Chaenomeles Cido fruits were harvested, washed and sliced (removing the kernels)..
Since they are _very_ sour I figured they could be used in a pickle similar to lemons and tried three different batches of pickles with (left to right):
- Salt
- Sugar and Salt
- Kombucha
And a close-up of the kombucha sample:
You see the kombucha sitting right on top of the cido fruits. It prevents the cidos from coming into contact with air directly, kombucha likes the interface with air, so in that sense there is a mutual benefit.
On the setup:
I tried first to have jar on top to keep the cidos submerged but that didn’t really work out as it was too wiggly and fruit flies would have access to the water surface.
I next found a small ceramic mold for muffins that fitted perfectly within the opening of the pots, closed the lid as far as possible then covered with cloth to prevent fruit flies from accessing the ferment.
Belgian pickles
How could I not at least give it a try, especially given my roots ;).
Belgian pickles is a yummy sauce that is eaten with ‘Belgian’ fries (yes, the French claim it theirs, but they are Belgian originally!).
It has lots of yummy veggies and spices so it is mega-suitable for a fermentation experiment! The result is not a sauce but a full-fledged vegetable dish.
The pickles (a partially layered approach) contain cauliflower, beans, onion, bellpepper, carrots and a range of spices (including cloves and black pepper)
It is also one of the recipes we do in the workshops so come over and check it out!! 🙂