Lactofermented Miner's Lettuce
For probiotic enjoyment in pesto, pelmeni, soups, sauces, etc!
Take 5lbs miners lettuce tops and scrunch them in a big fat bowl with 3T salt, or some ratio thereof. Squish till they’re juicy then stuff them in a jar. Thank twas down firmly to 1) release any trapped air bubbles, and 2) cover the top of the ferment with the juices, making sure to minimize the surface area of the ferment that’s exposed to air. Top with a brine of salt water (1 pint water to 1T salt), so that they are covered with some head room to the top of the jar. Press down firmly till the air bubbles in the lettuces float to the top and release. Cover and label. Press down a few times daily to let the air go, even if the top is submerged in the brine still - note that there’s bubbles of air forming as the yeasts on the lettuces ferment. We want to let these go to make sure it’s an anaerobic ferment.
After a few days of fermentation, pop it in the fridge/cellar. Enjoy when you’re ready for that little burst of springtime vitality!
