Fermented snacking vegetables are the one thing that I always have bubbling away on my kitchen counters. I love them for so many reasons.

It’s a great way to make sure that I’m getting my daily dose of probiotics.
Everyone loves them.
They are hugely flavourful and perfect to eat without any dips or sauces.
It allows me to “process” my vegetable box ahead of time so that nothing goes off before we get a chance to eat it.
But the main reason why I always have fermented snacking vegetables kicking around is because I’m lazy.

I know that seems backwards, how could anyone who is devoted to fermenting be lazy? But… at 6:30 in the morning when I’m scrambling to fill my kids lunch boxes, it is so awesome to have already prepared vegetables in the fridge ready to dump into the lineup of waiting snack containers. Or when we all get home at the end of a busy day and we’re starving for something to eat, I can always reach for my jar of snacking vegetables in the fridge!

Picnic Basket Vegetable Sticks

Picnic Basket Vegetables - Probiotic Snacking Pickles

Fermented vegetable sticks are delicious, probiotic and easy! I love having a jar full of fermented vegetable pickles in my fridge for snacks.

Author: Emillie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 quart jar 1x
Category: Pickles
Method: Fermented

Scale

Ingredients

Mixed firm vegetable sticks
Water (filtered to remove all chlorine)
2 tsp of salt (non-iodized)
1 tbsp of starter culture (optional)
Optional flavour additions (see notes)

Instructions

Wash and cut the vegetables into sticks.
Pack the vegetables into the jar making sure that they are 1″ below the top.
Add in the salt and any additional flavours that you’re using. Then cover with the filtered water.
Allow to ferment somewhere cool (around 18C is best). After 2-3 days the vegetables will have developed a nice flavour, while still remaining crisp.
Store in the refrigerator and enjoy!

Notes

I usually use a fido for my snacking vegetables. You could also use a mason jar with an airlock or pickle-nipple lid. Or if you want to go low tech, just use a mason jar with a weight to keep the vegetables below the brine. See fermentation basics for more info.
I recommend using: carrots, beets, radishes, kohlrabi, green beans, sweet peas and cauliflower. Though cauliflower will become a bit smelly, so it isn’t the best for school lunches.
Culture options: Vegetables don’t always require a starter. However, if you aren’t using organic vegetables then add 1 tbsp of sauerkraut brine, purchased vegetable culture, whey or kombucha.
Flavour additions: you can add herbs or spices to your fermenting vegetables. In general you want 1 tsp of a spice or 1 tbsp of a herb per jar. My favourite flavours are garlic & dill for a traditional pickle flavour, or garlic & ginger for something tangier.