Fermented cauliflower recipe
These fermented cauliflower pickles will give a tangy twist to all of your meals, even your breakfast. Make them in minutes in small batches to enjoy for weeks to come!
Equipment
- 1 jar approximately 1 liter capacity, with lid
- 1 funnel optional
- 1 measuring jug
- 1 scale to weigh the salt
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower large, cut into florets
- 1 liter of water
- 25 g of salt
- 4 garlic cloves sliced thickly
- 4 fresh bay leaves
Instructions
Prepare the cauliflower:
- Remove any outer leaves, bruised or rotten parts from the cauliflower. Give it a quick rinse in cold water to make sure there is no soil on it, then break it into florets. Use a small pairing knife to cut larger florets in smaller pieces.
Make the brine
- Dissolve the salt (25g per liter of water) in the water to make a brine.
Prepare the garlic and bay leaves
- Peel the garlic, slice each clove on the length in thick slices and set aside. Give the bay leaves a quick rinse under the cold water tap.
Stuff the cauliflower in the jar
- In a jar (approximately 1 liter capacity) add a few garlic slices, then start stuffing with the florets.
- Add the small pieces in any empty spaces. Don’t force them too much, but pack them tight enough so they don’t float above the brine.
- Add more garlic and the bay leaves in any gaps. The florets should be wedged just under the jar neck.
- Pour the brine and let the fermentation begin!
- Add the brine over the cauliflower until everything is fully covered.
- Close the lid loosely and set on the counter at room temperature, but not too close to any heat sources.
Burp daily 🫧
- After 1-2 days (depending on how warm your kitchen is, you will notice the brine in the jar getting slightly cloudy.
- Every day for the next week, use a clean straw to gently blow into the jar to aerate the brine. This helps release gases formed by the friendly bacteria and prevents the vegetables from getting mushy.
- With a clean spoon taste the brine daily from day 3 onward to see how sour you like it.
The pickles are ready for the fridge
- After a week, your fermented cauliflower is ready! Give it a taste to make sure you like it, but if you want it more sour you can extend the fermentation for an extra day.
- It should be slightly sour, acidic, a little fizzy and very tasty 😋. It will keep in the fridge for at least 3 weeks.
Notes
Use fine sea salt ideally, try and avoid salt that has anticaking agents (they prevent the salt from getting soggy), they may hinder the natural fermentation.
Put the jar on a tray or plate, just in case some of the brine may leak during fermentation.
Don’t worry if there is a slight sediment settled at the bottom of the jar, it’s normal.
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