Chef Vanshika's Recipe for Preserved Berries
This recipes is quite straightforward, but a vital ingredient in its preparation is patience - it demands grounding yourself to the present, allowing time for fermentation to do its work.
As a chef in quarantine, I find myself curious about the role of immunity in cooking. Cooking – setting aside the time to actually cook for ourselves – is a primal form of self-care that connects us to the rhythm of our bodies, listening as it tells us what it needs.
The natural sugars present in berries combine with 2% salt resulting in the process of lacto-fermentation. (If you are doubling the quantities in recipe, please remember that salt should always be increased in proportionate ratio to the fruit). A couple of spoons of these berries everyday, over your smoothie or cereal, or even on its own, aids in building rich gut flora for overall robust health.
Ingredients
100 g berries
2 g natural sea salt (please do not use commercial-grade salt)
Method
Mix the berries & salt together seal in a clean, dry glass jar.
Store this at room temperature for 4-5 days to allow for lacto-fermentation to occur.
After 5 days, you can open the jar, and pour a spoonful over yogurt. Enjoy.
Chef Vanshika Bhatia has a degree in Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu, London, and has trained with Chef Rene Redzepi, Gaggan Anand and Vikas Khanna. She now runs Together @ 12th in Le Meridien, Gurgaon.
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