Romanian-Style Pickled Green Tomatoes and Cauliflower
These Romanian-style pickled green tomatoes and cauliflower are made by natural lacto-fermentation using a simple salt brine. They can be fermented either at room temperature (about 18–21°C / 64–70°F) for 7–10 days, or in a cold environment (about 0–7°C / 32–45°F) for a slower ferment of roughly 4–6 weeks, depending on temperature stability.
Servings 5 1 liter jars
Calories 148kcal
Equipment
- 5 1 liter (1 quart) jars with lids or 5 liters (5.3 quarts) equivalent in other size jars
- kitchen scale for calculating salt
- Large (1 liter / 1 quart +/-) measuring cup for mixing the brine
- fermentation weights or DIY weight
- cutting board and sharp knife
- kitchen towels for fermentation station
Ingredients
- 15 green tomatoes medium-sized
- 1 head cauliflower
- 0.25 head celery root
- 3 carrots
- 2 beets small
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch fresh dill
- 1 bunch celery leaves
- 20 grams salt per liter water
- 1 liter water
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Wash all vegetables well. Remove tomato stems (halve large tomatoes). Cut cauliflower into mixed-size florets. Cut celery root into wedges or batons, carrots into thick sticks or coins, and beet into a few wedges. Peel garlic; leave chilies whole. Rinse dill and celery leaves.
- Pack the jars: Line the bottom of each jar with dill and celery leaves. Add garlic and chilies, then tightly pack the green tomatoes and cauliflower, using carrots and celery root to fill gaps and a few beet pieces for color. Pack firmly but without crushing.
- Make the brine: Prepare a salt brine depending on fermentation temperature:– Warm ferment (indoor): 2.5% brine (25 g salt per 1 liter / ~4¼ cups water)– Cold ferment (outdoor, cellar): 2% brine (20 g salt per 1 liter / ~4¼ cups water)Mix brine as needed and pour over vegetables until fully submerged.
- Weight and sea: lAdd fermentation weights (or a clean improvised weight) to keep vegetables submerged. Seal jars appropriately: loose lids or airlocks for warm ferments; regular lids for cold ferments. Place jars on a tray to catch overflow.
- Ferment:- Warm ferment at about 18–21°C (64–70°F) for 7–10 days.- Cold ferment at about 0–7°C (32–45°F) for 4–6 weeks. You can also start the ferment indoors for 24–48 hours, then move to a colder location.
- Check for doneness: The pickles are ready when the brine tastes pleasantly sour rather than just salty, and the vegetables have lost their raw bite but remain crisp.
- Store: Once fermented to your liking, move jars to cold storage to slow fermentation.