Brine-fermented vegetables — ferment anything in a salt brine
4
Units:
Prep: 15 min
Brine
- 2 cup non-chlorinated water (filtered or boiled and cooled)
- 1 tbsp fine non-iodized salt
Vegetables (your choice)
- 1 lb mixed vegetables (green beans, cauliflower, carrots, peppers)
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed (optional)
- dill sprigs, peppercorns, or chili flakes (optional, to taste)
For vegetables that do not release enough moisture on their own (green beans, cauliflower, peppers, carrots), supply the salty liquid externally. Pack the veg tightly, cover with brine, weigh them down, and ferment a few days. The method opens up the entire vegetable world to fermentation.
Instructions
- Prep vegetables: Wash and cut your vegetables into even pieces that fit in the jar. Leave them whole, sliced, or spear-shaped as you prefer.
- Pack jar: Pack the vegetables tightly into a clean glass jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Tuck in garlic, dill, peppercorns, or chili flakes as desired.
- Make brine: Dissolve the salt in the non-chlorinated water. Stir until fully dissolved.
- Pour and cover: Pour the brine over the vegetables until fully submerged.
- Weigh down: Place a fermentation weight or small water-filled jar on top so everything stays under the brine.
- Ferment: Cover loosely (airlock lid or cloth) and ferment 3-7 days at room temperature. Taste daily after day 3.
- Refrigerate: Once tangy to your liking, cap tightly and refrigerate.
Tips
- Use non-iodized salt (sea salt, kosher salt, pickling salt) — iodine inhibits fermentation.
- Use non-chlorinated water (filtered or boiled and cooled) — chlorine kills beneficial bacteria.
- Scale the brine linearly: 1 tbsp salt per 2 cups water. For larger jars, double or triple.
- Add garlic, dill, peppercorns, or chili flakes directly to the jar for extra flavor.
- Fermented hot peppers blended with some brine make an incredible homemade hot sauce.
Created: 3/23/2026, 2:40:11 AM diyfreeorganic
Glass jar, fermentation weight or small water-filled jar, measuring cups, airlock lid or cloth cover
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