Warabi no shiozuke, shionuki / salted bracken, desalination

You can preserve fresh warabi bracken in salt for a year-round supply. Salt-preservation is one way to neutralize the harmful substance in warabi. All salt is eliminated before use.
There are two steps in salting: the first salting is to get rid of the water in warabi, and the second is to preserve it.


<Ingredients>

Warabi bracken (prep-cooked*)
Giant handful salt (not in photo)

*Prep-boiling/cooking is optional. Fresh warabi can be salted directly. Removing the heads with their spores is optional, too.


<SALTING Directions>
1.

In a container, sprinkle salt at the bottom.

Place warabi in a thin layer, sprinkle a generous amount of salt, and repeat until finishing warabi.

Top with more salt. 

2.

Place a sheet of parchment paper (or a plate or board of a size that fits), and weigh it down.

Here, I use another container of the same size filled with water as a weight.

Let sit overnight.

3.

Drain water that has come out of warabi.

4.

In another container (a smaller size is fine, as the volume is reduced significantly after the first salting), repeat the above process of layering salt and warabi.

Top with salt, cover with a sheet of parchment paper, and place a weight.

Here, I use three jars in a Ziploc bag as a weight.

Keep in a cool, dark location.

<Notes>

• The above two-step salting is useful when preserving warabi in a smaller container, and it is not necessary if you do not mind keeping warabi in a large container. If you go with single-step salting, use much more salt to completely cover warabi.

<DESALINATION Directions> 
1.

(5 months later...)

Rinse salt from warabi surface.

Soak warabi in water in a cool location overnight.
Use a large container, as salted warabi expands as it absorbs water.

Change water once or twice a day during the desalination process.

Bite an end to check if salt is gone.

If warabi tastes salty, soak for another day or until there is no salt taste; only then is warabi ready for cooking.

<Notes>

• Keep desalinated warabi in the fridge.