Fermented fennel is a metamorphosis of fennel such as you’ve by no means tasted prior to. Fermented fennel is milder, but nonetheless crunchy and is a brilliant condiment so as to add on your dinner desk unfold.
Fennel is an overly flexible vegetable that many experience rising of their gardens. It may be loved uncooked or cooked. It provides freshness to soups, salads, stews, pastas, marinades and extra. All portions of it may be eaten, the fronds, stalks, and bulb. The fronds have a little extra of a citrus taste and the stalks and bulb have a light anise taste, which in case you aren’t aware of anise, chances are you’ll comprehend it as the flavour of black licorice.
Fermented Fennel Recipe
Yield: 1 pint
Elements
1 lb. fennel, thinly sliced
4 small fennel fronds
10 black complete peppercorns
1 garlic clove, overwhelmed
1 dried bay leaf
2 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 items of orange peel, no pith
Brine: 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt combined with 1 cup of water.
Directions
Lower the bulb from the stem and reserve the stem and fronds off to the aspect. Position the bulb on its aspect and lower away the basis finish, discard. Wash the fennel and peel away any blemished or bruised portions. Stand the bulb at the root finish and lower it in part. Lay the halves down flat and thinly slice the fennel into ¼-1/8” slices.
Wash fronds and trim off 4 or in an effort to upload to the ferment.
Pack the fennel right into a blank pint jar, starting with the garlic and peppercorns, then tuck the bay leaf gently at the aspect of the jar, so to not weigh down it and fill the jar with the sliced fennel and fronds. Upload within the orange juice and peel.
Combine the brine elements in combination till the salt is dissolved and pour the brine over the produce till the whole thing is totally submerged. You’ll want to go away ½-1-inch of headspace from the brine degree to the rim of the jar.
If in case you have a small fermentation jar weight, upload it to the jar to stay the elements utterly submerged below the brine. Take away any small items of meals that waft as much as the highest of the brine.
Blank the rim of the jar with a moist paper towel to take away any meals or brine from the rim. Follow the canning jar lid and tightly screw at the lid.
Fermentation
This can be a 10-to-14-day ferment, or longer if wanted. Ferment at room temperature, preferably between 60-75°F (15-23°C) and stay out of direct daylight. Test at the ferment day by day to verify the brine remains over the produce. This can be a the most important step in all vegetable fermentation, as any produce above the brine is at risk of mould.
If the produce is above the brine, use a blank utensil to push the produce backtrack under the brine. Burp the jar day by day – unscrew the lid in short and tighten it again on to permit any built-up fuel to liberate (and steer clear of jar breakage).
After one week, taste-test the fermented fennel to look the way it’s coming alongside. It’ll most probably wish to ferment over one week except the gap you’re fermenting in is at the hotter aspect. If the fermented fennel nonetheless tastes uncooked, permit it to ferment a couple of extra days and flavor examine once more till it obtains a tangy, fermented taste. Switch to the fridge as soon as fermented on your liking, with the brine and all.
The fermented fennel will final just about indefinitely alternatively the feel and taste will proceed to switch. Fermentation does no longer prevent as soon as refrigerated, it simply slows manner down. This ferment is absolute best loved inside 6 months.
Fermented Fennel Facet Notes
When you would not have a pitcher jar weight, you’ll improvise by means of the use of an simply detachable small food-grade glass dish that matches within the jar. Or, in case you have a smaller glass canning jar that may are compatible into the mouth of the jar you’re fermenting with, you’ll use that to stay the produce driven below the brine.
If you’re not sure in case your water is protected for fermentation, you’ll boil it and make allowance it to chill to room temperature prior to including within the salt to make your brine.
It’s possible you’ll use nice sea salt as a substitute of coarse kosher salt in case you favor. Simply alter the recipe to at least one 1/4 tbsp. nice sea salt.
This fermented fennel recipe article used to be written for Interest Farms mag on-line. Click on right here to subscribe.