Bay capers

I have the good fortune of having a 5 meter tall beautiful Bay Laurel tree (Laurus nobilis) in my small city garden. So far, I picked the leaves to season sauces and slow cooking dishes but every spring, the tree is producing small flower buds, looking a bit similar to capers. In ‘Bar Tartine’, I found the inspiration to pickle and ferment these beauties into very local ‘ Brussels’ capers’.

Ingredients:
40 gr bay laurel buds
1,2 gr sea salt (3%)
20 gr (blau)kraut brine
1 tsp hot pepper brine (if you have any)

Instructions:
1. Take the closed flower buds from the bay laurel branches and rinse them.
2. Add the salt and the brine and mix well.
3. Put the buds in a small glass jar and leave everything to ferment for 6 weeks or longer, shaking the jar every other day.
4. Taste (the ‘capers’ are ready when lightly sour) and store in the fridge.