Fermenting beetroot is easy with the right recipes. Here you can try different variants.
Beetroot tastes good, but it is also known for the coloring properties of its juice. Luckily, it is very easy to ferment and there are a number of different ways. The betaine contained in beetroot is particularly beneficial and is mood-enhancing.
Wash and peel beetroot for fermentation?
Vegetables are usually always washed before processing. If you want to pickle beets, it is best to decide based on how dirty they are. First of all, it makes sense to brush the beets a bit and check if the vegetables are clean enough.
Washing is only recommended if the vegetables are so dirty that you practically eat the dirt that is stuck to them. It also makes sense to make sure that the vegetables you buy are organic. In this way you avoid that the vegetables are contaminated with various pesticides.
The same applies to peeling. Beetroot skins are usually very hard. Nevertheless, you shouldn't necessarily peel them before fermenting, as the important ingredients of the vegetables are located directly below the peel.
Fermenting beetroot - basic recipe
To ferment beetroot, one thing is always important: s alt! It stimulates the lactic acid bacteria to start the fermentation process. About one percent of s alt is always used, based on the amount of vegetables that you want to pickle. For 250 grams of beetroot, this corresponds to two and a half grams of s alt.
You also need a screw-top or swing-top jar for the fermentation, in which you can place the beetroot:
Then proceed as follows:
❶ Dice or slice beetroot.
❷ Mix with the s alt in a bowl and leave to rest for ten minutes.
❸ In between, the beetroot is gently pressed from time to time so that the juice escapes.
❹ The mixture is now poured into the glass and filled with water until the beetroot is covered.
❺ It is important that the entire beetroot is under water.
❻ To ensure that nonepieces float to the top, place a cabbage leaf on top and weigh it down with clean rocks.
❼ As an alternative, use a smaller glass filled with water to weigh down the beetroot.
❾ The jar is left to ferment at room temperature for two days to start the fermentation process.
❾ If bubbles form in the liquid, the project has been successful.
❿ The jar can now be placed in a dark, slightly cooler place for several weeks.
Tip: Once the time has expired and the jar has been opened, the remaining beetroot should be kept in the refrigerator. It stays there for several weeks.
Fermented beetroot with garlic
This recipe is similar to the basic recipe, but at the same time you put some garlic in the glass. For this recipe you will need:
- 4 bulbs of beetroot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp s alt
- approx. 100 ml water
The recipe is now implemented as follows:
| Step | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Slice or dice beetroot |
| Step 2 | Mix with the s alt in a bowl and keep pressing |
| Step 3 | Peel and roughly chop the garlic |
| Step 4 | Pour the mixture into the glass and press down a little so that more juice comes out |
| Step 5 | Add some water to the collected juice so that all the vegetables are covered with liquid |
| Step 6 | Close the jar and leave to ferment at room temperature for a week |
| Step 7 | Put the beets in a cool, dark place |
In the meantime, it makes sense to check the taste of the beetroot. When ready, it is placed in the fridge where it can be kept for several weeks.
More spices for fermenting beetroot variations
Beetroot can of course not only be pickled with water and s alt. In addition to the garlic, there is another variant in which a piece of celery or a few slices of apple are used.
Pepper and mustard seeds, onions and even squeezed orange juice are suitable as liquid substitutes as additional spices. Ideally, the latter is freshly pressed and previously mixed with a little water. It should be noted that the higher thejuice content, the more intense the taste.
Why does fermented beetroot become slimy?
When beetroot is fermented, the vegetables often develop a light layer of mucus on the vegetables, which can be eaten without any problems. This is the sucrose in the beetroot that has been converted by the lactic acid bacteria.
The so-called dextran develops a slimy consistency, but is completely harmless. If you want to avoid this development, the beetroot should be cut into larger pieces or slices. This process occurs only when the vegetables have been chopped up too much.