Sue's Mexican Cucumber Salsa

I created this recipe last year when I had just a handful of cucumbers and tomatoes to use. My sweetie loved it so much we made it all summer! It's a delicious salsa with chips but doubles as a great salad if you toss in a few croutons right before serving. We prepare this recipe with a variety of heirloom tomatoes and use a mild jalapeño-type pepper called 'Fooled You' for just the right amount of heat. Feel free to substitute a different variety of pepper but you may have to adjust the amount of diced peppers called for in the recipe.

Sue's Mexican Cucumber Salsa

4 cups diced cucumbers, seeded and unpeeled

2 cups diced peppers

2 cups diced red onion

4 cups diced tomatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried cilantro

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

3/4 cup whey

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to stand for 30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Place salsa in jars leaving room for expansion. With a fork, push diced vegetables under brine. More brine will be created during ferment time. Open jars daily, gently stir salsa and push diced vegetables under the brine. Allow to ferment for 2 to 3 days. Place in refrigerator where it can be stored for 1 to 2 months.

Happy Fermenting!

Sue's Fermented Cucumber Relish

A fermented version of a traditional favorite!

Sue's Fermented Cucumber Relish

2 cups grated cucumber

2 cups finely diced onion

1/2 cup finely diced red and green peppers

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon Chia seeds

1/3 cup raw honey

1/4 cup whey

Place all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Gently stir until well combined. Place relish into jar leaving room for expansion. Place lid on jar. Stir relish once or twice daily. Allow to ferment for 2 to 3 days. Place jar in refrigerator where it can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks. Note: A food processor on the pulse setting works well to chop the cucumber, onion, peppers and celery into relish consistency.

Happy Fermenting!

Sue's Fermented Sweet Corn Relish

It's sweet corn season and I love creating fermented versions of traditional recipes! Chia seeds have a gelatin-like quality and give this recipe it's traditional consistency. See our previous post for making whey.

Sue's Fermented Sweet Corn Relish

3 cups fresh (raw) corn kernels

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced green pepper

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1 tablespoon Chia seed

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 cup whey

1/3 cup raw honey

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Divide mixture into two quart-sized jars allowing room for expansion during fermentation. Place lid on jars. Stir relish twice daily. Ferment time: 2 to 3 days. Place in refrigerator where relish can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks.

Happy Fermenting!

Beet Kraut

A favorite and colorful version of kraut!

Beet Kraut

4 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups grated beets (raw and peeled)

2 cups thinly sliced onions

Place in a large mixing bowl and add:

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon caraway seed

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Stir to mix all ingredients. Allow to macerate in bowl for an hour or two stirring occasionally. Sauerkraut is self-brining. The salt will draw liquid from the cabbage, beets and onions to form it's own brine. If necessary massage with hands or use a kraut pounder to draw out more liquids. Pack in jars using proper weighting method. Ferment time: 2-6 weeks.

Happy Fermenting!

Gardening Season!

It's gardening season in Nebraska! These Hakurei turnips are delicious when eaten fresh or fermented! We love combining them with garlic and onions. The colorful addition of carrots and red peppers create a beautiful jar of fermented food! When fermenting radishes...the brine turns a beautiful shade of pink. Another beautiful and delicious ferment! Happy fermenting!

Hakurei Turnips

Gardening In Nebraska!

Just harvested this beautiful 'Vivian' and 'Coastal Star' romaine lettuce from the garden. We will work around the hail damage...gardening in Nebraska! 

Sue's Sauerkraut

When you think of fermented foods Sauerkraut is certainly at the top of the list. Traditional kraut is simply cabbage fermented with sea salt. Why not add some color and extra flavor? This is our favorite recipe for Sauerkraut!

Sue's Sauerkraut

4 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups grated carrots

2 cups thinly sliced onions

Place in a large mixing bowl and add:

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon caraway seed

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Stir to mix all ingredients. Allow to macerate in bowl for an hour or two stirring occasionally. Sauerkraut is self-brining. The salt will draw liquid from the cabbage, carrots and onions to form it's own brine. If necessary massage with hands or use a kraut pounder to draw out more liquids. Pack in jars using proper weighting method. Ferment time: 2-6 weeks.

Happy Fermenting!

Sue's Kimchi

A fermented food called Kimchi is a staple in the Korean diet. There are thousands of recipes for Kimchi and just as many methods for preparing it. This is my version. It is slightly spicy and is a favorite among those who have attended our fermenting classes.

Sue's Kimchi 

4 cups Napa Cabbage cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup grated carrots (or cut into sticks)

1 cup grated Daikon radish (or cut into sticks)

2 cups thinly sliced onions

Place in a large mixing bowl and add:

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 ounce Fish sauce

1 ounce Tamari or Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Stir to mix all ingredients. Allow to macerate in bowl for an hour or two stirring occasionally. Kimchi is self-brining. The salt and sauces will draw liquid from the cabbage, carrots and onions to form it's own brine. If necessary massage with gloved hands or use a kraut pounder to draw out more liquids. Pack in jars using proper weighting method. Ferment time: 2-4 weeks.

Korean chili flakes or paste is available at many grocers and can be substituted for the ground red pepper. Add your choice of chili pepper in very small increments as it is extremely spicy. Red Boat Fish Sauce is our choice for Kimchi. It is available in many grocery stores including Hy-Vee in Fremont, NE. Fresh ginger can be stored in the freezer and grated while still frozen.

Happy Fermenting!

Spring Open House!

For our veggie garden and kitchen-loving friends! We have lots of hard to find vegetable plants! Heirloom tomatoes, a great variety of peppers, Napa cabbage (did I hear you say Kimchi?), celery, PAC Choi and many other things. All grown pesticide free! Hope you can join us!

Saturday's Class

Saturday's 'Lacto Fermenting 101' class was wonderful! Thanks to all who attended! Our new fermented food recipes received rave reviews! Will be sharing them with you soon! Our next classes are scheduled for June 11 and July 16. We would love to save a seat for you! 

Fermented-Brine Pickled Eggs

Happy Easter! Here is a timely recipe that combines those hard-boiled Easter eggs with the brine of a previous ferment. Personally, my favorite brine for this recipe is from fermented beets (called Kvass). The eggs absorb the deep red brine and become a beautiful maroon color. Unfortunately no one else in our house will go near a beet, so I compromise and add a tablespoon of ground turmeric to each jar. Everyone is pleased with the flavor and golden yellow color. The bonus is that turmeric is widely recognized for it's anti-inflammatory properties! Add a few onion slices for extra flavor and prebiotics.

Fermented-Brine Pickled Eggs

For each wide mouth quart jar place 6 to 10 peeled and cooled hard boiled eggs and layer with onion slices. Insure the eggs are whole and have no cracks to the whites. Cracks will allow the brine to seep into the yolk of the egg and ruin it's texture. Add your choice of brine to the jar and use a proper weighting method to keep everything submerged. Eggs do not ferment but will absorb the colors and properties of the brine. Eggs should be immediately placed into refrigeration and never left at room temperature. After 48 hours they will be ready to enjoy and should be consumed within a week.

Happy Fermenting!

Honey Fermented Garlic

Honey ferments are a subject we will be discussing at our upcoming 'Lacto Fermenting 101' classes! We ferment lots of things in honey and this is a favorite! The jar to the right in our photo is a freshly completed honey ferment. The jar on the left is (what's left of) a ferment made on December 23. This ferment helps to lessen the effect of colds and viruses...even keeping them at bay!

Honey Fermented Garlic

Peel the skins and trim the ends of individual cloves of garlic. Place cloves in a jar leaving plenty of headspace. This ferment can get quite bubbly! Slowly pour honey over garlic cloves. We prefer locally sourced raw honey which is readily available at our local farmer's market. Raw honey is also available in the health market of many grocery stores. The garlic will float. Unlike other ferments no weights are necessary to submerge the garlic cloves. Swirl the cloves in honey on a daily basis to insure all cloves are coated. After a period of time the cloves will begin to darken and sink. Some cloves may turn a green or blue color which is a normal chemical reaction. Garlic will be fully fermented in about a month.

Take a spoonful of garlic honey at the first sign of illness to relieve the symptoms. Cloves can be consumed whole or minced and added to salads. They make a delicious topping for baked potatoes or scrambled eggs.

Learn more about honey ferments at our next 'Lacto Fermenting 101' class! April 2 from 1:00 to 3:00 at TLC Country Floral, 1442 County Road 18, Hooper, NE. Fee for class is $10.00 and advance registration is required. Many samples of fermented foods and beverages will be available for tasting. Guest speaker will be a registered dietician who will discuss the health benefits of fermented foods. Please contact Sue Fase at (402) 654-2058 or email at tlccountryfloral@yahoo.com to get registered for this fun and informative class!