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For years, I’ve told people with even a mild interest in preserving food that sauerkraut is dead easy to make, and they should try it.

If you’ve never fermented or canned anything, and you are intimidated by the process or even the idea of it, make sauerkraut if you like sauerkraut. And maybe even if you don’t love it, since your sauerkraut will likely be better than anything you buy.

Are you missing Tancook brand sauerkraut? You can make your own in your kitchen, in minutes. Then just leave it to do its thing. (An easy sauerkraut recipe follows, at the end of this section; I feel like I’m writing a recipe blog now: “Skip to recipe”).

I still think sauerkraut is the easiest ferment, and maybe the best beginner project, because it is hard to get wrong. (Sure, sometimes things go awry, but if they do, that doesn’t mean you are bad at preparing food. Shit happens).

But over the last couple of years, I’ve come to really enjoy making hot sauces, and I think they are a great starter project too. And now is a near ideal time to make them: the temperature is ideal for home fermentation, and there are still local veggies and peppers (hot and otherwise) available.

Hot sauces are not particularly expensive to buy, and we have several local companies making good ones. You can support them and still try making your own. It’s easy, incredibly satisfying, and they can easily last over a year in your fridge.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve made a chili-garlic sauce with fish sauce, a knock-off of my favourite Marie Sharp’s carrot/ginger/garlic hot sauce, Louisiana-style hot sauce, and three different hot sauces combining fruit and habaneros, or similar peppers: one with blueberries, one with pineapple (er, not local pineapple) and one with peaches. Some are dynamite, in terms of flavour, not just heat. But even the less good ones are still very good.

There are two basic techniques for fermenting your hot sauce. You can either submerge all the ingredients in a brine, or coarsely chop them, salt them, and let them ferment that way, adding any liquid later.

For my peach-habanero hot sauce, I pulsed the ingredients (peaches, hot peppers, and salt), then left them in a Mason jar to ferment for a couple of weeks. I did top up with a little bit of brine from time to time, to keep everything submerged. Once the hot sauce had the flavour I was looking for, I blended it to a consistency I liked, adding a bit of vinegar to it. So easy.

The Marie Sharp’s style sauce involved coarsely chopping the ingredients (a few different kinds of hot and sweet peppers, garlic, carrot, and parsnip; I meant to add ginger, but forgot), and submerging them in a brine for a couple of weeks. Then, I drained them, reserving the brine, and blended it all up, adding in brine as needed to get the right consistency. I also added some apple cider vinegar to get that flavour, and to not make the hot sauce too salty.

Again, incredibly easy. We’re talking going from “Oh, I think I’ll make some hot sauce this evening,” to having it happily jarred and fermenting in maybe half an hour.

I used to make a lot of jellies and jams, and some of them — rose petal jelly in particular — I cherished for that feeling of summer I would get while enjoying them in the middle of winter. I find I get a similar effect from hot sauces now. A little hit of oomph in the winter months that reminds me of the bountiful summer and fall (even in a drought).

I bought more peppers than even several hot sauces could use, so we also dehydrated a bunch, including several that look like the ones below. Local hot peppers year-round.

Credit: Stephan Hinni/ Unsplash

I should emphasize also that I am a person who grew up with pretty much zero cooking ability, and who understands that cooking is not something that comes easy to many people, so please believe me when I say making hot sauce can be very easy.

I hesitate to share recipes, because I tend to use them as inspiration, but do a lot of fiddling.

Oh, that’s too much sugar.

What? I’m not going to boil it after the fermentation.

Hm, what if I use peaches instead of blueberries?

I don’t think this is enough salt, so I’m going to use more, and cut down on the fish sauce.

And so on.

With that in mind, here are some of the recipes I’ve played with:

• Louisiana hot sauce
• Berries and habaneros
• Pineapple habanero
• Chili-garlic (The recipe says it is like Sriracha, but I disagree)
• Marie Sharp’s carrot-style

Fermenting these sauces requires salt, because that ensures the growth of the bacteria you want — so you get fermentation instead of putrefaction. A good rule of thumb for hot sauces is to go with a 5% brine. It could be more, it could be less, but five generally works well. By 5% brine, I mean measure your water, and then add 5% of that in salt. So, for a litre of water, you would use five grams of salt.

Finally, you don’t have to like blow-your-face-off heat to make these. Adjust the recipes! Use fewer hot peppers and more sweet peppers, for instance. A couple of years ago, I made a Louisiana hot sauce with peppers that looked fearsome but turned out to be mild. Fortunately, they also turned out to be very tasty. It was a lovely sauce, even though it didn’t pack any heat.

I promised you a sauerkraut recipe, and I haven’t forgotten. Here we go.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg cabbage, red or green, or both. (This is about half a medium-sized cabbage)
• 20 ml sea salt (or 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp; if using coarse salt and measuring by volume, use a bit more)
• A bit of extra water or brine (if necessary)

Method:

• Slice or chop the cabbage; thick, fine, however you like it.
• Sprinkle salt over the cabbage and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Use your hands or, if you don’t have enough hand strength, the bottom of a jar or something similar to squeeze and mash down the cabbage. It will decrease in volume and release a bunch of liquid.
• Pack the cabbage tightly into a one-litre Mason or equivalent, squeezing down hard. Really pack it in there. The liquid will rise to the surface. Add extra if the cabbage is not totally covered
• If you have a fermentation weight, drop it into the jar. If not, no big deal.
• Put a plastic lid on it, or, if you use a metal lid, put some wax paper under it.
• Check the jar every couple of days to make sure the cabbage is submerged. Add more brine or even just plain water if it’s not.

Note that the fermentation will probably cause it to bubble over, so leave the jar on a tray, bowl, plate, or something similar.

If you want a Tancook brand style of flavour, a week of fermentation will probably be fine. I prefer two to four weeks. Taste it every few days, and when it has a flavour you like, pop it into the fridge, where it will keep for months.

That’s the basic recipe. You can add all kinds of flavourings before packing it into the jar, if you prefer: cumin, caraway seeds, apple slices, coriander, and garlic, alone or in combination, are all classics. Enjoy.

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RECENTLY IN THE HALIFAX EXAMINER:

**1. **N.S. government launches portal to streamline mining permits

Nova Scotia’s Minister of Natural Resources Tory Rushton speaks to reporters about the Critical Minerals Strategy, on May 14, 2025. Credit: Tim Bousquet

Madiha Mughees reports:

The Nova Scotia government has launched a new tool to make it easier for mining companies to conduct business in the province.

The tool, called NovaMINE and currently in its first phase, is a permitting portal that cost $60,000. It aims to streamline the permitting process for mining companies.

Rushton spoke about the portal, which he called a “one-stop shop” at a press conference:

Rushton called NovaMINE “more than a tool,” saying it signals that Nova Scotia is an “innovative, credible, and forward-thinking” province.

“The world needs what we have to offer. Whether it’s clean energy, critical minerals, high-quality food, manufactured goods, or services,” Rushton said. “Responsibly and ethically developing these resources is key to ‌Nova Scotia’s economic future.”

Click or tap here to read “N.S. government launches portal to streamline mining permits.”

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2. Fact Checking Fillmore: Mayor told town hall Halifax’s bike lane network will cost $165 million

Two women on bicycles ride in a bike lane on Hollis Street in front of Province House on Aug. 23, 2025. Credit: Suzanne Rent

Suzanne Rent reports:

Mayor Andy Fillmore told a crowd at a recent town hall that phase two of the construction of the municipality’s AAA bike lane network will cost an additional $65 million, and the entire network will cost $165 million.

But that figure isn’t accurate.

Rent writes that Fillmore described himself at the meeting as a champion of bike lanes, but raised concerns about cost. Since he didn’t elaborate on where the “$65 million for phase two” figure came from, Rent did some digging. There are a couple of problems with Fillmore’s statement, starting with this one, from Rent’s story:

First, there’s no phase two of the project. The bike lane network is about 60% complete and there is work underway now, including the bike lane on Brunswick Street. That project includes a two-way bike lane on the west side of the street…

Fillmore may have considered the connection of the remainder of the bike lane network as a phase two costing about $65 million. But that number is included in the original $93 million, not in addition to that spending.

Click or tap here to read “Fact Checking Fillmore: Mayor told town hall Halifax’s bike lane network will cost $165 million.”

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**3. **Community council votes in favour of St. Mark’s development in Halifax

A corner view of the proposed 10-storey development at Gottingen and Russell streets. Credit: WM Fares

Suzanne Rent reports:

Halifax and West Community Council has voted in favour of a heritage development agreement that includes a 10-storey apartment building behind a historic north end church.

The vote in favour of the project was made even though some councillors and the public took issue with the building’s height…

The heritage development agreement includes tearing down the church hall, which was built in the 1970s, and building a multi-storey apartment building on the lot. That building will include 82 one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.

The proposal also includes restoring the historic church, which was built in 1921.

The church hall has two tenants, including a child care centre.

Click or tap here to read “Community council votes in favour of St. Mark’s development in Halifax.”

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IN OTHER NEWS

1. Euphemisms for shooting and killing

RCMP vehicle in a Lower Sackville parking lot in August, 2023. Credit: Yvette d’Entremont

The RCMP shot a man in Eastern Passage yesterday. I learned about this when I opened the local Bluesky feed, and saw several posts repeating the phrases “RCMP-involved shooting” and “police-involved shooting.” Really? I thought. Are we still doing this?

It was refreshing to get a bit farther down on the page and see two local editors sharing the news by saying, “a cop shot someone” and “a Mountie shot and injured someone.”

CBC is one of the few media outlets to consistently get this right. A CBC story on the shooting says:

One person was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot by police in Eastern Passage, N.S., on Tuesday.

The shooting occurred after Mounties were called at 1:48 p.m. to respond to a report of an assault at a Cedar Lane residence, said an RCMP news release.

The police are allowed to shoot people, but are incapable of saying straight-up that they shot someone:

The release said an officer discharged a firearm and “a person sustained life-threatening injuries consistent with a gun shot wound.

Another euphemism that irks me no end is the misuse of the word euthanize. Euthanize comes from Greek, and literally means to ease death. When your pet is suffering terribly and you take them to the vet to die a peaceful death, that’s euthanasia. If a perfectly healthy wild animal starts bothering people in a suburb, can’t be relocated, and is then killed, that’s often referred to as euthanasia, but it’s not.

I’ve found the use of “euthanized” particularly galling in stories about the fate of 30 beluga whales at Marineland, in Ontario, which is closed to the public. Several stories have talked about how the animals might have to be euthanized. No. That lets humans off the hook for what we are really doing to them.

So I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see that the Front Burner podcast’s summary of today’s episode on Marineland says this:

For years, the park has been mired in controversy and allegations of animal abuse. Business has declined to the point that the park is now closed to the public. However, several animals including 30 beluga whales remain trapped there. Marineland says it needs money or a new home for the whales, or else they might have to kill them.

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2. Zachary Richard receives Acadian honour

Zachary Richard performing at Montreal’s Francofolies festival in 2013. Credit: Jeangagnon

At Radio-Canada, Marie-Emma Parenteau reports that songwriter and performer Zachary Richard has received the Léger-Comeau Medal, the highest honour granted by the Société nationale de l’Acadie (SNA):

Martin Théberge surprised Zachary Richard on stage, during his 50 ans de Réveille show at the Festivals acadiens et créoles en Louisiane music festival last Friday, presenting him with the medal in front of several thousand people. (Translated from the original).

The medal was first presented in 1985. The SNA’s Théberge said he heard from a number of Acadians who were surprised to hear Richard was the most recent recipient — because they assumed he’d already received the honour long ago.

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3. 10-year-old gets the scoop

Highway 333 in Hacketts Cove. Credit: Philip Moscovitch

Earlier this year, when crews were cutting and mulching trees along the side of the Peggy’s Cove Road, I assumed it was because they were growing up through the power lines. But the work seemed too extensive for that. Could we actually be getting a bike lane on the 333?

Over the last few weeks, crews have been back on the road, replacing culverts and drainage pipes, and seeming to do prep work for a paved shoulder.

This month’s issue of the community paper the Masthead News, features a short piece by 10-year-old Nuala MacCormack of Hacketts Cove, who has launched her own hyper-local newspaper, the Hacketts Cove News. MacCormack writes:

There is a lot in the neighbourhood that not that many people know about, so I thought I could spread the word.

For example, I had heard things from my parents and some of my friends in the neighbourhood, like rumours that we were going to get a bike path. I emailed the city council, and they said it was true. We were going to get a paved shoulder for active transportation. I wanted to tell everyone the news and make them excited.

I see a bright future for this kid.

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Government

City

Wednesday

Audit and Finance Standing Committee (Wednesday, 10am, City Hall and online) — agenda

Thursday

Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee (Thursday, 10am, City Hall and online) — agenda

Province

Public Accounts (Wednesday, 9am, One Government Place and online) — 2025 Report of the Auditor General – School Capital Planning; with representatives from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning, Department of Public Works, and Halifax Regional Centre for Education

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On campus

Dalhousie

Wednesday

15th Annual Dalhousie Mawio’mi (Wednesday, 10am, Studley Quad) — vendors, lunch, drumming, dancing; rain location: McInnes Room SUB

Noonish Hour Free Live Music: Guitar (Wednesday, 11:45am, Room 406, Dalhousie Arts Centre) — details

**Noonish Hour Free Live Music: Voice **(Wednesday, 11:45am, Strug Concert Hall) — details

Thursday

Waters Flowing Together: Two Eyes, One Ocean — A Symposium (Thursday, 10am, St. Columba Parish Hall, Iona, Cape Breton) — panels on Indigenous knowledge, ocean science, and eco-tourism with Dalhousie researchers and community leaders; details

Bullying and Youth Mental Health: Supporting Healthy Relationships for Healthy Development(Thursday, 11:30am, Room P4260, Life Sciences Centre) — Laura Lambe from St. Francis Xavier University will talk

Group Read – Reclaiming Power + Place: The Final Report (Thursday, 12pm, Indigenous Student Centre and online) — details

Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Thursday, 1pm, Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, Truro) — details

King’s

Wednesday

No events

Thursday

There’s Something in the Water (Thursday, 4pm, KTS Lecture Hall) — screening and discussion with Louise Delisle and Vanessa Hartley

Saint Mary’s

Wednesday

No events

Thursday

Finding Molly Johnson (Thursday, 7pm, Sobey Conference Theatre) — Mark Gowan will talk

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Literary Events

Wednesday

Book launch (Wednesday, 7pm, theatre Arts Guild’s Pond Playhouse, Halifax) — Brenda Tyedmers’ Mrs. Walford

Thursday

Book launch and reception (Thursday, 6pm, The President’s Lodge) — Myra Bloom and Kasia Van Shaik’s Shelter in Text: Essays on Dwelling and Refuge

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In the harbour

Halifax 06:30: Le Boreal, cruise ship with up to 264 passengers, arrives at Pier 23 from Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine 07:00: Brilliance of the Seas, cruise ship with up to 2,580 passengers, arrives at Pier 22 from Saint John, on a seven-day roundtrip cruise out of Boston 07:00: AP Revelin, bulker, moves from Pier 27 to anchorage 07:00: Eva Bright, bulker, moves from Pier 27 to anchorage 07:30: Vision of the Seas, cruise ship with up to 2,443 passengers, arrives at Pier 20 from Sydney, on a nine-day roundtrip cruise out of Baltimore 10:50: Augusta Luna, cargo ship, arrives at Pier 27 from Moa, Cuba 13:00: Arctic Rock, cargo ship, sails from Pier 9 for sea 16:30: Oceanex Sanderling, ro-ro container, moves from Fairview Cove to Autoport 17:00: Brilliance of the Seas sails for Sydney 17:30: Vision of the Seas sails for Baltimore 18:30: Le Boreal sails for sea 21:00: CMA CGM Arctic, container ship (150,844 tonnes), arrives at Pier 41 from Colombo, Sri Lanka Midnight: Augusta Luna sails for Bilboa, Spain

Cape Breton 05:00: Seven Seas Splendor, cruise ship with up to 829 passengers, arrives at Sydney anchorage from Saint John, on an 11-day cruise from Boston to Montréal 05:45: Zuiderdam, cruise ship with up to 2,364 passengers, arrives at Government Wharf (Sydney) from Charlottetown, on a seven-day cruise from Québec City to Boston 10:00: Allura, cruise ship with up to 1,469 passengers, arrives at Liberty Pier (Sydney) from Saguenay, on a 14-day roundtrip cruise out of New York 15:30: Zuiderdam sails for Halifax 15:30: Seven Seas Splendor sails for Corner Brook 19:00: Allura sails for Halifax 23:00: Phoenix Admiral, oil tanker, arrives at EverWind from New York

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Footnotes

• We need to buy new winter tires. Yesterday, I looked up reviews of various tires, but it is such a slog trying to find anything helpful. One guy who reviews tires on YouTube feels the need to make his reviews exciting, so he yells a lot. Pass. A tire review site offered an extremely lengthy review of a Sumitomo tire that I presume was AI-generated, since it purported to be about a tire but kept describing it as a figure skate. (Plus, you know, all the garbage AI verbiage). Another site showed a tire as having dozens of reviews, aggregated to over four stars, but when I clicked “reviews” it said that none had been posted yet. I think we might go with the Blizzaks. At least I know they are not figure skates.
• The non-baseball blue jays have been extremely active around here the last few days.
• My personal theory is that the baseball Blue Jays are losing because the fashion gods are punishing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for his ill-fitting $1,500 sweatpants. Props for the Public Enemy jersey, I guess, but it is not enough to negate the curse of the pants.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr at the stadium in Toronto, during the Blue Jays series against the New York Yankees. Credit: Instagram

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