Lacto Fermented leeks are easy to make at home and a delicious way to incorporate probiotics and beneficial enzymes into your diet. Fermentation has really grown in popularity in recent years.
A lot of people are rekindling skills in food preservation like canning or fermentation. We are craving simpler lifestyles including getting more in touch with where our food comes from and realizing the effort it takes to make wholesome nourishing food is worthwhile. I love having fermented onions or fermented leeks in my fridge to add an extra boost of nutrition to my lunch bowls.
Why ferment?
- Fermentation is a helpful and inexpensive way to preserve foods. If you have an abundant harvest from your backyard garden with more cucumbers or carrots then you know what to do with, lacto-fermentation is a great way to preserve your produce.
- Lacto-fermenting foods yourself is a great way to save money. This method allows you to purchase discounted vegetables in the grocery store and have a way to quickly put them to use.
- Learning to ferment foods expands your culinary skills and will give you greater understanding and appreciation for the simplicity of fermentation.
- Fermentation adds delicious flavours to your kitchen. Fermented foods add tart, fresh and sour flavours to dishes. Try topping your power bowls with a spoonful of sauerkraut or mix your fermented leeks into a french onion style dip.
- Ferment for your health. The health benefits from eating lacto-fermented foods and vegetables are enormous! Fermented foods are more digestible and higher in nutrients than their raw counterparts. Fermented foods are rich in enzymes and probiotics.
Tips for Successful Fermentation
- Use a kitchen scale. This method ensures that you’re using enough salt and increases the chance of a successful fermentation.
- Keep the leeks totally submerged. It’s important that the item you’re fermenting is kept in an oxygen free environment. Peek at your fermenting jar once a day to check that everything is still submerged.
- Discard your ferment if you see black or brightly coloured molds.
- Discard your ferment if it smells really awful. If you’re not sure what I mean by this…. don't worry, you’ll know!.
- Keep your ferments out of direct sunlight
Ways To Use Fermented Leeks
- Top burgers or sausage
- Mix into a Greek salad
- Mix into a French onion style dip
- Use as a condiment to add acidity and brightness to a dish
- Add colour and nutrition to your plate
- Top scrambled eggs or an omelette
Frequently Asked Questions About Fermentation
What is lacto-fermentation?
Lacto-fermentation is the process of lactic-acid-producing bacteria breaking down the sugars or glucose in fruits, vegetables, or other foods into lactic acid. It does this in an environment free of oxygen. You can lacto-ferment many different vegetables or foods. Some popular examples of lacto-fermented foods would be yogurt, sourdough bread, sauerkraut and cucumbers.
What vegetables can be lacto-fermented?
Most vegetables can be lacto-fermented and many fruits as well. Common vegetables to lacto-ferment include:
- carrots
- cabbage
- cucumber
- cauliflower
- onions and garlic
- leeks
- peppers
Can I use tap water to lacto-ferment vegetables?
You can use tap water to ferment vegetables but I recommend purchasing distilled water because the trace amounts of chlorine in tap water have the potential to affect the success of your ferment.
How to Make Lacto-fermented Leeks
Choose a mason jar that is the appropriate size to fit the sliced leek. I used a 16 oz wide mouth style mason jar. Place the mason jar on your kitchen scale and press tare to zero out the weight of the jar.
Fit the sliced leek into the mason jar and pour in enough water to cover the leeks. Take note of the total weight in grams of the leeks and water combined. To determine the amount of salt you need to add in grams, multiply that number by .02.
For example If the weight of the leeks and water combined is 800 grams then you will multiply 800 by .02 and get 16. I would add 16 grams of salt to my jar.
Tare the scale again and add the amount of salt in grams that you determined in the above step. Put on the lid and shake well to dissolve the salt.
It’s very important to keep the leeks submerged. To do this you can use fermentation weights, pinch bowls, a small mason jar or a plastic sandwich bag filled with a little water. (See photos for examples.)
Leave your ferment at room temperature away from sunlight for 4-7 days. Check it once a day to make sure the leeks are submerged. Open the lid slightly on a daily basis to prevent pressure from building up in the jar. Close it again tightly.
Once your fermented leeks have reached the desired flavour, place the jar in the fridge. This will halt the fermentation process. Your fermented leeks will now keep for a very long time. Enjoy!
More Recipes to Enjoy Around the Table
Lacto-Fermented Onions
Fermenting onions at home is easy and totally worth the effort. The best part is that the health benefits are enormous!
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Lacto Fermented Leeks
Fermented Leeks
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- fermentation weights or plastic sandwich bags
- mason jar (16 oz)
Ingredients
- 1 large leek
- distilled water
- sea salt or pickling salt
Instructions
- Choose a mason jar that is the appropriate size to fit the sliced leek. I used a 16 oz wide mouth style mason jar. Place the mason jar on your kitchen scale and press tare to zero out the weight of the jar.
- Fit the sliced leek into the mason jar and pour in enough water to cover the leeks. Take note of the total weight in grams of the leeks and water combined. To determine the amount of salt you need to add in grams, multiply that number by .02.
- For example If the weight of the leeks and water combined is 800 grams then you will multiply 800 by .02 and get 16. I would add 16 grams of salt to my jar.
- Tare the scale again and add the amount of salt in grams that you determined in the above step. Put on the lid and shake well to dissolve the salt.
- It’s very important to keep the leeks submerged. To do this you can use fermentation weights, pinch bowls, small mason jar or a plastic sandwich bag filled with a little water. (See photos for examples.)
- Leave your ferment at room temperature away from sunlight for 4-7 days. Check it once a day to make sure the leeks are submerged. Open the lid slightly on a daily basis to prevent pressure from building up in the jar. Close it again tightly.
- Once your fermented leeks have reached the desired flavour, place the jar in the fridge. This will halt the fermentation process. Your fermented leeks will now keep for a very long time. Enjoy!
Nutrition
If you make this recipe please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! I aim to respond to every single comment. I am so grateful when you trust me and try one of my recipe creations in your own kitchen. I love to hear how it went! Let’s connect on Instagram and tag me in your food pics!
‘Til next time,
Christy
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