Lacto-Fermented Wild Garlic

This recipe for Fermented Wild Garlic is super quick and easy, and makes one large jar of delicious and tangy Sauerkraut-style greens. Natural fermentation alters the flavours of the Wild Garlic, creating a tangy, sour and slightly salty side dish with a powerful garlic kick. The leaves can be added to ragus or soups, and also make a great accompaniment to german-style dishes, such as schnitzel. The leaves also keep their shape very well after fermentation, so can be used to create other dishes, such as greek-style dolmades.

Lacto-Fermented Wild Garlic

Ingredients

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Fermenting Time: 5-7 Days

Cooking Time: None

Quantity: Makes a 1 Litre clip-top Kilner Jar of Fermented Wild Garlic

• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 kg of foraged wild garlic

Method

1. Wash your foraged wild garlic leaves in a colander and leave to drain well, or use a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible. If you prefer your finished leaves to be chopped or shredded, then do this now, otherwise leave the leaves whole.
2. Place the leaves in a very large bowl a handful at a time, sprinkling a little of the salt after each handful.
3. Optional: massage the salted leaves to help the salt do it's work of breaking down the leaves to release their juices.
4. Place a smaller bowl filled with water on top the salted leaves to weigh them down and leave this at room temperature overnight, or for 24 hours.
5. After this time, the leaves should be moist and have started to expel their juices. It's now time to start the fermentation process.
6. Take a large, sterilised 1 Litre Kilner jar, and place a handful of the leaves into the jar, and pack them down with the end of a rolling pin. This should expel more juice. Continue doing this until all of the leaves are in the jar and compressed down tightly. There should be no, or very few air bubbles between the leaves. Add any juice from the bowl to the jar as well. The leaves should be fully submerged in their own juices. If there is not enough juice to cover the leaves, add a little non-chlorinated bottled spring water to the jar until they are completely submerged. Don't use tap water, as the additives in tap water are not good for the fermentation process.
7. Once the leaves are compressed down and completely submerged, place a pickle weight, a small bag filled with water, or some other makeshift weight on top of the leaves to make sure they stay submerged. Close the lid of the jar, but don't seal it, and place it in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight for 5-7 days to ferment. You may see bubbles form and rise to the top of the jar as the leaves ferment - this is normal.
8. Taste your fermented leaves daily to see how you like them. The flavour will intensify and become sourer the longer the fermentation is allowed to progress, so when they've reached a flavour level you're happy with, you can stop the fermentation process by sealing the jar and placing it in the fridge, ensuring the leaves remain submerged.
9. Your lacto-fermented wild garlic leaves will keep in the fridge for 12-18 months, but keep checking the jar for any signs of mould or other contaminants.