This spicy Fermented Brussels Sprouts Relish combines the flavors of garlic and spicy chiles to give sprouts a tremendous explosion of flavor!
The last batch of kraut (actually fermented curtido) I made is long but a memory. And the spicy fermented daikon radish relish (coming soon) is nothing but a few pieces of peppers and radishes floating in the jar.
It’s always time for another ferment.
This time it’s Brussels Sprouts. The inspiration for this came from a pickled brussels sprouts relish I recently spotted at the market. I was excited to see something different from the traditional pickles, and beans. Really though, I think I was even more excited that the relish that garlic and chiles.
As much as I was excited to see something different and interesting, fermenting was my goal. I wanted fermented brussels sprouts relish. And I wanted it spicy. My goal was to pile this on a thick, juicy burger straight from the grill.
Fermenting brussels sprouts opens the door to an even quirkier flavor. Brussels sprouts have a stronger flavor than cabbage. Even after a week of fermenting, they still have the strong taste of garlic and sprouts.
However, the longer you it cures, the more sour (& tastier) it becomes. Once your sprouts are done fermenting, toss them in the fridge to slow down the fermentation process. The fermenting won’t come to a complete halt but it will slow down quite a bit.
It’s funny though… I’ll pull the relish out of the fridge every morning, grab a forkful, and see how the flavors change since the day prior.
You can leave out the red pepper flakes, but they really do work well to balance out the flavor of the sprouts.
Whatever you do, don’t skip the garlic.
Spicy Sprout Relish
Ingredients
- 1.5. lbs brussels sprouts shredded
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
- 2 tsp celery seed
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp peppercorns
Instructions
- Prepare two, clean and dry glass quart jars.
- In a large bowl, combine the sprouts with the celery seeds, peppercorns, garlic, sea salt, and red pepper flakes. With clean hands, work the salt and spices to blend thoroughly.
- Allow the mixture to sit and sweat for 30-45 minutes. The mixture should release its own natural liquid.
- Pack the mixture between two quart class jars, compress the mixture as you continue to add to the jars..
- Add a tiny bit of additional water to each jar, enough to cover the kraut. Top with fermentation weight or push a jelly jar in the mouth of each jar to allow the mixture to remain submerged in the brine.
- Cap loosely or use an airlock. Store on the counter at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for at least 3 days or as long as 10 days.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and allow the relish to ferment for an additional week before eating.
Notes
- Recipe makes 2 quarts, or 64 servings (2 Tbsp per serving).
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