Fermented Vegetables for chicken food??

[carolb5]

The end of the garden season. I am going to ferment kale, cabbage, broccoli leaves, and swiss chard. Each separately and in food grade buckets. Has anyone one the board done this??

Carol

 

[hennible]

No but I'm interested. What are you going to do with your final product?

 

[Quackers Mama]

I haven't done it either, but it sure does sound interesting/stinky Lol. How are you going to go about it?

 

[carolb5]

I'm going to cut the veggies in ribbons of 1/4-1/2 inch. Pack them in food grade plastic buckets, with lids. I'm going to make a brine instead of salting the veggies. And will hold them under the solution with brine filled ziplock bags. I have a heated room off of the greenhouse to overwinter plants. My buckets will be there. I also ferment my chicken feed in this room during the winter, and can sprout grains under the grow lights if needed. I'll experiment with different strengths of brine.

My main idea is to preserve some vitamin rich greens to feed out during the winter. These plants won't survive all winter so I don't have much to lose if the birds don't eat them.

Carol

 

[hennible]

Very clever. May try it myself with my greenhouse left overs, sure beats buying greens or just feeding out kitchen scraps.
My only problem is a warm enough spot out of the house.
Sure would enjoy if you kept me updated on how it goes, and how the birds like it.

 

[ChickenJerk]

I'm going to cut the veggies in ribbons of 1/4-1/2 inch. Pack them in food grade plastic buckets, with lids.  I'm going to make a brine instead of salting the veggies.  And will hold them under the solution with brine filled ziplock bags.  I have a heated room off of the greenhouse to overwinter plants. My buckets will be there.  I also ferment my chicken feed in this room during the winter, and can sprout grains under the grow lights if needed.  I'll experiment with different strengths of brine.

My main idea is to preserve some vitamin rich greens to feed out during the winter.  These plants won't survive all winter so I don't have much to lose if the birds don't eat them.  

Carol

What you are doing here is making sauerkraut isn't it?

 

[carolb5]

Yes, sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. I have a large bed of kale, chard and I will try fermenting the leaves of the broccoli plants we have harvested.

Carol

 

[Chris09]

What you are doing here is making sauerkraut isn't it?

You make sauerkraut a little differently, and kraut is made by a pickling process called lacto-fermentation.
Real kraut uses nothing more than a crock, stomp, cabbage and salt. (no added water)

 

[ChickenJerk]

You make sauerkraut a little differently, and kraut is made by a pickling process called lacto-fermentation.
Real kraut uses nothing more than a crock, stomp, cabbage and salt. (no added water)

You forgot the old dinner plate and softball size + rock that was used to press the cabbage down in the crock.
At least that is what my Grandma used.
My sister keeps one of those old karut stones a as a doorstop and piece of memorabilia to this day.

 

[Chris09]

You forgot the old dinner plate and softball size + rock that was used to press the cabbage down in the crock.
At least that is what my Grandma used.
My sister keeps one of those old karut stones a as a doorstop and piece of memorabilia to this day.

I did did't I?
We used to use a dinner plate and a gallon pickle crock with water in it for weight.
Now I use a piece of high-density polyethylene (like the good cutting board are made of) cut to fit in the crock, but I still use the pickle crock.

I am surprised to see how many people add water to there kraut when there making it. I don't know if there cutting corners, using "bad" cabbage or just don't know the correct way to make it.