Korean Natural Farming Fermented Plant Juice

You may first hear about Korean Natural Farming Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) after reading Paul Gautschi’s book Back to Eden. He mentions how he uses the mixture as a foliar fertilizer and soil drench. It increased his yields dramatically, but I found that it was only helpful in the early stages of plant growth when seedlings are just sprouting and plants are young. Later on in the season, it didn’t seem to have much effect at all. That’s because indigo plant juice is only good for certain stages of plant growth, not all parts of the growing season. The key is to add more ingredients so that you get a mixture that can be used throughout the entire growing season:

Ingredients:

Let’s look at the ingredients in this fermented plant juice. The first ingredient is water, which you probably already know by now is a crucial part of any fermented food. Next up are molasses and indigofera tinctoria, which are both byproducts of sugar production: molasses comes from cane or beet sugar, while indigofera tinctoria is a vine that produces a blue dye used in fabrics and foods (think blueberries). We may not all be interested in dyeing our clothes, but it does make for an exciting new way to think about natural farming!

Water

The quality of water you use to make fermented plant juice is very important. The following are some things to consider when selecting your water:

• Use distilled water, which is free of chlorine and fluoride.
• Use water that isn’t contaminated with heavy metals or nitrates. (If your tap water has a high nitrate content, consider using filtered water instead.)
• Don’t use tap water with a pH greater than 7 because it will result in wasting money on expensive supplements and could potentially cause contamination during fermentation process due to the higher acid levels caused by too much CO2 gas production during fermentation process

Molasses

Molasses is a byproduct of the sugarcane industry. Sugarcane juice is extracted to produce sugar crystals, which are then dried and crystallized into granules. The residual liquid becomes molasses, which is rich in micronutrients like minerals, vitamins, amino acids and enzymes.

Indigofera tinctoria (or Indigo)

Indigofera tinctoria, also known as indigo, is a plant that’s been used to make indigo dye since the 9th century. It’s native to tropical and subtropical climates around the world—including India, China, Southeast Asia and Australia—and is the source of blue dyes ranging from sky blue to deep purple.

Instructions:

• Add water to Indigo plant juice and shake vigorously.
• Strain out solids, pour in sprayer or other container. Store in cool place (refrigerator).

Fill a 1-gallon glass jar to the shoulder with chopped Indigo.

Fill a 1-gallon glass jar to the shoulder with chopped Indigo.

• Use a large jar, such as a 1-gallon jar or even a 10-gallon drum if you have one. A glass container is best because it allows you to see what’s going on inside and makes it easier to make sure everything has been properly mixed.
• Leave room at the top of the jar for expansion when fermentation begins, which can be up to 70 percent by volume in some cases! If your fermentation goes well, you’ll need space for extra liquid as well as foam and froth (hooray!). If your ferment hasn’t expanded much after 24 hours, then you may have added too much Indigo; try adding more water next time around instead of making new batches every time something doesn’t go quite right!
• Securely seal your ferment with an airlock or plastic cap with holes poked in it using awl or screwdriver tip if there aren’t any holes already provided at its base

Add 1/4-cup molasses and fill jar about all the way up to the top, leaving about 2 inches of head-space.

Molasses is a byproduct of the sugar refining process and contains vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that are good for your health. Molasses is rich in iron and calcium as well as many other nutrients. It’s also a natural sweetener that gives this fermented plant juice its distinctive taste.

Add water until completely full and cap tightly.

Now you’re ready to add your water. Fill the jar up until it is just below the shoulder, which is the widest part of your jar. This should leave about 2 inches of head-space for gas expansion and extra room for shaking and mixing later on. Now fill up all remaining space in the jar with water that has been boiled and cooled, then cap tightly!

Now you’ve got a fully fermented plant juice that will last at least 2 years if kept in a cool location (below 70 degrees).

Shake vigorously 1-2 times each day until fermentation is complete (about 3 weeks).

Fermentation is a process where beneficial bacteria break down the sugar in the juice and produce lactic acid. Lactic acid prevents any harmful pathogens from growing, so it’s essential to allow fermentation to occur.

• Shake the jar vigorously 1-2 times each day until fermentation is complete (about 3 weeks).

Strain out solids and pour into a sprayer or other container with a tight fitting lid and store in cool place.

• Strain out solids and pour into a sprayer or other container with a tight fitting lid and store in cool place.

Try fermenting indigo plant juice to make it a more powerful fertlizer!

Fermentation is a way to improve the quality of plant juice and make it more potent. It’s also a good way to make plant juice last longer and make it more palatable, which many people find helpful when they are trying to incorporate fermented foods into their diets.

Here are some tips for fermenting your own indigo seedling:

• Store your fermented indigo in an airtight jar away from sunlight in a cool place like the refrigerator or basement (not too cold).
• If you have an extra room that’s not being used, consider using that room as your fermentation chamber! This will help keep things cool enough so that your fermenting process goes smoothly without any issues.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the methods of Korean Natural Farming so that you can use them for yourself.