Fermented Chinese Mustard Greens

酸菜 Sun-wilted suāncài • The most popular lacto-fermented vegetable in China, common as sauerkraut is in Central and Eastern Europe. This southern version uses Chinese mustard greens (jiè cài 芥菜) and requires to sun wilt the vegetable before.

Prep: 360 min
Rest: 30240 min

Equipment

traditional Chinese water-lock clay jar

坛子 tánzi • Earthenware jar or jug with a big belly and a small opening. Now we can also find them made of glass. Typically used for storing liquids like wine, vinegar, or soy sauce, or for pickling vegetables. For these last case they contain a water-trap rim seal that creates a perfect one-way valve that lets carbon dioxide escape while blocking oxygen, pests, and wild molds.

Where to find it: Chinese markets might have them

Substitutes: Any glass or ceramic fermentation crock, or big jar

Ingredients

Gram Litre

1000 g Chinese mustard greens

Also known as: jiecai, leaf mustard, bamboo mustard, gai choy, mustard cabbage, large-petiole mustard, head mustard

芥菜 jiè cài • Describes many different cultivars for the "Brassica juncea" species, most jiecai falls inside de iIntegrifolia subgroup. All of them are great for stir-frying, soups or fermenting. Its seeds are used to make mustard powder (芥末 jièmò).

Where to find it: Chinese markets

, sun-dried
2 L Water , boiled and cooled to room temp.
60 g Salt
Ginger (optional) , to taste
Small chili pepper

Typical Chinese small, red, hot, chili pepper

(optional) , to taste
Water , hot, as needed for sterilization

Method

1
Wash the jiecai thoroughly to remove hidden dirt between the stems. Cut large heads lengthwise into halves or quarters so they wilt evenly and fit through the narrow neck of your clay jar.
2
Follow the 4 to 6-hour intense sun-wilt until the thick stems bend like rubber without breaking.
3
Thoroughly wash a glass or ceramic fermentation crock. Sterilize it with boiling water and let it air dry completely. Any residual grease will spoil the batch.
4
Pack the sun-wilted greens (you can roll or fold them into tight bundles) tightly into the jar, pressing down firmly to eliminate air pockets. Don't be afraid to bruise them slightly, it's actually better to help the salt penetrate.
5
Dissolve the salt completely into the water (or water/rice water mix). The water must be at room temperature; hot water will kill the wild bacteria.
6
Pour the brine over the greens. The greens must be completely submerged under the liquid to prevent mold. Use a clean fermentation weight or a food-safe stone to keep them weighed down. Alternatively use some sterilized chopsticks.
7
Seal the jar. If using a traditional water-sealed Chinese clay jar, ensure the outer rim moat always has water. Keep in a cool, dark place between 15°C to 20°C. Ferment for a minimum of 14 to 21 days.

lacto-fermentation