Brine Ferments

Next up are the brine ferments. Brine-fermented pickles should not be confused with the traditional pickles found in the aisles of supermarkets. These commercial pickles are made with vinegar and sugar, and by pouring boiling water over the vegetables and in that way killing most of the good bacteria. When the vegetables are then put into the vinegar the rest of the bacteria are killed so there is no fermentation going on. Any pickled vegetables you find on a shelf in a supermarket and not in a fridge are all pickled with vinegar and contain no healthy bacteria. In contrast our brine-fermented pickles are made with water and salt only, and contain all the amazing health benefits talked about earlier. Brine fermentation suits large pieces of vegetables that you cannot get the water out of very easily by massaging or pounding. It is also suitable if you want to ferment the vegetables whole or cut into specific shapes. This also means you can create amazing patterns in your jar with careful positioning of the various ingredients.