Lactofermented Wild Onions
What is a noxious invasive species to one is somehow an incredible edible to another. Allium triquetrum, three sided leek, wild spring onion ~ they’re out now all over the bay for another month or so. All parts of the plant are edible and delicious from the bulb to the leaves, flowers and seeds. Harvest the leaves only and the bulbs will stay for another years harvest. The prolific reproducing nature of these means you can dig up the whole patch from the root and they’ll probably come back the year after - hence, invasive, as they’re very difficult to clear entirely from a landscape and can crowd out other natives who are less opportunistic in the soil.
Take several pounds of the green leafy & flowering tops of wild spring onions and weigh them.
Figure out the right amount of salt to make it a ratio of (5 pounds onion to 3T salt)
Chop the onions in inch long segments
Toss onions in a bowl with salt; squeeze a bit. Let sit ten minutes for the salt to start to break down the cell walls and do a lot of the mashing work for you
Return to the bowl and squeeze the onions in handfuls for a few minutes to get the juices flowing
Stuff the onions and pour the juices into a jar the size that will leave about an inch of headroom between the top of the onions and the jar lid. Press down the onions till they’re covered by the juices
Put the lid on and label it with today’s date
Let this sit for a week at room temp, pressing the onions below the juice daily. It will start bubbling after a few days if all has gone well
At this point, let it ferment a bit longer, say anywhere from a few more days to a week
Pop it in the fridge and it’s good to go
Serves as a great flavor deepening ingredient in sauces, soups, dressings, crackers, etc - everything.