Taste of Winter’s Fermented Foods Box

The Gutsy Winter’s Fermented Foods Box is a seasonal product so there is limited stock.

A couple of times in the past Gutsy has created a special package of seasonal fermented vegetables.  These short-run, seasonal special bulk buys have always been a hit, and since we have fun making them, here’s our latest.  The Winter’s Fermented Foods Box comes with the following ferments: 

• Vintage Green Papaya Kraut (usually $14)
• Cauliflower and Yellow Carrot Pickle (usually $14)
• Purple Carrot and Baby Beets Kraut (usually $14)
• Cider Kraut (usually $14) 
• Adzuki Miso (usually $10)
• Fizzy Kimchi Tonic (usually $5)

About the Fermented Vegetables

These 4 special seasonal fermented vegetables are all limited products.  Sometimes we see some seasonal fresh produce and can’t help but ferment it.  These are small batches, get it while they last.  All these Fermented Veggies are (of course): made with certified organic ingredients,  wildly fermented in oak barrels, made with locally sourced produce,  kept raw and unheated for you and your gut.

Vintage Green Papaya Kraut: Cabbage, Green Papaya, Garlic, Ginger, Mint, (very mild) Chili, Kaffir Lime, Australian Sea Salt.

100% product of Australia (made in Brisbane).  Only Certified Organic Ingredients Used.

Most fermented vegetables you see on the market have been fermented for just a few days. Because we love probiotics (and fermenting) so much, Gutsy’s average kraut is fermented for 4 weeks. For this tangy green papaya kraut we’ve gone above and beyond.  This has been fermented for more than 12 months to give you fermented vegetable that’s jam packed with probiotics, mature and tangy but still with a subtle sweetness.  Oh, and by the way, if you’re worried about the chili, don’t…it’s so mild you can’t even taste it.

This vintage kraut has an acidity that had mellowed as an aged wine. It is delicious rolled up in lemongrass chicken rice paper rolls, topped on soba with crispy fried egg, or stuffed into a satay beef burger. Yum! 

Cauliflower and Yellow Carrot Pickle: Carrot, Cauliflower, Myer Lemon, Australian Evaporated Sea Salt, Oregano, Garlic, Bay Leaves, Black Peppercorns. 

100% product of Australia (made in Brisbane).  Only Certified Organic Ingredients Used.

Here is something different that you’ll love.  We’ve pickled these veggies.  That does not mean that we’ve added vinegar and sugar to these veggies and boiled them. No, we’ve pickled these veggies the good old fashioned way.  We’ve let the veggies ferment in a salt brine (in an oak barrel) for about a month.  During this period the good bacteria that already exist on the outside of the veggies get a chance to multiply and propagate.  As a by-product of fermentation lactic acid is created making these veggies nice and tangy as if they were boiled in vinegar.  

The problem with boiling in vinegar is that all bacteria are killed by the head.  The benefit of traditional “pickling” is that the bacteria (aka probiotics) multiply.

Winter Sunshine pickles adds a touch of brightness served alongside hearty stews, tossed into fried rice for a touch of acidity or a roasted veggie salad with toasted almonds and pear. 

Purple Carrot and Baby Beets Kraut: Purple Carrot, Baby Beets, Fennel,  Myer Lemons, White Peppercorns, Australian Sea Salt.  

100% product of Australia (made in Brisbane).  Only Certified Organic Ingredients Used.

This jar of goodness is not only deliciously sweet and Tangy, it also looks great on your plate.  Using Seasonally grown QLD baby beets and purple carrots this bright red dish looks good on any plate.  Compared to cabbage, beetroot and carrot are higher in carbohydrates.  This means that the little fellas (bacteria) are able to multiply faster.  This jar of fermented veggies is extra sweet and extra tangy. This ferment is great on an antipasto platter, piled into a roasted veggie & walnut pesto turkish sandwich or even tossed into a feta, apple & rocket salad. 

Cider Kraut: Green Cabbage, Sutton’s Apple Cider, Fuji Apples, Naturally Evaporated Australian Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Cloves , Cardamon.

100% product of Australia (made in Brisbane).  Only Certified Organic Ingredients Used.

Sweet, Crisp and Tangy.  Kind of like a cold apple pie. Perfect with pork sausages & mashed potatoes, sourdough crackers & cheddar or simply straight out of the jar.  This is a favourite of our kids.  Who doesn’t like apple cider?

About the Adzuki Miso

This is a fermented Adzuki (AKA red) bean miso.  It contains no soy beans.  The only ingredients are: Adzuki Beans, Koji rice starter (rice + aspergillus oryzae), and  naturally evaporated sea salt.  Fermented for 5 months, it’s a savoury miso with umami after notes. Perfect for drizzling on roast veggies, added to caramel sauce, whisk with tahini & honey to make a salad dressing or as a spread on your avo toastie.  

About the Fizzy Kimchi tonic

This is the liquid gold that is left over from jarring our popular Apple Radish Kimchi. This mildly spiced kimchi juice is high in beneficial bacteria and second fermented with cold pressed grapefruit juice. 

That’s what this is, a little tang, a little spice, a little sweetness and a little fizz.  

This tonic is 

• high in antioxidants 
• high in Vitamin C 
• rich in Lactobacillus bacteria 
• aids in detoxification 
• rich in allicin which helps in regulating cholesterol levels 
• protects the body against free radicals 

This is perfect to knock back as a pick-me-up if you’re feeling a little low.  We turn to this in the event of a cold or flu.  Lacking in energy, take a sip of Fizzy Kimchi Tonic.

A Note on Postage and Packaging 

Your Winter’s Fermented Foods Box is shipped in an Expanded Polystyrene Box (EPS) with ice packs, so that it arrives at your door not-so-hot (especially in Summer).  Sometimes, if you live in regional areas, the ice may have melted, and the products may be at room-temperature when they arrive.  That’s not a problem, remember that food as been fermented for generations for the purpose of preservation.  All your fermented food will survive out of the fridge for weeks with no ill effects.

No one really likes Polystyrene.  The form we use is Expanded Polystyrene which means that it uses 2% polystyrene and 98% air.  The boxes we use are also made from styrene that is a by-product of crude-oil extraction.  Also know that the EPS we use is not made with CFCs (so there’s no harm to the ozone) and it’s also 100% recyclable.  See here for more information.  It’s not a perfect solution for us, but it’s workable while we search for something else.

If you live in an Australian Metro Area you will most likely qualify for free shipping.  If you’re in an Australian regional area you will qualify for subsidised shipping.