DBK
LIFE MEMBER
On an earlier thread I mentioned an interesting edition of the Food Programme on Radio 4 which covered fermented foods.
Of course I had to give it a try and as something like fermented cabbage or broccoli didn't leap out at me as perhaps ideal for a first go I found a recipe involving tomatoes, basil and garlic.
The recipe was American and all cups, so to speak, so this is my translated version:
325g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
500ml water
25g sea salt
A whole bulb of garlic
Fresh basil
First make the brine by dissolving the salt in a little boiling water and when it has dissolved add a few ice cubes to cool the water and then top up with cold water to 500ml.
Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop them, I cut each clove into three pieces.
Put some of the garlic and a few whole basil leaves in the bottom of a one litre storage jar. I had a supermarket basil plant and just used the tip of a stem, which had three or four leaves on it. Then add a layer of tomatoes, but prick each tomato two or three times with a skewer before dropping them into the jar. Then add another layer of garlic and basil and another layer of tomatoes and so on. The picture below show the jar almost full.
The jar needs to be topped off with a good layer of tomatoes to prevent any of the garlic or basil floating to the top.
Then fill the jar with the brine, you probably won't need all of it.
Don't overfill the jar, which is what I did. If you do it will over flow at the next stage - as mine did!
You need to find something which will press the tomatoes down into the brine. I found a glass tumbler which was just the right size.
Cover with a tea towel and place somewhere dark.
It should be ready after three or four days but I will check daily. The tomatoes are supposed to have a very intense flavour.
I'll tell you how it turns out later.
Happy fermenting!
Of course I had to give it a try and as something like fermented cabbage or broccoli didn't leap out at me as perhaps ideal for a first go I found a recipe involving tomatoes, basil and garlic.
The recipe was American and all cups, so to speak, so this is my translated version:
325g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
500ml water
25g sea salt
A whole bulb of garlic
Fresh basil
First make the brine by dissolving the salt in a little boiling water and when it has dissolved add a few ice cubes to cool the water and then top up with cold water to 500ml.
Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop them, I cut each clove into three pieces.
Put some of the garlic and a few whole basil leaves in the bottom of a one litre storage jar. I had a supermarket basil plant and just used the tip of a stem, which had three or four leaves on it. Then add a layer of tomatoes, but prick each tomato two or three times with a skewer before dropping them into the jar. Then add another layer of garlic and basil and another layer of tomatoes and so on. The picture below show the jar almost full.
The jar needs to be topped off with a good layer of tomatoes to prevent any of the garlic or basil floating to the top.
Then fill the jar with the brine, you probably won't need all of it.
Don't overfill the jar, which is what I did. If you do it will over flow at the next stage - as mine did!
You need to find something which will press the tomatoes down into the brine. I found a glass tumbler which was just the right size.
Cover with a tea towel and place somewhere dark.
It should be ready after three or four days but I will check daily. The tomatoes are supposed to have a very intense flavour.
I'll tell you how it turns out later.
Happy fermenting!
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