The Guide to Lacto-Fermentation: How To Ferment Nearly Anything

I get that this sounds weird, but this is a super easy way to ferment nearly any vegetable in your kitchen. All you need is a vegetable, salt, and some water, and you are good to go. It's that easy. Also, this is not the most perfect day to upload my new series "fermentation Friday" because well...It's not Friday! Hope you guys can forgive me on that start off. These are supposed to be (and will be from now on) on Friday. With that said, welcome to Fermentation Friday Episode 1!

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Ingredients you'll need:
Salt
Water
Vegetables

[JoshuaWeissman]

Hey I know it’s saturday guys, just gonna have to pretend it’s Friday. There was an rendering error on my premiere pro so I had to just make do with what I had and upload the following day 😭. Hope you still love the video! <3

[julienranke]

If you use a zip-lock bag with water to weight down your veggie's, don't forget to add salt to that water as well! If it breaks, it won't affect your weight-salt ratio :B

[Wosiewose]

Just a little tip (pun intended): I read that when fermenting asparagus, it helps to put it in the jar with the tips down, so you don't destroy them when you're fishing them out to eat them. :)

[Curiousaubergine]

I sincerely hate commenting on videos despite how much I enjoy the comment section; however, I felt the need to say that this series is intensely exciting and I hope you continue for a few months at least. I've been fermenting things for awhile with a moderate amount of caution and have been wanting to learn more about it before I try anything particularly difficult and end up poisoning myself

[allisonp]

I do three things different...
1) 1 little spoonful of yogurt liquid. Make sure it has live cultures. Just helps guarantee the reaction.
2) I use an airlock. Get it at brewing store (less than a buck). Put a hole in the top. It helps prevent mold and locks in the smell (nice when you ferment sauerkraut)
3) For cucumber pickles, I add a fresh grape leave to hold them under the brine. It helps keep them crisp.

Have fun!

[susanmcmasterson]

Thank you, Josh. This is the video I keep returning to every time I make my pickles. For me, 2.5% is the magic number for perfect garlic dill pickles.

[maysmelo]

Would be great to also see recipes where you use these fermented vegetables (:

[CorrosionX]

I've had great success with 1 tbsp salt per cup of water, plus pickling spices (coriander seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves). Kirby cucumbers with dill, garlic and hot peppers are the best (the juice is a hangover cure), I've done all kinds of garden grown peppers, cauliflower & cherry tomatoes is awesome too.

[skeriner]

“It’s fermentation Friday”
*uploads on a saturday*

[ryanevius]

An important distinction (which Noma makes) is that using this method for creating a brine solution means you don't actually have a 2% solution. The percentage is only calculated using the water weight. The benefit of weighing both the subject of the fermentation and the water for the calculation is that you can then use the brine to salt/season the subject, while ending up at a ~2% brine solution once salt is absorbed into the subject and water is drawn out (which dilutes the brine). This may be getting too technical, but it means you'll have a saltier end product (which may be desired).

[fortheloveofnoise]

I liked that subtle american cheese call out.

[mark]

I did carrots for this... for 8 months... tasted a little wonky but I'm alive

[phungphan]

I find adding balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or regular vinegar and sugar along with salt makes great deep flavors for fermenting. I also use fermented shrimp paste too sometimes into the mix which makes crazy good fermented condiment especially with chili peppers.

[chipcook]

The B-roll! Joshua, you balance time and essential information perfectly. A-roll = crisp and solid. Thanks, man.

[MercyReigns]

Crazy that this is only 2 months old and you’ve done so much already. Loving your videos on this series especially

[fp]

Great video!!! I have a low level of experience with fermenting foods so I am still searching for some good tutorials. I can't thank you enough for showing pictures of what mold and yeast look like. Everyone mentions them, but nobody else actually shows them as examples. This has relieved a ton of anxiety from me.

[ChristiDea]

"unless you are eating American 'cheese' in which case you are just eating plastic" - love it

[carlossantana]

Props for being the first youtube chef that actually understands anaerobic respiration.

[brndnwlf]

So excited for this! You can also take shots of the brines too! They have all the probiotics from the ferments, they taste amazing, and they're full of electrolytes, like a super-gatorade thats actually good for you.

[wscamel]

lacto fermentation is such a beautiful process