Fermenting Cucumbers

Fermenting cucumbers has long been in fashion, and I believe that many of you have dabbled in pickling at some point or another. Surely, you must still have that glass jar somewhere in your kitchen, don’t you?

Fermented cucumbers are delicious and healthy. This is a great time for you to hop back into it!

For the sake of the summer contest, you can ferment any vegetable using the instructions in Sample 63. However, for those who’d like to learn the basic fermenting strategy in short, see the instructions on fermenting cucumbers below.

• Use similarly sized firm Persian cucumbers. Wash them well, removing the blossoms at the ends. Pack the jar as tightly as you can with cucumbers.

• Fill the jar with water, counting how many cups you add as you go.

• Then, add 1 teaspoon of sea salt or Himalayan salt per cup of water you added to the jar.

• Add pepper kernels, garlic cloves, and/or bay leaves for flavor.

• Ensure that the cucumbers are fully submerged in the water. You can accomplish this by finding a small plastic item that will press the cucumbers down, for example, a disposable plastic bowl, disposable shot cup, or whatever fits in the gap.

• As the ferment activates in the first few days (you’ll notice bubbles), burp the jar twice a day by opening and quickly closing the jar. Place a flat plastic plate under the jar to catch runaway drips. Once the ferment stops actively bubbling, don’t open the jar anymore.

• Keep out of sunlight (a kitchen cabinet is perfect) for 7–10 days, or longer for more probiotics and other awesome vitamins and minerals. Beware that once you open the jar post-fermentation you must refrigerate it.

• To check if your pickles are ready, remove one from the jar and slice lengthwise. If the pickle has green streaks, it’s ready to eat. You’ll also be able to observe that they look uncannily like…pickles!

Most of you hadn’t heard of this one before you read about it in Sample 70. But the feedback was gratifying. Many of you experimented with it and enjoyed the results. How many of you maintained this fun health hobby?

Sprouting beans and seeds removes the antinutrients responsible for causing gassiness when consumed. It also offers various enzymes the body uses to rejuvenate and sustain itself. Here, I’ll remind you how to sprout the three most popular legumes. To qualify for raffle entry, you only need to try one.

Black beans

• Soak in water for 8 hours.

• Drain water, place in a flour sifter or colander (or any similar implement), and cover with a moist paper towel for 15 hours. Spray some water on the paper towel periodically to help it retain moisture.

• After 15 hours, check for little shoots sprouting from the middle of the bean. Enjoy the ready sprouts as a snack, a crunch in salads, and in vegetable soup.

White beans/red kidney beans

• Soak in water for about 10 hours

• Drain water and place in a flour sifter or colander, covered with a moist paper towel. Spray some water on the paper towel periodically to help it retain moisture. Leave for approximately 15 hours.

• Use the sprouted beans in cholent for a lighter Shabbos afternoon.

Chickpeas

• Soak chickpeas in water for 8 hours.

• Drain the water and place chickpeas in a colander or flour sifter for 24–48 hours. Once sprouted, chickpeas will require a shorter cook time.