Jonjoli

Ingredients

Buds

• 700 gjonjoli — bladdernut flower buds on their stems, picked before they open

Brine

• 1 litrewater
• 60 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 6%

To dress, at serving

• 1onion, sliced very thin
• 3 tbspsunflower oil
• 1 tspred wine vinegar
• chopped coriander

Directions

1. Pick the buds in spring while they are still tight and green. Once the flowers open they are woody and bitter and there is nothing to be done about it.
2. Rinse the sprigs well and pick out any leaves and damaged stems.
3. Dissolve the salt in the water to make a 6% brine and cool it completely. Weigh the salt — the buds ferment for weeks and a weak brine will not carry them.
4. Pack the sprigs into a clean jar, pressing them down, and pour over the cold brine so they are covered by 3 cm. Weight anything that floats.
5. Cover loosely and leave at cool room temperature for three to six weeks. They will turn from bright green to olive and the brine will cloud.
6. They are ready when they taste sour all the way through and have lost their raw grassiness. Move the jar somewhere cold, where they keep for months.
7. To serve, lift out a handful, squeeze out the brine, and dress with thin-sliced onion, sunflower oil, a splash of vinegar and coriander. Never dress the whole jar — dressed jonjoli goes limp within a day.

Technique

• Pick before the flowers open. This is a two-week window in spring and there is no substitute for getting it right.
• Dress at the table, not in the jar. This is how it appears at a supra and it is the only way it stays crisp.
• Keep everything under the brine. Anything above it moulds.

Substitutions

• Caper shoots prepared the same way, which are the closest thing in texture and use.
• Purslane or young garlic scapes, both of which Georgians ferment similarly.

Variations

• Some households add a chilli and a few coriander seeds to the jar.
• Fried briefly with onion and egg as a hot dish rather than a cold one.

History

Spring buds of Staphylea colchica, foraged in western Georgia and brined for months, then set out at every supra.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jonjoli?

Jonjoli is a fermented & pickled from Georgia: pickled bladdernut flower buds dressed with onion and sunflower oil. Spring buds of Staphylea colchica, foraged in western Georgia and brined for months, then set out at every supra.

How long does Jonjoli take to make?

Jonjoli takes 30 min plus 3 to 6 weeks fermenting of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes fills a 1-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Jonjoli?

Yes, within limits. Caper shoots prepared the same way, which are the closest thing in texture and use. Purslane or young garlic scapes, both of which Georgians ferment similarly.

What is the most important thing to get right in Jonjoli?

To serve, lift out a handful, squeeze out the brine, and dress with thin-sliced onion, sunflower oil, a splash of vinegar and coriander. Never dress the whole jar — dressed jonjoli goes limp within a day.