Summer vegetables planted in the garden.
As summer drew to a close, I decided to make a rice bran bed to use up the vegetables I was still harvesting.
Rice bran pickles are known as a traditional Japanese food and preserved food. Summer vegetables are delicious enough even when raw, but by pickling them in a rice bran bed, you can bring about health and beauty benefits, and discover the charm and uniqueness of new ingredients.
And once you become an advanced rice bran maker, you can grow not only vegetables, but also fruits and other perishables! There are many ways to enjoy it.
Why not try making your own rice bran mash to help improve your health and your meals?
Nutritious pickled vegetables
Rice bran pickles are vegetables and other foods pickled in fermented "rice bran bed". Rice bran beds are made by mixing "rice bran", a product of the milling process of rice and other grains, with salt and water and allowing it to ferment with lactic acid. Rice bran is rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, and lipids, and as it is further fermented, it contains plant-based lactic acid bacteria.
Sometimes chili peppers, kelp, and Japanese pepper are added, and as the fermentation process progresses the flavor deepens. The fact that it can be grown in our own way is also a key to its popularity.
◆Helps with "intestinal activity" by improving the intestinal environment◆
Lactic acid bacteria suppress the proliferation of bad bacteria in the intestines and activate the intestinal function. By improving the intestinal environment, not only can you expect to relieve constipation, but it also helps to improve your immune system and prevent cancer. Bad bacteria increase due to an unbalanced diet, irregular lifestyle, stress, constipation, etc., so if any of these apply to you, you should actively incorporate fermented foods into your diet.
Also, because lactic acid bacteria do not live in the intestines, it is said that they need to be supplemented daily. Pickled vegetables are easy to incorporate into your daily diet.
In addition, rice bran is rich in nutrients such as vitamin B1 and potassium, and soaking vegetables in it increases their nutritional value. In particular, it is said that the amount of vitamin B1 increases by about 10 times when pickled in rice bran.
Water: 1L (same amount as bran)
Salt: 130g to 150g
Discarded pickled vegetables... appropriate amount
◆What is "sutezuke"?◆
When you make your rice bran bed from scratch, there are still not many bacteria in it. In order for the bacteria to grow, they need dietary fiber, which is a polysaccharide that acts as food for them.
Examples of vegetables that can be used as pickles include the heads and leaves of radishes, and the cores and leaves of cabbage.
Other suitable vegetables include turnip skin and leaves, and broccoli stems. Generally, it is said that vegetables with little bitterness are suitable for pickling, but any vegetables you have in your fridge will do.
Vegetables pickled in the rice bran bed are often salty and inedible.
[Our family's flavoring ingredients]
Dried bonito flakes (as needed)
30g-50g coarsely ground chilli pepper (to taste)
It also tastes delicious if you add Japanese pepper berries, dried sardines, or dried shiitake mushrooms.
You can add it halfway through the cooking process, so you can add it once the flavor has stabilized.
Creating the base for the rice bran
Once it is thoroughly mixed, add the water while stirring.
Add the mixture slowly, adjusting the amount to avoid it becoming soggy.
(It is important to distribute the moisture evenly throughout the product.)
◆Guidelines for appropriate water content◆
Roll it into a ball about the size of a ping-pong ball, and when you squeeze it tightly with your hands, the water should come out between your fingers. The consistency should be about the same as miso paste. When in doubt, add all the water.
[Add flavoring ingredients to the rice bran bed]
Add the flavoring ingredients.
First, add the bonito flakes and chili peppers and mix.
(The kelp and dried sardines are added after the discarded vegetables, as they will be hard to mix.)
Add pickled vegetables
Leave some space between the vegetables to prevent them from sticking together, and bury them so that all sides are touching the bran.
The discarded pickled vegetables are used to replenish the nutrients and moisture needed for the rice bran bed to ferment. This time, I used the outer leaves of cabbage, carrots, and radishes.
Once all the discarded pickled vegetables are in, lightly smooth the surface and place flavoring ingredients such as kelp or dried sardines around the edge of the container.
(It will soften in about a day, and will be easy to mix when you mix it daily.)
[ Air release ]
Before closing the lid, press the surface firmly with the palm of your hand to remove any air bubbles. This is a basic step in continuing to make rice bran.
It is important to press down and remove all the air, as the lactic acid bacteria thrive in an environment with little oxygen.
◆How to make a rice bran bed/care during the pickling period◆
After adding the discarded pickled vegetables, mix thoroughly from the bottom twice a day for the first 10 days, then reduce to mixing once a day for the next 10 to 20 days. The guideline for replacing the discarded pickled vegetables is after 4 to 5 days. When replacing them, remove as much of the bran as possible from the discarded pickled vegetables, squeeze out the juice from the vegetables, and add them back to the bran bed.
◆How to care for your rice bran bed and how to make pickles◆
Even after the pickling period is over, you should continue to mix it once a day for a while. After two weeks of starting the rice bran bed, the sourness will come out properly, and after about 20 days it should be delicious.
How to make pickled vegetables
Vegetables to be pickled in rice bran should be washed, lightly rubbed with salt, and then pickled. If you want them to pickle faster, cut them in half before pickling.
When pickling cucumbers, the time it takes to pickle will be more than twice as long if you pickle the whole cucumber versus if you cut it in half lengthwise and then pickle it.
Rice bran and refrigerator
If the temperature of the bran bed rises above 30°C, the bacteria in the bran bed may undergo abnormal fermentation, so it is recommended to store it in the refrigerator during the hot summer months.
Enjoying the seasons enriches our lives.
Seasonal customs and human activities that change every year.
Learn the wisdom of enjoying the seasons in the spare time of your busy days.
Even if you are sensitive to the cold, you will look forward to the cold weather. Even on a sweltering summer day, sweat it out with a refreshing smile. The chilly spring rains nurture new shoots, and the autumn moonlit nights as you cherish the bountiful harvest are a great way to take a break. Time to get yourself in shape.
All people live next to nature.
The little excitements in life illuminate and enrich our lives.
Let's write about the seasons together.