Gundru Tasting ~ An Adventure in Kale

Now that my dining room table has newer fermentation projects bubbling I decided to taste the Gundru.

Around the first of September I mashed kale leaves and stuffed them into a jar and covered them with water.  Then I left the jar on the front porch where it would get the afternoon sun.  In Kentucky the nights can be cool dipping down into the high 50's or low 60's and the days approach 80 degrees.  Apparently, Gundru likes this weather because after a couple of days it oozed and started fermenting.

At one point I had worried about the air bubbles in the jar.  Oxygen is wine's enemy.  Pickling usually uses a brine at the least and/or vinegar.  Introducing air can cause vegetables to rot.  That is why you keep pickles submerged in the brine.

These new gallons of wine would quickly turn to vinegar if I took the airlocks off.  You can see the yeast eating the sugar causing the juice to become cloudy. 

While Gundru's new companion ages on the table I decided to pop the top.  When I opened it the Gundru started fizzing and this dark green juice bubbled over onto the counter.  I pulled a big pinch out and gave it a sniff.  It had a distinctive sour, aged, fermented aroma.  The first taste was very chewy with a strong sour kale flavor.  I rinsed the next bite and the sourness was lessened.  The juice definitely has character!  However, there is no hint of salt or vinegar.  The sour is total fermentation due to the wild yeasts.

I decided to have some with my supper of rice and vegetables.  After all, the Tibetans use this to add flavor to their bland diet that consists of lots and lots of rice.  Like most pickles they are meant to be a condiment and not the main dish.

Next I will add some Gundru to soup.  I think the distinctive fermented sourness will be a very nice addition to a simple soup of vegetables with a delicate broth.  Or add it like you might use soy sauce.  I think chopping a couple of tablespoons fine and adding it to a stir fry of chicken would be delightful.  We shall see!

If you have excess kale and some free countertop space this winter try some!