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in the process of trying to explain balkans vegetable preserve technique i finally learned exactly how it works, as i had never tried to do it i never bothered to learn the details.

it's pretty simple, mostly you just have to make sure the veg is clean and not already rotting, and anything with air gaps inside it, are opened up so the water will go into them.

the solution is basically salt and water, but you can add some spices and vinegar and sugar, the sugar will make the final result more sour but this isn't the critical thing.

the two critical things apart from the veg being clean and healthy, and not having air gaps inside them, is that you

1. boil the water you use first, this drives out the oxygen dissolved in the water

2. allow the vegetables to stay fully submerged and not in contact with air for 3 weeks, after which you should then fully seal the container.

this process allows the vegetables to last at room temperature and low light, sealed, for 6-12 months, with a level of retained nutrients in it similar to how yoghurt allows milk to be stored for 1-2 weeks without refrigeration before it spoils - but yoghurt is more unstable than vegetables in oxygen-free salty water inside a sealed jar.

#foodstr #balkans #sauerkraut #diy

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Discussion

Jac 2y ago

So this is interesting. The salt throws preference to lactobacillus an anaerobic beneficial bacteria, the sugar throws preference to yeast, a dual anaerobic or aerobic fungus, and the vinegar throws preference to acetobacter, an aerobic bacteria. Washing the vegetables and boiling the water effectively sterilizes the environment making it a roll of the dice about what organisms capitalize on the carbohydrate energy in the veggies. I suppose bases are covered, but why not be intentional about the type of fermentation you want to do? Acetobacter metabolizes alcohol to vinegar, and will only thrive with oxygen after yeast has converted sugars to alcohol. Oxygen kills lactobacillus which is arguably the best of the three unless you are producing ethyl alcohol for consumption, in which case you don’t want acetobacter there. Salt also inhibits both yeast and acetobacter. This seems like the worst way to preserve anything. Just salt to 2.5 percent by weight, rinse your vegetables, and use an airlock to prevent oxygen spoilage.