat these veggies. My dogs will find them mixed into their food for a week. They need probiotics too, and they aren’t nearly as picky! Grade: F
Final Verdict
My very favorite recipe remains the Garden-Style Veggies with Dill I created last time around, though the new Bioflavanoid Blend comes in a close second.
With each of the above flavors, Susan and I followed the protocol outlined in my step-by-step photo tutorial on making cultured vegetables, except that we did not sterilize the equipment. We used Body Ecology culture starters to ensure that the strains of bacteria in the vegetables would be both native to the human digestive tract and able to colonize in the gut.
Wondering why anyone would want to leave vegetables in the bathtub for a week before eating them? In short, people around the world have prepared and eaten cultured vegetables (also called fermented vegetables) for thousands of years as a superior source of probiotics, enzymes, and vitamins. Examples include traditionally-prepared sauerkraut and kim chi. These superfoods boost your immunity, improve your digestion and absorption of food, and help create and maintain a healthy inner ecosystem to keep candida and other pathogenic yeasts and bacteria in check. I highly recommend them!
Related Posts
Garden-Style Cultured Vegetables with Dill
Cultured Vegetables Tutorial, Part 1
Cultured Vegetables Tutorial, Part 2
Marinara-Style Cultured Vegetables
Look How Pretty!
Al, I’m eating the Basil Carrots now and like them alot! Of course, I’m eating them with crackers so that may have something to do with it.
Thanks for sharing the wealth!
Susan,
Well, I guess it’s just me then! I’ll let Justice try the Basil Carrots and see what he thinks. Maybe my taster’s off…
Alison,
I was wondering how you would like your carrot versions. I have NEVER gotten mine to turn out right. I don’t know what the deal is. I have done the same as you, tried the ginger one (I like ginger and carrots) and the tried to do something like my carrot salad lacto-fermented, and neither have been successes. I don’t know what it is, but the texture is always weird and it even tastes a little off. I was hoping that yours would turn out, and that it was just me, but maybe not!
Kimi,
Interesting! Yes, the texture is weird and the taste is off, just as you say. I agree wholeheartedly. Hmmmm. I think I won’t be making any more 100% carrot cultured veggies. I’ll stick to cabbage-based blends in the future. Thank you so much for letting me know your results. That makes me feel a LOT better. It sounds like it is not just me and my wacky palate.