Lacto-Fermented Sumac Onions

I first tasted sumac onions at my first visit to a Persian restaurant. Right away, I was hooked and was putting these sour marinated onions on everything, with extra sumac shaken on. Love that stuff! Since then, I have been wanting to create a fermented version for extra nutrients. Serve with just about any Middle Eastern dish!

Peel and thinly slice onions. I use a food processor. Sprinkle sumac over the onions and stir to coat.
Firmly pack the onion mixture into 2 quart sized mason jars and leave an inch of head space.
Mix together a 3.6% brine by adding 2 tbsp unrefined sea salt into 1 quart of non-chlorinated, filtered water. Stir to dissolve.
Pour brine solution over onions. Press onions down so they are under the liquid. At this point you can cover with a cabbage or grape leaf and weigh down with a sterilized rock or fermenting weight. Keep the 1 inch head space. I am using a homemade airlock system, but it’s not necessary. You can just cap them with a canning lid.
Set out of the way on the counter and cover with a cloth to block out light. Leave on counter for 3-7 days before transferring to refrigerator. Watch for signs of fermenting after a couple days. You should see small bubbles trapped on sides. After 3-4 days, smell to see if has the sour fermented smell. Use a clean fork to test a piece. If not to your taste leave out a few days longer. Will keep 6 months in fridge.
Note:Ferments happen slower in cooler weather. Also, if you choose to use a starter, such as whey, only use 1 tbsp of salt in your brine and leave on the counter only 2 days as the starter greatly speeds up the fermenting process.

Fruit Kimchi

A Korean fermented food, fruit kimchi, is spicy, sweet, and healthy. This recipe is very simple to make for even a beginner fermenter.

Place all the fruit, vegetables, and nuts into a 1 quart mason jar. I mixed my fruit up well to ensure a good consistent flavoring through the entire jar. Pack the fruit in very tightly.
Add the pineapple juice to the jar to fill in all the gaps between the fruit. The pineapple juice should cover your fruit. The pineapple juice acts as a brine solution. The acidic nature of the pineapple juice will prevent extra scum from growing on top.
Place the lid on the jar and screw on the top. Place the jar in a temperature stable location out of direct sunlight. I left mine on the counter away from the stove.
The next day loosen the top to release the gas build up in the jar. You will see bubbles and hear a distinct spewing sound of the gases being released. The bubbles and gas build up indicate that the fermentation is occurring. Retighten the lid.
Repeat step 4 everyday for a week.
After 1 week open up the jar of the fruit kimchi and remove any scum. I did not have any scum on top, but yours might have scum on top. Enjoy your kimchi!
Store in the leftovers in the refrigerator. This ferment will last a long time in your refrigerator, probably 3 months.