All the fermented things.
Ever since setting out to follow a real-food diet after the birth of my third child, fermenting foods has become one of my best friends. Not only does fermenting give the food a boost in nutrients, it makes it more easily digestible too!
My kids are huge fans of all the fermented things. The first time I made this lacto-fermened cauliflower 6 years ago (!) I did it because my oldest hippy flower-child daughter was asking me to fermented eeeeverything.
My then 4yo: “Can you ferment these carrots?” Yes. “Can you ferment this fish?” Yes. “Can you ferment these cucumbers?” Yes. “Can you ferment this cauliflower?” Yes.
A fluffy white powerhouse.
Though cauliflower has never been my favorite veggies (perhaps due to it’s exorbitant price down here in the south), I was pleasantly surprised recently to discover how nutritious it actually is. I’d never thought of cauliflower as having antioxidants, but it’s full of them: beta-carotene, quercetin, kaempferol, and more. And besides containing vitamin K, cauliflower is considered the 10th best source of vitamin C in foods!
It’s Gluten-Free, Pass It On!
In honor of all the cauliflower goodness, I’m adding this Lacto-Fermented Cauliflower to a list of other great cauliflower recipes from fellow gluten-free bloggers. I’m sure you’ll enjoy their delicious cauliflower recipes, too…
- AIP-Friendly Turmeric Cauliflower Bake from Eat Your Way Clean
- Cauliflower Breadsticks (low carb) from Good For You Gluten-Free
- Chipotle-Style Cilantro Lime Cauli-Rice from Raia’s Recipes
- Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Florets from The Heritage Cook
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup from My Gluten-Free Miami
- Sage & Sausage Cauliflower Soup from Raia’s Recipes
Lacto-Fermented Cauliflower
In true lacto-fermented form, this recipe is super easy. It’s so easy, you almost don’t need a recipe to make it! Though I give some ‘extras’ to make the flavor more fun, all you really need to make lacto-fermented cauliflower is cauliflower (no – really?), water, and salt. The end.
But really, the beginning… of deliciousness!
Ha.
Enough with the corny-ness. Go make yourself come lacto-fermented cauliflower.
In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks! ;)
Lacto-Fermented Cauliflower
Free of grain, gluten, eggs, dairy, and sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower, or 1/2 a larger head
- 2 T. sea salt
- 1 t. dill
- 1/2 yellow onion (optional)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
- filtered water
Instructions
In bottom of 2 quart-sized canning jars (wide mouth works best), place slices of onion and a clove or two of crushed garlic.
Wash and chop cauliflower and pack in as tightly as possible (you don’t want the cauliflower to float around) up to 1 1/2 inches from the top of the jars.
Sprinkle with dill.
In a separate jar, place salt and water, shake to dissolve salt. Pour salt water over the jars – 1 tablespoon per jar. Top off with filtered water to cover the cauliflower to 1 inch from the top of the jar. If needed, press a cabbage leaf down on top of the cauliflower to keep it submerged.
Cap tightly and store away from direct sunlight for 3-7 days. Refrigerate after opening.
You’ll also enjoy these easy and delicious ferments!
- Lacto-Fermented Rainbow Chard
- Fermented Sprouted Hummus
- Easy Homemade Pickle Chips
- Pickle Carrots
- Easy 2-Ingredient Homemade Sauerkraut
What a fun way to learn about fermentation with one of my favorite vegetables! This would brighten any meal!
Thanks so much! :)
So excited about this! I love lacto-fermentation and it’s my favorite way to save produce I’m not going to be able to eat in time. Haven’t tried cauliflower yet but looking forward to it! I bet it’s delicious.
I hope you enjoy it, Alicia! My kiddos love it!
A truly beautiful recipe and oh-so-healthy too. I’ve never thought to ferment cauliflower before. I’ve been making fermented pickles for years – and this year – the garlic in my pickles turned blue. I read online that it’s normal, but it could be from my water. Have you ever fermented without filtered water? I just use tap water (and always have) and never had this happen before. Novice fermenter here.
Oh wow! I’ve never had that happen before! I use filtered water now, because the water in the south is nasty, but when I lived in Montana I just used tap water. It still worked fine. It must have been a reaction with the minerals in the water, since they can change depending on what the city/county adds. Crazy!
Do you suggest fresh or dried dill? I can’t wait to make this.
I usually use dried, because I always have it on hand. I’m sure fresh would be lovely, though! I hope you enjoy it, Angela!
I am new to fermenting. I would like to try this recipe, but I am a bit confused on how much water do we mix with the salt. Do you mean that only 1 tablespoon of that salted water goes into the jars, then top up with water? Thanks.
You should end up with about 1 tablespoon of salt (not salted water) per jar. You can either add the salt straight to the jar with the cauliflower and then fill it with water, or you can dissolve the salt in water in another jar by shaking it until it’s dissolved. I like to do the dissolving in a separate jar, otherwise sometimes the salt just kinda stays at the bottom of the cauliflower. Hope that helps!