Fermented Cherry Tomatoes

Indulge in the tangy and flavorful delight of lacto-fermented cherry tomatoes. This simple recipe combines the bright sweetness of fresh cherry tomatoes with the probiotic goodness of fermentation. With just a few ingredients and a little patience, you'll create delicious tomatoes bursting with umami flavors

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 5 10

Total Time 5 10

Ingredients

1 ½ to 2 lbs cherry tomatoes fresh
2 sprigs fresh dill
4 cloves garlic
5 black peppercorn
¼ teaspoon mustard seed
4 cups water
2 tablespoons sea salt coarse
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Instructions

Prepare Ingredients:

Prepare for fermenting by washing a fermentation vessel, which can be as simple as a quart mason jar and lid. It does not have to be sanitized or sterilized but should be washed well with hot soapy water. Set aside to dry. Wash tomatoes and fresh dill under warm running water and set aside to dry.
Slice 4 garlic cloves and add to the bottom of your fermentation vessel. Add 2 sprigs fresh dill, 5 whole black peppercorn, and 1/4 tsp mustard seed.
Pack in fresh tomatoes, leaving about 1 inch head space.

Prepare The Brine:

Combine 4 cups of room temperature water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Stir until completely dissolved.
Pour salt brine into the jar, ensuring everything is covered.
Weigh down the ingredients before securing the lid tightly.
Set it aside to ferment.

Ferment The Tomatoes:

Keep your ferment somewhere where you'll see it daily to observe and open the lid and burp it but keep it away from direct sunlight. If you're using an airlock lid or pickle pipe, you won't need to burp your fermented tomatoes.
After a few days, you should start to notice fermenting activity. There will be small bubbles that rush to the top of the jar when you tap it, the jar may hiss slightly when opened, the color of the tomatoes will dull, the brine will be cloudy, and the brine may leak over the top of the jar and run down the sides.
Allow the tomatoes to ferment for 4-6 days. The tomatoes are done when the brine is soured, the tomatoes themselves are nicely sour and soft inside with a hint of effervescence.

Rest The Tomatoes:

Just like other pickles, these pickled cherry tomatoes should be rested for 1-2 weeks in the fridge before eating. This rest period allows the flavors time to mature and mellow out at the same time.

Notes

Batch:

This recipe makes about 1 quart jar of lacto-fermented cherry tomatoes. It can easily be doubled or halved depending on your desired outcome.

Storage:

Keep your delicious tomatoes in the fridge for up to 6 months - if they even last that long!

The microbes in your ferment are still alive and viable, and they'll continue to create carbon dioxide. If kept at room temperature, you'll be likely to create a red explosion - and not in a good way. Please, please, keep it in the fridge or cold storage for long-term storage.

Finishing:

These easy fermented tomatoes are delicious as is at the end of the fermentation process but feel free to play around and toss in some coriander seed, basil or chili pepper flakes, or whatever fresh herbs and spices you like at the beginning of the process. Make these your favorite tomatoes according to your taste buds!

Fermenting Time:

The great thing about fermenting anything is that it's all about personal taste, and there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to fermentation time. Most people ferment their tomatoes for 4-6 days, but you can certainly ferment for longer if you want to develop a deeper, more complex flavor.

The key is to experiment and find what works best for your taste buds. If you're new to fermented food, start with a shorter fermentation time and then taste your tomatoes each day to see how they're developing. If you like what you taste, then you can halt the fermentation and enjoy it. But if you want a more sour, tangy flavor, then you can ferment for a little longer next time.

Ultimately, the decision of how long is entirely up to you, so have fun and experiment until you find the perfect flavor profile for your taste buds.

Fermenting Temperature:

The ideal range for fermentation is between 68-75°F.

If the temperature is too low, the fermenting process will take longer and may not be as effective. On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, the fermentation process will occur too quickly and may produce an unpleasant flavor.

Fermenting your tomatoes at the right temperature will ensure they have a bold, flavorful taste that everyone will love.

Kahm Yeast:

If you notice a white film forming on the surface of your ferment, it's more than likely kahm yeast - which is generally harmless but tastes terrible.

The presence of kahm yeast will usually impart an unpalatable bitterness to your ferment - though some people say you can scrape it off and continue, I'd advise you to scrap it and start again.

While it may be tempting to try and salvage, it's generally not worth the risk. Starting over may seem like a pain, but it's better than ending up with a batch that's inedible.