Key elements needed for fermentation are salt, brine and time. Any vegetable and fruit can be fermented, transforming it in probiotics to enhance our gut health, immune system and digestive system. They make wonderful sauces or add-ons to meals !

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So fermentation starts with salt. You always have to add 2% of the overall weight of what you are fermenting for it to work.

So let say I want to ferment white onions, I would chop as many as are necessary to fill a wide mouth jar (I would recommend using a glass sure seal storage jar), add some water to make sure they are completely covered and weigh your ingredients (taking away the weight of the jar). So let say I chopped 200g of white onions, to what I'm gonna add 50g of water, this gives me 250g total. I would then add 2% of that total in salt, in this case, 5g of salt. Then I would let the salt dissolve completely in water before packing it all in the jar.

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This is the absolute base. Use any fruit or veg, weigh it and add 2% of salt to it. The salt will help release the juices in the vegetables in many cases, but some veggies are less concentrated in water and will need some extra brine (brine is the mix of water and salt used for fermentation). This is the case for chillies for example. The amount of water you put is not important, as long as your vegetables are completely covered, and you add the weight of the water to your salt measurements.

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Once you have your chopped vegetable of choice and it is packed tight in your jar, you can add the salt and let the veggies release their juice by pressing them. You should always have a nice layer of juice over the vegetables to preserve them from rotting. If your vegetables don't give enough juice, add some water (not forgetting the salt - 2% of whatever you are putting in that jar). 

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#2 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT 

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Once your veggies are nicely packed and covered in juice or brine, you can close the jar and leave it in a cool and dark place. The ideal fermentation temperature is between 16-24°c. If it is hotter, the fermentation process will go faster, but you also run a higher risk of your vegetables rotting before the fermentation started. If it is colder, it will take longer to ferment.

How long you leave them to ferment is up to you, depending on how strong of a taste you like. As a rule of thumb, fermentation usually takes 5 days to a week. ​For cabbage it is usually five days, for fermented blueberries, it takes closer to a week. 

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During the fermentation process, your veggies will create gaz. You need to keep an eye on them, to help release some of that gaz (the proper term is to "burp" them). Some need it everyday, others once every few days. It's always a good idea to check everyday, to keep track of the process. Stay tune for bubbles that might appear or the sound of fleeting air getting out of the jar, both signs that you have to open the container to let some excess gaz out.

Once you are happy with the taste of your ferments, keep them in the fridge to avoid them continuing the fermentation process. They keep perfectly for up to a month in the fridge.

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With these guidelines, you know that you can ferment absolutely anything you'd like. Some veggies that we have tried and are delicious : purple cabbage, tomatoes, chilis red and greens, blueberries, pineapple, beetroots, white onions, red bell peppers. 

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From that you can either eat it as is, in salads, sandwiches or on top of stews and soups or blend it with other ingredients to makes sauces. For exemple, blending fermented chilis with garlic, sugar and apple cider vinegar makes a delicious homemade spicy sauce, that is full of nutrients !