Here in the northern hemisphere, after a long hot summer, harvest time has arrived for our crops of home-grown tomatoes. Delicious as they are straight from the vine, another way to enjoy them, and preserve them a little longer, is to ferment them. This gives the tomatoes a unique, tangy and savoury flavour and they make an excellent addition to salads, cheeses and charcuterie boards.
Ingredients:
25g sea salt flakes
1 litre filtered water
500g cherry tomatoes, washed
Aromatics of your choice incl:
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 or 2 whole chillies, red or green
1 tsp fennel seeds
A few celery sticks
2 to 3 stalks basil
Method:
To make the brine: put the salt into a small saucepan with 250ml of the water. Heat through until the salt has dissolved. Leave to cool a little then pour in the remaining water, which should bring the liquid to room temperature.
Pack the cherry tomatoes into a 1-2 litre sterilised Kilner jar, layering them with the aromatics you have chosen. Pour over the cooled brine to cover the tomatoes.
If you have a fermentation weight place on top of the tomatoes to ensure everything is below the level of the brine and fully covered. If you don’t you can pour a little water into a small freezer/ziplock bag and seal. Lay this in the jar opening which will weigh down the contents. Do not close the lid on the jar.
Leave at room temperature for 4-7 days depending on how hot the room is. You should see bubbles appearing in the jar and the brine will start to go cloudy. Once fermentation has been reached, you can seal the jar and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
These tomatoes are bright and fizzy and complement rich, earthy flavours. We have found them to be delicious on a classic bruschetta, or paired with ricotta or goats cheeses, or added to cold pasta or grain salads to act as an instant dressing.