As the gardening season winds down, you might want to try fermenting some veggies instead of canning them. It is so much easier and less time consuming.
Basically a dill crock is a variation on fermented veggies. If you don’t have dill or a grape leaf you can still make the fermented veggies and keep it going.
Can you believe my dog loves these naturally pickled and healthy veggies which are loaded with high quality pro-biotics?
This is an easy project and it is easy to maintain – so be brave and give it a try..
Here is the simple instructions:
-
Use a half gallon jar or crock.
-
Make a brine of 2 Tbsp salt, 6 cups water, and ½ cup cider vinegar. The brine is used to cover all the vegetables in the crock.
-
Grape Leaf – Place a small layer of grape leaves in the bottom of the jar to help keep veggies crisp, if desired. It is not essential.
-
Dill: Place a layer of dill on top of the grape leaves. Also optional – other herbs or no herbs can be used. Try a bit of thyme if you have it instead.
-
The Vegetables: Almost any crisp vegetable can go into a dill crock such as carrots, onions, garlic, cauliflower, peppers, green tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, etc. Green Beans need 3 minutes of blanching because otherwise they turn out too tough or hard to chew.
-
Time: One you fill the jar or crock with the vegetables, pour in the brine, screw on a cap tightly to the jar or weigh the vegetables down with a plate and rock to hold the vegetables under the brine.
-
Store the vegetables in a closet or cupboard for 5-6 days up to 2 weeks. If a white foam appears at the top do not panic, this is normal, just remove the foam and the vegetables are ready to eat.
-
Refrigerate and enjoy!
-
Start a new crock with some leftover brine and salt/water solution and use up those delicious veggies long after the season ends.
-
Let your nose be your guide. This is not an official USDA method, but a time-tested method used for centuries.
Leave a Reply