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This recipe is from Sally Fallon Morell’s Nourishing Traditions p. 96. This recipe is being published during the fifth month of the year, when we are focused on the fifth of our 11 Wise Traditions Dietary Principles, which is to include fermented food and beverages in your diet.
In earlier times, people knew how to preserve vegetables for long periods without the use of freezers or canning machines. This was done through the process of lacto-fermentation. The fermentation of dairy products, preservation of vegetables and fruits by the process of lacto-fermentation has numerous advantages beyond those of simple preservation. The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine. Other alchemical by-products include hydrogen peroxide and small amounts of benzoic acid.
The following recipe makes 1 quarts:
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pearl onions [organic]
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 small nutmeg, cracked open
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon green peppercorns
- several sprigs fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons [homemade] whey. If not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt.
- 1 cup filtered water
Instructions
- Loosen skin on onions by plunging them into boiling water for about 10 seconds.
- Remove, peel and place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar.
- Combine remaining ingredients and pour mixture over onions, adding more water if necessary to cover them. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.
- Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
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