Fermented butternut squash

A while ago, an article in the magazine ‘Saveur’ caught my attention: in ‘A Living Larder’, Cortney Burns (Bar Tartine) gives some great ideas to cook with fermented vegetables. But before I can make her fermented squash and sesame dip, I indeed have to… ferment some squash. I decided to make a basic ferment with butternut, a salty brine and chipotle, anticipating on that promising dip… (recipe will follow)

Type of fermentation: lacto-fermentation
Level: really easy
Tools: glass jar, weight

Ingredients:

2 medium sized butternut squashes, peeled and seeded, chopped into cubes
1 large dried chipotle, soaked in a bit of hot water and chopped
500 ml of filtered water, 15 ml Himalayan salt (or unrefined sea salt)

Instructions:

1. Mix the salt in the water to dissolve

2. Put the butternut cubes in a glass jar and pour over the salty water and the chopped chipotle.

3. Make sure the vegetables are submerged, check daily. Use a weight if necessary.

4. Let the vegetables ferment for at least 2-3 weeks at room temperature or a little cooler

5. Once you like the taste, transfer the butternut ferment to smaller, clean glass jars. Fill up the jars completely with no headspace and store in the fridge.

Notes: the taste of the butternut is nutty after one day, a little foam is forming on top of the ferment, the smell is pleasant. After one week, the butternut is softer in texture and tastes like melon and the color stays bright orange.