fermented beets

I've made fermented beets before, and last time I made them I used shredded beets; the catch being that they felt like a condiment when shredded and fermented. Wanting more of a pickle, this time I peeled and then chopped the beets in chunks (two-and-a-half pounds) and mixed then with 2½ tbsp salt, 1 tbsp caraway seeds and a dozen or so lightly crushed (maybe more bruised?) juniper berries.

I packed these into a crock (above, in green), added just enough water to cover and weighed them down so that the beets were submerged in brine.

Fourteen days later they were tender yet crisp and had a nice zing to them. They are delicious, and have turned a deep purple color (the jar behind is clear but packed with beets and brine after fermentation).

kimchi

This crock of kimchi had been fermenting for a good month (autumn is perfect for kimchi as it can ferment slowly without the risk of mold). There were two napa cabbages — outer leaves chopped, cores preserved — as well as shredded burdock, carrots and daikon, some wakame, the usual garlic-ginger-chili paste, some whole habaneros and a schot bonnet, and a whole daikon, cut in half to fit.

Here's what was left of a pepper: nothing but skin. The daikon was quite possibly one of the best pickles I've had. I'm very glad to have done this.

Here's a well-preserved half of a napa cabbage.

And the feat of getting it all in one (3 liter) jar.

shokutaku tsukemono ki

I finally buckled down and bought myself a shokutaku tsukemono ki, a tabletop pickle press (I had been waiting to come across one that wasn't plastic, but that doesn't seem likely to happen).

It's quiet small, with a "capacity" of 2.2L, but I'm guessing that in reality it'll be about half that size. I have Ikuko Hisamatsu's Quick and Easy Tsukemono which covers eveything from lightly marinated cooked vegatables to rice bran — or nuka — pickles. (Nukamiso-zuke should probably be made in a non-plastic container; I've made them in a Burley crock, traditionally they're made in wooden barrels that breathe more). The size will be perfect for small batches of things; the screw helps pull more moisture out of the vegetables to speed fermentation.

I also think that the rectangular will be great for whole carrots, burdock strips, daikon, asparagus and other long vegetables (and I have multiple round crocks anyway). Here's to a spring of new and exciting pickles!

Lastly, anyone know if this warning is something to be heeded? (Click to enlarge).