Why should cabbage have all of the fermented fun? Let's see if you can make sauerkraut with collard greens!
Two years ago I went to Asheville for Moogfest. I was in my second trimester of pregnancy, and I got to have supper with an out-of-town coworker, Brett, before the sets started one evening. We ate at Plant, and we talked about blogging, food, and fermentation.
I can't remember how we got onto the topic of fermented food, but there we were. Brett told me about his recent adventures in making sauerkraut, and I wondered out loud whether you could make kraut with other cruciferous leafy veggies. For some (probably pregnancy-related) reason, my brain got fixated on making collard kraut.
Brett's take on the idea was basically, "Why not? Try it!" So when I got back to Atlanta, I used the directions he gave me for kraut-making and started a batch. When it was ready, though, I got cold feet. I was pregnant, and the idea of eating an experimental home fermentation project seemed a little bit too risky.
But y'all. I'm not pregnant now.
I recently took over as site director at my friend Andrea's site: Vibrant Wellness Journal. One of my jobs is to give older content on the site some love, and when I was looking for awesome older posts to feature, I came across her tutorial for making sauerkraut. I featured it in this list of fermented foods, for example.
It reminded me of that sauerkraut conversation from a couple of years ago. Then Cadry shared a bunch of sauerkraut ideas on her site, and that was it. This was on. Collard kraut, ahoy!
The collard kraut recipe that I'm trying out is based on Andrea's instructions. Basically, it's her recipe with collards replacing the cabbage. I mean, not basically. That is my recipe. I don't know how it's going to turn out yet, so I'm not going to post a proper recipe yet. If it works, I'll add the recipe to this page, AND I have a plan for a sandwich that uses the finished product. So I hope it works out.
Let the fermentation begin!
I hadn't added enough water at this point, so I went back and added another splash, so the sauerkraut would be totally submerged.
Collard Kraut Notes
This is not a recipe yet! Below are some sketchy notes, so I won't forget what I did and what I still need to do.
I edited the list below on the evening of 10/6. It was day four, and my kraut smelled like death. For real. I'm woozy just thinking about it. Some kraut-making pros looked at what I did and gave me tips. The edits in bold below reflect their advice, so I can come back here and see where I blew it.
- 1 bunch collards, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3 ½ cups)
- 1 tablespoon salt (I didn't have sea salt.)
- Massage, just like making a collard salad, then set aside while you boil your jar(s). Collards need to sit for at least 15 minutes, so also set a timer in case the jars don't take that long. The jar part took me longer, but who knows how the laws of physics behave in your kitchen? - Heidi Hansen, kraut pro, says that the 15 minutes don't really matter. What does matter is letting the jars cool.
- Cover jar in water, bring to boil, boil 5 minutes. Add lid and ring and boil for another minute. Leave everything in the pot with the heat off, pull jar out right when you're ready to pack it. - Do this first next time, while the jar is cooling.
- With clean hands, cram collards into jar, pour over liquid that it released. Add extra water, so your kraut is submerged. I swirled a splash of water in the bowl where my kraut wilted, because there was salt stuck to the sides, and I wanted to make sure there was plenty of salt in that jar for preserving. I think collards must release a lot less water than cabbage, because I had maybe a tablespoon of brine in my bowl, tops, after massaging and then letting it wilt for 15 minutes. - DO NOT ADD PLAIN WATER. Heidi suggested something like lemon juice instead.
- Place a clean collard leaf on top, put the lid onto your jar, and let it sit at room temperature for three days, pressing the kraut down once a day with a clean non-metal spoon. Taste on day three and daily afterwards until it tastes sour and delicious. - Heidi says not to use the leaf, though I may, since I don't have any other non-reactive barrier to use and some folks do use it. Also, I need to use a jar with a wider mouth, so whatever weight I use actually fits inside. Also don't close the jar, because you need the oxygen to be able to leave.
Well, that didn't go so well. But! My scientist friend Karen reminded me that, "In science, negative results are still results." So I'm channeling my inner Sam Vimes and focusing on getting a result at all.
Evan
I am also quite late to the party, I completely agree with OlWill's comments (especially that boiling the jars is unnecessary, the process should enrich the good bacteria which make the conditions untenable for the bad bacteria) and would add that you should let the fermentation continue for longer than you would with cabbage since collards are more fibrous. The temperature of the room also makes a big difference in the length of time, in a room colder than 68 fahrenheit I would ferment for 6 weeks, in a room warmer than 72 fahrenheit i would ferment no more than 4 weeks. If its routinely warmer than 85 or colder than 60 the fermentation probably won't go well (68-72 is the sweet spot and could take from 4-5 weeks). The first bacteria that you want in the fermentation are Leuconostoc species which are halophiles (salt loving), they produce much of the acidity in sauerkraut. The amount of salt will differ depending on the type of salt and what you used looks correct though don't be afraid of adding more if you are getting spoilage. You want to leave enough time for the Leuconostocs to do their work so the lactic acid bacteria have a good environment to come to the forefront and take the reigns, producing other flavor notes that will make the product more enjoyable. I think that jars work well for quick fermentations where you are using some acidity to kind of skip the Leuconostock step, but ceramic crocks or vessels are better suited for long term fermentation as they will keep damaging light out. If you want to use jars for long term fermentation I would do something to protect them from light (box them up, or wrap in foil), and the airlocks are a must.
Evan
note: The above recommended times are my best guess for collards, I just added about a week of fermentation to what i would do for kraut.
Becky Striepe
WOW! Thank you for all of these helpful tips! I need to give this another try with all of this advice in mind.
Sara McCoy
There is not enough sugar carbs in collards. This is why it is a lactoferment failure.
Becky Striepe
Oh! Well this makes me feel a bit better. Thank you so much, Sara!
OlWill
Looking at the dates on some of the comments, I'm a little late to the party but,me being me, I'll put in my two cents worth anyway:
1) I would cut each leaf in half lengthwise - remove and discard the rib or leave it.
2) Make a stack with a bunch of the leaf halves and, using a cutting board and a chef's knife, chop the leaf halves across to make 1/8 to 3/16 inch strips. This will give a much greater cut-surface area for the salt to work on and draw out the liquid from the leaves.
3) The salt should be iodine-free salt. Morton's makes a very inexpensive one. Also Kosher salt and many of the other specialty "health" salts are iodine free.
4. While it doesn't hurt anything (unless you scald yourself), I believe boiling the jar is unnecessary. All that is required is that the jar be clean. Or you can put it in the dishwasher with your dishes.
5. Fill your jar to the shoulder. The product must be tamped/pressed down tightly to remove any air pockets. I made a tamp from an 18 inch long piece of 1.5 inch diameter dowel rod. I sealed it with some clear spray lacquer.
6. The leaf is a good idea for keeping the product submerged. It should be tucked around the edges.
7.My rule is: "Never open the jar after it is full of product and fermentation is starting." You can close the lid and loosen it daily (ever so slightly - it's called 'burping' the jar) to let the built-up gasses out. Oxygen is lighter than CO2 so it will be the gas at the top and will be the first out. If you remove the lid, you let more O2 in along with microbes that will, in the presence of O2, rot your product.
8. Use air locks (the water kind). Using them you never have to mess with the lid and the gasses go only one way - out. My fermentation failure rate went practically to zero when I started using air locks.
OlWill
Amendment to #6: I cut a hole in the middle of the leaf. This will let the gasses from below escape and not get trapped there. This hole may not be necessary but it seems prudent to me.
Gary Richardson
Try freeze/thaw the collards first so the cell walls burst and the starter colony can go in there and create more digestible nutrients.
Becky Striepe
Ooh thank you! I will try this!
Cadry's Kitchen
I hope it works out! I prefer collard greens to cabbage, and so if there was a way to make sauerkraut-y goodness from collards, that would be pretty epic. Fingers crossed! (Thanks for the mention too!)
Becky Striepe
I'm on day three, and things are not looking good. I'm hoping that Brett or Andrea can give me some tips! If it fails, I will try again for sure. Maybe I messed up by not cleaning the spoon well when I was pressing it down each day? Or maybe I added too much water.
Melissa
I used your recipe and added kale to the collard greens. I also added ginger, onion and chile flakes. It turned out amazing! To note: it took about a week to finish.
Becky Striepe
Ooh I am so happy to hear it! I need to try this again after our January travels.