Is it just me or is cauliflower the new kale?
For years I considered cauliflower to be the ugly step brother to broccoli. It doesn’t have much taste, tends to make your refrigerator smell funky and let’s be honest, it looks like brains.
These days, I use cauliflower a million different ways. My favorites being cauliflower rice and cauliflower NACHOS! It also makes a good roasting vegetable to bulk up veggie heavy meals like buddha bowls. It’s actually a pretty versatile vegetable.
And it turns out it’s also a great vegetable for fermenting! Add in the smokey flavor of chipotle peppers and you have yourself some of the best cauliflower you’ve ever had!
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Fermented Cauliflower with Chipotle Peppers
1 small head of cauliflower
2 dehydrated chipotle peppers
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups filtered water
Quart-size glass jar with lid or airlock device
First, dissolve the sea salt into the filtered water and set aside. Then cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets. Place one chipotle pepper in the bottom of the jar and then fill half way with cauliflower florets. Add in the second chipotle pepper and continue filling with cauliflower, leaving enough room for a fermentation weight at the top. Pour in the salt water until all of the cauliflower is covered.
Top with a glass weight and cap with a regular lid or airlock device.
You’ll start noticing the water turning cloudy and some bubbles within about 24 hours. This means your cauliflower is on its way to fermented bliss.
I tasted the cauliflower at 7, 14 and 21 days. I found it starting to sour at 14 days and ready to eat at 21 days. The length of fermentation needed for this recipe will depend on a few variables including the temperature of your fermenting environment and your personal taste preference. For me, 21 days was the sweet spot.
I used the Pickle Pusher from Ultimate Pickle Jar for this recipe. The Pickle Pusher is an all-in-one ‘weight’ and airlock system. The green part acts as a weight and keeps everything under the brine for safe fermenting. It also comes with a lid and airlock to fit a wide mouth mason jar. It’s great for ferments where the vegetables tend the float in the brine.
Add fermented cauliflower to your summer salads for some extra taste and crunch!

Fermented Cauliflower with Chipotle Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower
- 2 dehydrated chipotle peppers
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups filtered water
Instructions
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Dissolve the sea salt in filtered water
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Cut cauliflower into florets
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Place one chipotle pepper in the bottom of the jar
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Fill half way with cauliflower florets
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Add in the other chipotle pepper
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Fill the rest of the jar with cauliflower florets leaving room for a fermentation weight
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Pour in the salt water brine until everything is covered
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Weigh down the cauliflower and water mixture with a fermentation weight
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Place lid or airlock on jar
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Let ferment for 14-21 days
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Remove airlock (if used) and put a lid on the jar
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Store in refrigerator
I’ve never tried making fermented anything! Looks amazing though. Is it similar to pickling things?
Hi Nikita- Fermenting vegetables is actually pretty easy and you don’t need any fancy equipment! It’s kind of like pickling in that you get to choose fun ways to flavor your vegetables and the fermentation process preserves your food!
I love the flavor of chipotle peppers, I really am not sure why I haven’t used it in fermenting before! This is a great idea, and I can’t wait to give your recipe a try. How does the chipotle flavor change after fermenting? Does it concentrate the heat?
Hi Billy- The smokiness of the chipotle pepper remains and it tends to get spicier the longer it ferments. I definitely recommend giving them a try. I have a hot sauce recipe featuring chipotle peppers coming up soon!