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My husband bought a Filipino brand spicy vinegar to flavor some garden veggies. At first I cringed. Nothing good can come out of a packaged sauce, right? Wrong. I looked at the ingredients and there was nothing questionable at all. It even called for fermented coconut vinegar which I highly doubt was actually still fermented with live cultures, but at least it listed all real ingredients. The brand is called Suka PinaKurat. I have no idea if this is a name brand or a name of a type of sauce. I just know it’s yummy.
We first used it to soak cucumber slices. The coolness of the cucumbers with the spicy sauce was just PERFECT. So, of course my real food mind got turning . . . . I wonder if I can make this as a ferment with grated cucumbers and make it into a ‘kraut’? I bet I could. So this is the result of my little experiment:
*Important note about ‘proper’ lacto fermentation procedures — My opinion (take it for what it’s worth), is that you don’t need fancy, expensive fermentation equipment. I hold my ferments under the brine with a lettuce leaf to keep the ferment out of the oxygen. Traditional cultures have been fermenting for years in this manner without fancy equipment and I personally have never seen evidence of mold on my ferments (although I suppose it’s possible). I would be especially aware if there was as I am sensitive to molds.
[gmc_recipe 7102]
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups cucumbers (finely grated in a food processor)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon dried onion (or 1/4 cup fresh)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger (grated)
- 3 tablespoons liquid whey
- 1 heaped tablespoon sea salt
- filtered water (to cover)
Optional
- 4 pieces chili peppers (chopped – these are mini,but spicy, from the Asian store. Use more or less to taste)
Directions
Step 1
Grate the cucumber and set aside. (Make sure you cut of the cucumber ends first. There is an enzyme in the ends that will make the cucumbers mushy if you don’t)
Step 2
In a quart mason jar add all the ingredients except water and cucumber.
Step 3
Add grated cucumber to the jar and fill with water. Leaving 2.5cm (1″) of air at the top. I usually add a lettuce leaf at the top to hold the ferment under the liquid.
Step 4
Cover tightly. Leave at room temperature for 3 – 5 days. Test to see if it is slightly sour at day three if not keep fermenting.
Step 5
When soured to taste, refrigerate. Then enjoy!
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Hi,
This looks great and I was just wondering what to do with the cucumber I have in my fridge. However, aren’t we supposed to ferment at room temp for at least 4 weeks or does that only apply to Sauerkraut??
Thank you,
Kristina
Kristina,
This does not require as long a ferment as sauerkraut, although it may not be quite as tangy. This is because cucumber is more porous than the cabbage and it absorbs flavors much faster. So you get the end product quicker.
Nice huh?
This sounds so interesting! I am sure it is packed with flavor, with the spicy ginger/garlic/chili peppers and tangy fermentation. My goal for this year is to start lactofermenting my own foods–I always get fermented foods from our raw milk producers. I will give this a try!
Lauren, it is unbelievably delicious. You won’t regret making the time to make it. Promise. One note though: If you are using larger chilis you may want to cut it back to two. My were really mini but they still packed a punch.
Great – thank you. I am going to make a batch using Kombucha.
Super idea!
Ooh, this looks fab. I’m gonna make a batch using my water kefir!
I bet that would be great! You need to tell me how that comes out for you. My next batches I think I am going to use coconut water since the original idea came from that sauce with coconut vinegar. I bet it will give it a nice flavor too.
I am new to this lacto fermentation but do want to start can you give some clarification to the liquid whey and what do I look for or say the coconut water how would I do that.
thanks
this is great
Hi Maureen. Liquid whey is the liquid that is separated from the solids in milk. You can only get this if you use a clabbered raw milk (not pasteurized )which is my preference or a quality plain full fat yogurt.
If you don’t have access to either you can add an additional 1 tablespoon of an unrefined sea salt. However, I like that the whey gives an additional kickstart to the fermentation. Some have said they have less than positive results with whey but I never have. But maybe that’s because I use raw milk whey instead of a yogurt whey which is pasteurized.
Does this answer your questions?
Oh guess I missed the coconut water question. I am testing that now. Basically use coconut water in place of the filtered water that you fill the jar with. All the other instructions are the same.
Hi Jen,
I love fermented foods! Your recipe sounds lovely and I will have to make it soon. Cucumbers are so refreshing. I have a tasty ferment I just made with Savoy cabbage, carrots, and ginger and it is so good. I shared the recipe on my blog.
Shelley, I will be sure to check it out. I love finding new ferments too. Feel free to post your recipe to Freaky Friday this week. You will be able to get a few more hits for it that way too.
Fascinating,
I had to come over from Eat Make Grow! I just made a jar of sauerkraut with a head of cabbage from the co-op. The Ball Blue Book recipe I followed called for 45 lbs of cabbage, so I scaled to way down to the 21 oz of shredded cabbage I had. Since I didn’t have a crock, I used a wide mouth canning jar! I’m so glad to see that’s what you are using here. Then I used an old glass canning lid with a rock on it and a square of linen under it to hold the cabbage beneath the liquid. This is my first experience with fermenting, so I’m curious to see how it goes. I suppose mine isn’t lacto-fermented, just fermented.
Now I just need to save some whey off the yogurt so I can try this recipe, because Lord knows we are rolling in the cucumbers!
Foy
No need to use whey you can always double up on the salt content. There is growing debate on use of whey in veggie ferments. I have never had a problem with it so I prefer to use it. It seems to give a more sour kick.
How did your sauerkraut turn out? I eat so little of it because I worry about the goitrogens that I have never bothered to try to make it myself. I am guessing your kraut is lacto-fermented if you are leaving it out for all the good bacteria. If you are using vinegar than it wouldn’t be a ferment.
[...] Fermented Spicy Cucumber ‘Kruat’ – What a fun and different way to ferment cucumbers from Real Food Freaks. [...]
Hi! Can I use slicing cucumbers or do I have to use pickling cucumbers? Thanks for this recipe!! It sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Heather, you can use either. However the pickling cucs might be crisper and have more of a kraut like texture. If the seeds have gotten too large you may want to cut them out as well.
This looks great! I can’t wait to try it!
I had to stop by again and thank you! I finally got a chance to make this and I loved it!! I just used salt, no whey, and it came out delightful! I had to use a cheese grater and it kind of smashed the cukes a bit, so it came out soft, kinda like a salsa almost, but it’s still getting put on everything! It’s pickle-y almost like relish, but so much more flavor from the ginger. My next batch (going to make it in a few days since this one is not going to last) I’m going to maybe use diced cukes instead, so it has more body. Thanks again for such a lovely recipe!