Fermenting Daikons

Daikons (winter radishes) are good subjects for fermentation. Here is a quote from Sally Fallon's book: "The daikon radish is greatly prized as a digestive aid in the Orient where it is eaten in a great variety of ways - fresh or preserved, dried, salted and added to soup or meat dishes. Fermented dailon radish, or 'takuan', is commonly served with macrobiotic food. Tests have shown it to be especially high in lactobacilli. It is also valued as a diuretic, as a decongestant and as a source of substances that inhibit cancer. Folk wisdom claims the daikon rids the body of accumulated fats. The root is an excellent source of vitamin C."

Here is a simple recipe:

3 pounds daikon radish, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (optional, but it helps speed fermentation. You can get whey by draining good quality, plain yogurt through cheese cloth or a dish towel.)

Place all ingredients in a bowl, mix well and let sit awhile till the juices separate out. Press into a wide mouth quart jar, letting the juice cover the radish mixture. Leave 2" at the top of the jar. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature for 3 - 7 days before transferring to the fridge.

If you want a spicier mix, add 6 - 8 cloves minced garlic, a sliced onion or some chopped scallions and two tsps. of chili flakes,

I made one jar of plain daikon in thick cubes and some spicy ones, one with fancy crinkle slices and some shredded.

Some Notes on Fermentation

Here are a few good books on fermenting:

Making Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables at home, by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Schoneck

Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Ellix Katz

Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. This one is a veritable encyclopedia of recipes of all kinds, prepared in the way our ancestors often prepared their foods, by soaking, sprouting, fermenting, culturing. The many quotes in this book from doctors, researchers and studies will challenge the way you think about diet.

My latest batch of kraut is bubbling away in a small room that's been staying at 62 degrees, right where I want it. I said in my recipe to leave about 1" space at the top of the jar, but this last batch is fermenting so vigorously I would suggest you leave 2 or 3 inches, and be sure to put newspapers or a towel under the jars in case they leak.

I am also trying turnips, called sauerruben, and will soon try daikons. Later, if my chinese wong bok cabbage heads up, I'll make kimchee, or something like it. Fermenting is a reliable, easy way to preserve food. Once you understand the basics, you can experiment to the hilt. And the results will provide you with some of the most nutritious foods available, filled with enzymes, probiotics, vitamins and minerals, to say nothing of taste!

My Kraut Recipe

5 pounds shredded cabbage

1 - 2 cups shredded carrots
two medium onions, finely sliced

5 cloves garlic (or more), sliced

1 Tbs. fresh or dried oregano

3 Tbs. salt (rock, pickling, or sea salt, un-iodized)

Fresh, organically grown cabbage is best because the leaves contain more of the beneficial bacteria that start the fermentation process. Don't pick immediately after a rain, as water will wash away some of the bacteria. I use a mandoline for shredding, though you can buy a wooden kraut shredder, or just use a sharp knife.

Mix the salt into the vegetables thoroughly. Have your canning jars and lids clean and ready. This recipe makes three quarts. Pack the kraut very tightly into the jars. Use your fist or some other implement that will fit in the jar. Keep adding cabbage a little at a time and tamping it down. This is an anaerobic proceedure, so you want all the air bubbles out.

You can see how the cabbage juice is rising over the cabbage. Leave about one inch of air space at the top of the jar. A piece of whole cabbage leaf can be fitted over the top to help keep the bits of vegetables under the brine. Seal the jar tightly.

Let the jars sit at room temperature, about 68 to 75 degrees for two days, then lower the temp to about 64 degrees. You can use an ice chest or other insulated container to help keep the temp in the right range. Leave the jars in the dark, undisturbed for two - three weeks, then transfer to the fridge. Letting the jars sit 10 days or so before openingis good, though sometimes I can't wait and open them right away! Enjoy your healthy, nutritious kraut. It will keep for months under refrigeration.

Making Kraut

It's time to make fall sauerkraut. Most people don't realize you don't need a big crock to make kraut. You can make it in small batches, one quart at a time, in canning jars, and man oh man, is it good for you. Here are a few facts about sauerkraut from Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions. Lacto-fermented foods normalize the acidity of the stomach, help break down proteins and aid in their assimilation, activate the secretions of the pancreas, which is particularly important for diabetics. Sauerkraut contains large quantities of choline, a substance that lowers blood pressure and regulates the passage of nutrients into the blood, and aids the body in the metabolism of fats. Sauerkraut also contains acetylcholine which has a powerful effect on the parasypathetic nervous system. It helps reduce blood pressure, slows down the rate of heartbeat, and promotes calmness and sleep. Lactic acid producing bacteria can prevent the growth of coliform bacteria, so not only do they aid digestion, they also help us resist infection. But the kraut must be eaten raw; the beneficial substances are destroyed by cooking. Are you ready to make some kraut now?