Kale is a great winter crop as the plant is hardy and can endure cold weather. I still have plenty of kale in my garden so I decided to try to preserve some of it by fermenting it. This is my first time trying this but I would definitely experiment again and make some changes.

To do this you need to wash and clean your kale. Remove the stems of the kale. Then soak it in some salt water. Meanwhile sterile your jar by boiling it in water for 10 minutes.

Drain your kale and add salt. Massage for about 5 minutes until your kale is soft and looks like seaweed. You will be surprised how much the kale shrinks.

Place your kale in your clean jar. Leave plenty of room on top as it will bubble as it ferments.

Add boiling water to fill (but next time I would add less water as it overfilled too much. If you have a pickle weight, place it on top. If you do not have a pickle pipe, screw the lid lightly as you want to release any of the gases as it ferments. If you screw it on too tight, it can explode.

Add garlic if you want.

Allow to ferment for 3-5 days at room temperature in a dark cool place. You will start seeing bubbles form. Each day remember to release some of the gas. It is ready to eat when it starts bubbling. If you want a more fermented taste, leave for a full 5 days.

Mine tasted a little like kimchi. Firstly, I added too much garlic and not enough salt. I would add more salt to this or use a brine instead of just water. It definitely is much more fibrous than kimchi. I think this would be great to add as an additional side. You can add various flavors to this. I might try variations of this next time I am done eating my jar.

Fermented Kale inspired by http://mercyhillfarm.com/fermented-kale-recipe/

• large bunch of kale
• 1/2 tsp salt
• boiling water or brine
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic or other flavoring

Wash and strip your kale of stems. Soak in salt water. Drain and then add the salt. Massage for about 5 minutes until the kale softens and looks like seaweed. Meanwhile sterile the jar by boiling it for 10 minutes. Place the kale into the jar and fill with boiling water. I would add a brine instead. Lightly cover with a lid or use a pickle weight and pickle pipe. Place the jar in a container in case it bubbles over. Allow this to ferment for about 3-5 days. Remember to open the jar everyday to release the gases. If you forget, the jar might explode because of the pressure. You will start seeing bubble form. This means that it is fermenting. The kale is ready to eat once you see bubbles form. If like it really fermented then you want to leave it for 5 days. Taste the kale and when you are happy with the taste, cover and place in the fridge. You can eat this as a side or mixed in your dishes. Enjoy.

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