Simple Kohlrabi Pickles

Ingredients

• two pounds of kohlrabi with some leaves
• brine (1 tablespoon of sea salt (non-iodized) to 2 cups water)

• quart or other large jar
• a sandwich or other small ziplock bag

Instructions

1. Wash, peel and slice up about two pounds of kohlrabi into spears or bite-size chunks.
2.  Place the kohlrabi chunks in a quart or other large jar, taking care to fill about 1½ inches below the rim of the jar.
3. Pour the brine over the kohlrabi.
4. Use a kohlrabi or cabbage leaf to cover the chunks and push them below the top of the brine or…
5. Use a sandwich or other small ziplock bag filled with about ½ cup water to place in the top of the jar and press down the kohlrabi below the brine.
6. Place the jar on the counter and wait for the magic to happen! It is a good idea to put a saucer under the jar so that if the brine bubbles over it will be caught in the saucer.
7. Keep checking by just sniffing your creation. After a few days, you’ll be able so smell the changes. Once it starts smelling nice and tangy, give it a taste. You’ll know when it’s ready to eat by how it tastes.

Notes

• Grate the kohlrabi instead and make kohlrabi slaw, use instead of sauerkraut in a Ruben sandwich or just make a veggie version – no meat! You an do this with turnips as well.
• Add some grated or sliced carrots, turnips, some sliced scallions, garlic, ginger, a hot pepper or two, daikon radish or any kind of radish (the red in radishes will bleed into your pickles turning them pink) or even some winter squash or pumpkin.
• Try adding a tart apple to your pickles -pickled apples taste amazing!
• Experiment – you can’t go wrong as long as you follow the basic recipes and make sure to keep the vegetables below the brine. Fermented vegetables that have somehow spoiled will definitely smell bad so you’ll be able to tell.