Fermented Vegetable Juice - the Next, Next Fermentable

How about a fermented carrot juice, V-8 juice, or coconut water tonic?!

The world is eagerly revisiting fermented foods for both health and deliciousness. Now there is another instructables option: fermented vegetable juice.
You will need just a few ingredients: a vegetable or vegetable juice, sea salt, filtered water, and a one-quart jar .

Cultured convenience in a drink!

• For a daily multi-nutrient, it doesn't get any easier to make or to take.

• Add a shot to juice, a smoothie, or enjoy straight up. Same nutrient power as a pickle.

• Use instead of sport drinks to prevent muscle cramping, or loss of salt in the hot sun.

• Pet booster: add a shot to the food bowl. It's packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and probiotics

• Gargle and sip regularly when you're under the weather.

• Dilute and add to the garden as a nutrient boost.

Step 1: Making Tonic From Juice

INSTRUCTIONS: TONIC FROM A PREPARED JUICE

To make 1-quart fermented vegetable tonic from a juice:

1 pint juice [try carrot, V-8 style juice, or coconut water]

1 TBS. unrefined sea salt

1 pint filtered water

2 TBS. lacto-fermented brine from a previous batch as a starter.*

Combine all in a one-quart jar and fill completely to the top. Screw on two-piece, metal canning lid without tightening the ring all the way; just loosely. Sit the jar in a catch bowl and store out of direct sunlight at about 70 degrees (range of 66 to 75ºF)

After the four day fermentation, refrigerate the jar. That's it!

* If you are making your first batch and don't have a previous batch, go to step 2 and start by making tonic with a veggie. Or if you have some cultured sauerkraut, dill pickles, etc. use this as your starter.

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Use pasteurized, bottled juice, or freshly juiced.

These tonics are made using vegetables. Fruits will have too much sugar to lacto-ferment successfully.

Step 2: Making Tonic From Veggies

INSTRUCTIONS:TONIC FROM VEGGIES OR TRIMMINGS

You need 1 cup of sliced veggies: cabbage, beet, fennel, celery, [see above for just a few ideas].

You can add 1 TBS. of seeds of your veggie if you want to gild the lily, so to speak. If the seeds are tiny, place in a tea bag before adding. Or filter the tonic after finished.

Combine 2 cups of filtered water and 1 TBS. unrefined sea salt into a brine.

Add the shredded vegetable to a clean one quart jar.

Pour in the brine until completely full to just overflowing.

Screw on two-piece, metal canning lid without tightening the ring all the way; just loosely. Sit the jar in a catch bowl and store out of direct sunlight at about 70 degrees (range of 66 to 75ºF)
After the four day fermentation, refrigerate. That's it!

If you find the finished tonic too salty to your taste, dilute with filtered water.

Step 3: Author Page

I name these "tonics," so you do not consider it a juice replacement. As it is a salty, cultured beverage, it will be slightly sour and salty. Just an ounce or two a day will give you a delicious and healthy boost.

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In 1991 I created the Perfect Pickler, a canning jar with an air-lock system for veggie fermentation. I have been lacto-fermenting veggies ever since. Fermenting vegetables is the easiest and safest form of preserving. I am retired now and enjoy sharing ways to add beneficial microbes back into our modern diet. You don't require a fermenting jar to make these tonics.