Fermented Giardiniera

Giardiniera an Italian mix of veggies that you can find processed in your grocery store loaded with sodium and preservatives. Here I take a mix of fresh tasty crunchy vegetables with a touch of heat and fermented to encouraging the growth of good bacteria making this healthy for your body. Fermenting Vessel can be Harsch Crocks, German Crocks, Vegetable Fermentation Masters to simple glass or ceramic bowls, canning jars with weights to hold the food under the liquid .

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 75-100

Ingredients

• 2  cups  thinly sliced carrots
• 2  cups  thinly sliced red bell peppers
• 1 1⁄2 cups  thinly slice onions
• 2  cups  thinly sliced celery
• 4  cups cauliflower florets
• 2  cups  thinly sliced green tomatoes
• 2  thinly sliced red  jalapenos (keep seed for more heat)
• 3  long green chili  pepperoncini peppers
• 3 -5  garlic cloves, peeled and sliced super thin
•  fresh thyme sprig
• 2  bay leaves
• 3  tablespoons  unrefined salt
• 6  cups  filtered mineral water (using chlorinated tap water will prevent the beneficial bacteria to grow.)

Directions

1. Prepare brine by dissolving the salt in water.
2. Mix all the ingredients except the brine in a large bowl.
3. Add them to the Fermenting Vessel of choice (check description above) packing them down as you go.
4. Fill each jar with the brine, leaving 1½ -2 inches of headroom—the space at the top, between the rim of the jar and the top of the vegetables. Weight the vegetables so they are completely submerged in the brine.
5. Cover the top of the vessel with a lid, coffee filter, paper towel, cheese cloth, or tea towel to keep bugs out and odors inches.
6. Be sure to secure towels with a very tight rubber band or the ring from the canning jars.
7. Place the jar out of direct light.
8. Ferment at room temperature 4 days before checking the flavor. If you prefer the flavor more sour, continue fermenting.
9. If to your taste transfer the jars to the refrigerator.
10. Burp the jars once daily (to release any built-up gasses) the giardiniera does continue to ferment while in the refrigerator.
11. This doesn`t need to be done in my home because we help ourselves to it daily.