Isn't it good that one can preserve vegetables, and made a nutritious food to store, without vinegar or added sugar?
Of course I love achards and thought to capture some of that flavour in a lacto ferment. With heavy rain double reasons for staying inside, the other is with the big C almost everywhere needs pre-booking, some kitchen therapy works well for keeping me focused.
Having made Kimchi on my course and reading through Curried Kimchi in Fermentation by Asa Simonsson, I felt inspired to experiment a little.
What could be more beautiful in the veggie world than a well grown Romanesco? Answers below, if you wish! Probably something else one has grown oneself? I picked this beauty up at the market, and assembled the rest. Colin from Honey Pot Farm was delivering our order of Apple Juice and Cider Vinegar, so asked him to make up a fruit and veg box too, so I had a lovely cabbage to hand.
Now for the chopping stage: separating the tiny shapes which mimic the whole, by slicing through to have small pieces was easy. Then I thought to grate the stalks, but one or two strokes, proved unsatisfactory. I love chopping so cutting up all the stems was quite interesting as I played at getting different cross sections.
Lots of knife work to achieve a bowl full
A soak in brine for a few hours or overnight, well submerged, then after being drained, keep some of the water should you need it for the blending and bottling part, and mixed with the spices, the jar is rammed down, and sealed so that the fermentation can begin. A daily burp for the next two or three weeks, then refrigeration...I have found an easy method of keeping the veg below the surface, by using just the right sized plastic top from my large yogurt pots, usually kept for freezing soup, can be bent slightly and fits just below the neck. With a few holes pierced in it for the gasses to escape, then lids are no longer viable for freezer work, but I get two a week in any case from my sheep's yogurt.
400g Romanesco, chopped up
200g White Cabbage, sliced finely
150g carrots sliced in fine pieces
1 litre boiled water with 40g pure sea salt cooled to make up the brine
2 garlic cloves
Fresh ginger about thumb size
20g garam masala
10g fennel seeds ground
1.5 tsp turmeric
5g cayenne powder
some twists of ground black pepper.
Blend a ladle of the drained vegetables, with all the spices, using a little of the drained liquid to get a good paste, which you then add to the vegetables. Roll up your sleeves, and with well washed hands, rub everything together well. Pack the mixture pushing well as you go, with your hand or anything else that will do the job! I of course, used my pickle packer Christmas present!
Make sure the vegetables are fully submerged, and seal in a fermentation jar. I like to keep a dish under the jar, to protect the surface from any liquid that may ooze from the jar. After three weeks or so, I shall pot these into smaller jars, maybe give one away, and the rest will be in the fridge and used for lunches etc.
Do read up on how to make lacto ferments and make sure you work in a clean and hygenic way.
