To ferment it is easy. Pick your leaves, if you can manage to get the lower, white, fleshy stems, so much the better. Rise and dry in a salad spinner. weigh it and then add 2% salt by weight. Make sure you use Non-iodine salt or salt with caking agents (we use Maldon sea salt, but rock salk should be fine).
Mix the garlic leaves and salt well and leave for 30 mins. Then give them a good bashing in the bowl, we use the end of a rolling pin, keep bashing until all the leaves look bruised and there is liquid forming in the bottom of the bowl. Transfer to a clean jar, kilner, mason etc. Squash the leaves into the jar, packing them in tight, using the rolling pin again.
If the leaves haven't produced enough moisture to cover themselves, you can add some salt water brine (again, 2% mix) but only use boiled or bottled water (tap water has chlorine in it). Once the leaves are covered, weigh them down, so they stay submerged, close the lid and leave at approx 15c. Vent every day for about 2 weeks. After it starts to ferment, you should get a light fizz or bubbling. If you get any mould or it smells bad, it hasn't worked. it should have a garlicky sour smell.
Once done, it should keep well in the fridge for a good while. I have kimchee i leave out, and it's still good 3 months later (but i don't have any central heating).
The best test to see if it's edible is your nose. If it smells bad, it probably is.
Good luck and enjoy.
Mix the garlic leaves and salt well and leave for 30 mins. Then give them a good bashing in the bowl, we use the end of a rolling pin, keep bashing until all the leaves look bruised and there is liquid forming in the bottom of the bowl. Transfer to a clean jar, kilner, mason etc. Squash the leaves into the jar, packing them in tight, using the rolling pin again.
If the leaves haven't produced enough moisture to cover themselves, you can add some salt water brine (again, 2% mix) but only use boiled or bottled water (tap water has chlorine in it). Once the leaves are covered, weigh them down, so they stay submerged, close the lid and leave at approx 15c. Vent every day for about 2 weeks. After it starts to ferment, you should get a light fizz or bubbling. If you get any mould or it smells bad, it hasn't worked. it should have a garlicky sour smell.
Once done, it should keep well in the fridge for a good while. I have kimchee i leave out, and it's still good 3 months later (but i don't have any central heating).
The best test to see if it's edible is your nose. If it smells bad, it probably is.
Good luck and enjoy.
