One of summer’s great pleasures is a bowl of ripe blueberries, juicy and sweet. But their season is all too fleeting. This recipe reveals an entirely different side to the fruit, one that can be enjoyed when fresh berries have disappeared. Picked when still green and allowed to ferment for a couple of weeks, blueberries transform from a sweet fruit into a spicy pickle, with lovely herbal notes that explode in the mouth. They’re a surefire conversation starter as people try to guess what they are, especially when they’re highlighted on a cheese board. Or, for a puckery change, use them instead of capers in sauces or salads.
Recipe from: Preserved: Fruit
Blueberries in the Style of Capers
Ingredients
- 1 cup/125g green, unripe blueberries
- 1 cup/290g/236 ml water
- 1 tablespoon/15g kosher salt
Instructions
- Wash the blueberries thoroughly to remove any dirt and place them in a nonreactive 1-pint/½-liter container, such as a glass jar or fermentation crock. In a small bowl stir together the water and salt until the salt has dissolved. Pour over the berries and mix well.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the berries to keep them submerged in the brine; if you have a fermentation weight this is a good time to use it.Seal the container, using a lid with an airlock if you have one; if you don’t, open the container every few days to release carbon dioxide buildup and check for mold. Place the container in a clean, low-light area with an ambient temperature of 60° to 68°F/16°C to 20°C and leave until the berries taste tart and sour, 10 days to 2 weeks.
- Store the brined berries in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least 6 months.Their flavor continues to improve as they age. Makes 1 cup.
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