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Hand packing chopped bok choy, jalapeños, and shallots into a glass jar during the fermentation process
Sauerkraut & Kimchi

Lacto Fermented Bok Choy with Jalapenos and Shallots

This easy lacto fermented bok choy recipe is perfect for beginners and seasoned pros. I love incorporating Jalapenos and shallots for great flavor.

Prep: 10 minutes
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Ferment | Sauerkraut & Kimchi

Lacto Fermented Bok Choy with Jalapenos and Shallots

This easy lacto fermented bok choy recipe is perfect for beginners and seasoned pros. I love incorporating Jalapenos and shallots for great flavor.

Hand packing chopped bok choy, jalapeños, and shallots into a glass jar during the fermentation process

Making Lacto Fermented Bok Choy

Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage that is similar in texture to Napa cabbage. Since bok choy and all cabbages grow low and very close to the soil, their microbiome composition is wonderful! This makes all cabbages easy vegetables to ferment, and fermented bok choy is one of my absolute favorites.

It’s important to start with fresh vegetables for this fermentation project. You can use these easy tips to make sure your bok choy is fresh and ready for fermentation:

  • Crisp and Snappy: The leaves should be firm and crisp with turgor pressure. When you break off a bok choy leaf, you should hear a “snap.” If the leaves are malleable and you can bend them without snapping, the bok choy isn’t fresh.
  • Color: Fresh bok choy leaves have bright white bottoms and vivid green tops. Don’t use bok choy that has yellowing on the green parts of the leaves.
  • Start Cold: Before fermenting, store your bok choy in the fridge in a bowl of cold, filtered water. This will help keep the bok choy fresh and crisp.
Hands holding a bowl of freshly chopped bok choy, jalapeños, and shallots, ready for fermentation

Fermented Bok Choy Health Benefits

Why is bok choy such a healthy vegetable? It’s part of one of the best groups of vegetables, the Brassica vegetables, which are known for incredible health benefits.

Brassica vegetables contain health-promoting phytochemicals like vitamins, fiber, minerals, glucosinolates, and phenolic compounds.

The beneficial effects of Brassica vegetables on health improvement can be attributed to the complex mixture of antioxidant phytochemicals in these veggies. Many of the polyphenols found in this bok choy help to reduce inflammation and the symptoms of inflammatory conditions. 

Let’s dive deeper into those phenolic compounds found in all cabbages. Depending on the structure, polyphenols can be classified into simple phenols, phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and flavonoids.

Phenolic compounds are known to be protective against cancer and heart disease because of their potent antioxidative properties. These polyphenols become more bioavailable and potent through the microbial action of fermentation. Desirable microbes transform plant fiber during fermentation and generate even more bioactive peptides and polyphenols. 

 Adding chopped bok choy, jalapeños, and shallots to a glass jar before fermentation
 Pressing vegetables down in the jar to prepare for adding brine and fermentation weight

Bok Choy Fermented for One Month

The probiotic bacteria in fermented bok choy are very similar to the probiotic bacteria found in fermented green cabbage (sauerkraut). After fermentation, fermented bok choy is loaded with beneficial, gut-health-promoting Lactobacillus species.

Here’s what happens when you ferment bok choy:

  • 24 – 48 hours: Ensure all contents in the jar are fully submerged beneath the brine. Some Gram-negative bacteria and opportunistic pathogens may still be present during this period (but do not worry! They will be eliminated). These microorganisms require oxygen, which will gradually be used up in the liquid.
  • 48 hours – 10 days: You’ll start noticing plenty of bubbles forming, marking the beginning of stage two in vegetable fermentation. This phase sees the thriving of beneficial Leuconostoc bacteria, gradually displacing all Gram-negative organisms.
  • 10-14 days: The bubbles in the brine will begin to lessen as the ferment moves into stage three. The mixture will turn cloudy, change color, and develop a delightful sour aroma, characteristic of thriving Lactobacillus species during this period.
  • 14 – 21 days: Lactobacillus species will dominate the microbial community, with Leuconostoc bacteria diminishing. Lactobacillus spp. will start producing abundant lactic acid, enhancing the pleasantly sour scent of the fermented cabbage. This phase signifies the preservation of the vegetable mixture.
  • 21 – 28 days: It’s time for a sensory check! Wait until the bok choy reaches your preferred aroma and taste. We like it best when refrigerated around day 25, with its perfectly balanced flavors.

Supplies to Make Fermented Bok Choy at Home

A kitchen scale top down showing the dual scale platforms and digital measurement screen

Kitchenaid Dual Platform Scale

Glass fermentation weights product picture

Wide Mouth Fermentation Weights

A blue package of unrefined sea salt with a wave image on it

Unrefined Sea Salt

a yellow, orange, blue and green plastic lid product image

Regular Mouth Rust Proof Mason Jar Lids

an empty Ball mason jar showing label

32 Oz Mason Jars

two glass weck jars one with pickles inside and the other with bubbly sourdough starter

Weck Jars

Plastic pH Test Strips (pH 0-14)

Plastic pH Test Strips (pH 0-14)

Making Preserved Bok Choy with Fermentation

Burp the Jar

During the first few days of fermentation: carbon dioxide and bubbles will be produced. Sometimes, jars will become very full of liquid, and this liquid can seep out. 

  • If using a standard mason jar lid: remove the lid and tamper everything back down using a gloved hand, tamper, or spoon. Make sure everything is still submerged below the brine. 

Always trust your sense of smell

Fermented bok choy should smell pleasantly sour. Never eat fermented vegetables that smell repulsive or like alcohol. 

Never eat anything that has mold growing on it

By following directions and using high-quality, organic ingredients, you should not encounter this problem. 

Taste test at three weeks

If you prefer more tart and sour fermented vegetables, let the fermentation proceed at room temperature for up to five weeks.

a finished jar of fermented bok choy sits in a dish to prevent a mess when fermentation starts.

FAQs

What Temperature Should I Keep My Fermented Bok Choy at?

While fermenting, keep the temperature between 70 and 80 degrees F. Keep out of direct sunlight. After fermentation, keep refrigerated.

How Long Should I Ferment Bok Choy?  

After 3 weeks, remove the fermentation weight and do a smell and taste test. Your fermented bok choy should smell pleasantly sour, and it should taste similar to sauerkraut.

Do I Need to Refrigerate Fermented Bok Choy? 

Yes. After fermenting for at least three weeks, cover the jar with a regular mason jar lid and refrigerate. Consume within six months for full probiotic benefits.

More Fermentation Recipes to Try

  • Homemade Kimchi Inspired Spicy Sauerkraut Recipe
  • The Healthiest Lacto Fermented Garlic Recipe
  • Fermented Beet and Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
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Hand packing chopped bok choy, jalapeños, and shallots into a glass jar during the fermentation process
Sauerkraut & Kimchi

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4.8 from 4 reviews

Lacto Fermented Bok Choy with Jalapenos and Shallots

This easy lacto fermented bok choy recipe is perfect for beginners and seasoned fermentation enthusiasts. I love incorporating Jalapenos and shallots for great flavor. Feel free to change it up a bit and use any pepper you want!

  • Prep: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 504 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 450 grams bok choy chopped
  • 50 grams shallots
  • 50 grams jalapeno*
  • 20 grams sea salt
  • 200 grams filtered water

Instructions

  1. Wash your fermentation equipment (jar, weight and lid)
  2. Rinse the baby bok choy with cool water. I prefer to rinse it, chop it, then rinse it again, since it has a lot of folds that can hold dirt.
  3. Chop the bok choy, peppers and shallots.
  4. Place your kitchen scale on the counter. Turn it on and set it to weigh in grams.
  5. Measure out all of your ingredients using your kitchen scale.
  6. Mix everything, including the water, in a large bowl.
  7. Pack it all, including the water, into a clean jar with a rust-proof lid. (a 32-ounce jar works best)
  8. Place a fermentation weight in the jar, secure the lid and allow it to ferment for at least 21 days the refrigerate. You can keep the jar in a glass dish to catch any spills.
  9. It should get bubbly in the first few days. If you have a tightly secured lid, you will need to burp the jar. You can rinse off the lid and re-adjust the fermentation weight whenever needed.

Notes

  • Bok choy sold triple-washed and bagged in grocery stores will have an inadequate microbiome, making it difficult to ferment properly. Use fresh bok choy sold loosely, from the farmers market, or your own garden.
  • Don’t like spicy? Sub the jalapeno for bell pepper; it’s delicious! Wan’t it spicier? Try serrano peppers instead of jalapeno.
  • This recipe works best with a 32-ounce mason jar.
  • I tested the recipe in a 24-ounce weck jar in the photos and it wasn’t quite big enough. But I did try using two tiny weck jar lids as weights, and that worked great with the bigger weck jar lid clipped down holding them down.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star review below if you loved it! Tag @cultured.guru on Instagram

 

Nutrition information is auto-calculated and estimated as close as possible. We are not responsible for any errors. We have tested the recipe for accuracy, but your results may vary.

Reference Material:

Phenolic Compounds in Brassica Vegetables

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Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist
Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.
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  1. Marcy Grote
    05|26|2020

    My store doesn’t carry baby Bok choy . Can I substitute regular Bok choy?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      05|26|2020

      Absolutely! You’ll just want to chop it into pieces since it won’t fit in the jar whole like baby bok choy.

      Reply
  2. Emma Schroeder
    06|05|2021

    Thanks for sharing! I’m excited to try it! I’m curious about the addition of lemon. In addition to flavor, do the lemon slices serve another purpose?

    Emma

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      06|06|2021

      No, the lemon is just in there for flavor. But if you add too much lemon with the peel it will develop a soapy flavor. You can leave it out if you’d like.

      Reply
  3. Scott Nelson
    07|16|2021

    I started my first batch of this recipe today. Your equipment notes say 16 oz. jar, but I needed a 32 oz. jar and everything just fit. It is also my first attempt at fermentation. I am using silicone fermentation lids. I will let you know how it turns out. I see peppercorns in the photos, do I need to add those? Thanks for posting this article.

    Reply
  4. Janice
    10|20|2022

    My favorite fermentation recipe for fall! I grow bok choy in my garden, so I harvest some while it’s still small and use this recipe to preserve it. I like to add garlic and red pepper, but I leave out the lemon.

    Reply
  5. dee
    07|12|2023

    You could add something with tannins like a grape leaf or a bay leaf to make them snappy.

    Reply
  6. Mark
    06|27|2024

    Describe amounts in cups and tablespoons as well.

    Reply
  7. Marc
    01|28|2025

    Hi, thank you for the recipe.
    I did find the whole recipe page a bit cumbersome and overloaded, including too much detail in the instructions, but maybe that’s just me. So I simply did the usual nearly boiling water (to keep it crunchy) with sea salt (around 10% – the nose knows), bok choi, added a baby red pepper (small, cute and long), a chopped up carrot, some sort of dry chilli which I flaked down with its seeds, along with some pickle mix (coriander, mustard, and other seeds). Gonna see how that works out. Also, I just used a normal jar with the “pop button” in the lid. Been making my pickles like that.
    Kudos for the whole venture, good to do and share, and nice having a feedback page.

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      01|28|2025

      Thanks for your feedback! This is such an old recipe, from when we were just starting out as bloggers. Our recipe writing style has come a long way, and this one is actually getting an update in the next two weeks!

      Reply
  8. Terri
    04|10|2025

    I am getting to harvest my first baby bok choy of the year so I am excited to try this. Note: when printing the recipe, I chose not to include image and description in the print view, however, both were included in the print view so the entire recipe printed. It’s frustrating when the recipe instructions are split between two pages. (I also chose the smaller print size hoping to get it all one page.)

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      04|11|2025

      Glad you’re going to try my recipe! I’ll let our web developers know about the print issue! Thanks for the feedback on that!

      Reply

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sourdough discard 🤝 cottage cheese combined tw sourdough discard 🤝 cottage cheese

combined two of the best fermented foods to make the best pancakes. And yes, you can ferment the batter overnight in the fridge for easier digestion. 

My recipe makes 15 pancakes and each serving of 3 pancakes had 17 grams of protein! 

Get the recipe from my recipe index, linked in my profile✨

#sourdough #cottagecheese #pancakes #fermentation
It can suppress overgrowth of Candida albicans, wh It can suppress overgrowth of Candida albicans, while boosting good bacteria in your gut! 

Roasting garlic increases beneficial garlic compounds like diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide — or DADS, for short. Both of these compounds have been studied for their anti-inflammatory (anti-cancer), antioxidant, and antifungal properties.

It’s definitely a sauerkraut you should keep in your rotation.

To get the recipe google “garlic sauerkraut.” and you’ll see mine it’s the first one.

Sources:
PMC8777027 (Diallyl Disulfide (DADS) Ameliorates Intestinal Candida albicansInfection by Modulating the Gut microbiota and Metabolites and Providing Intestinal Protection)

https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9100401 (diallyl disulfide (DADS) shows a substantial increase, with concentrations rising from 1.6 mg/g in non-fermented garlic to 4.8 mg/g in its fermented counterpart, suggesting enhanced bioactivity through fermentation)
✨Cottage Cheese Ice Cream✨with Brown Butter an ✨Cottage Cheese Ice Cream✨with Brown Butter and Vanilla

I know, I know, I’m making everything with cottage cheese right now. But how can I not? Cottage cheese is one of the most protein-rich fermented foods.

If you love ice cream and cheesecake-like flavor, you’ll love this recipe. it’s high in protein, requires only four simple ingredients, and does not require churning. So, you do not need an ice cream maker!

A half-cup serving of this ice cream has 12 grams of protein, making it a healthy and balanced sweet snack. Get the recipe from the recipe index linked in my profile. 

#cottagecheese #icecream
Baked ✨Cottage Cheese✨ Queso Dip It’s crea Baked ✨Cottage Cheese✨ Queso Dip 

It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with protein, but with fewer calories thanks to the cottage cheese base. And it’s only 6 ingredients +toppings! 

I love it topped with cilantro, diced tomatoes, onions and fresh jalapeños! 

Get the full recipe from my recipe index, linked in my bio. 

#queso #cheese #cottagecheese
Why do you add water to sauerkraut? To that I as Why do you add water to sauerkraut? 

To that I ask: who told y’all you can’t add water to sauerkraut? 

Adding water standardizes my recipes, making sure everyone gets enough brine, regardless of cabbage variability. 

Google “cultured guru sauerkraut” and you’ll see my recipes! 

#sauerkraut #fermentation
Bok choy is similar in texture to Napa cabbage and Bok choy is similar in texture to Napa cabbage and lovely for fermentation. 

Since bok choy and all cabbages grow low and very close to the soil, their microbiome composition is wonderful! This makes all cabbages easy vegetables to ferment, and fermented bok choy is one of my absolute favorites.

Google fermented bok choy and you’ll see my recipe, it’s the first one. ☝🏼 #cabbage #fermentation #homestead 

Ps. I used some tiny weck jar lids for weights in my bigger weck jar and it worked great!
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