Sour Collards

MAKES: ABOUT 1 QUART

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 bunches (about 2 pounds) collard greens
• 2 tablespoons finely ground unrefined sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Trim the collards of any tough stems or veins, then stack them one on top of another. Roll them together like a cigar and slice them crosswise into strips about ⅛ inch thick.
2. Toss the collards in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle them with the salt. Let them rest in the salt for about 5 minutes, then begin kneading the greens and salt together by hand to break down the cell walls of the greens.
3. Continue kneading and squeezing the greens for about 5 minutes, until the shreds of collards soften and go limp in your fingertips.
4. Spoon them into a quart-sized jar or fermentation crock. Layer by layer, tightly pack the collards into the jar so that any air bubbles escape and the greens begin to release their juice.
5. When you’ve packed all the collards into the jar, press them down firmly so that all of their juice rises to the top and the collards are completely submerged.
6. Weigh them down with a glass weight or sterilized stone to prevent them from floating, then seal the crock and ferment the greens at room temperature for at least 6 weeks.
7. After 6 weeks, taste the collards; if they’ve achieved the level of sourness you like, transfer them to the fridge.
8. If they’re not quite sour enough for your liking, continue fermenting them at room temperature, testing every week until you like their flavor.
9. Store the fermented collards in the fridge for up to 6 months.