Fermented Japanese Knotweed
Created by Wesley Barga (@wbargz) • May 4, 2026
been made 1 time
Timeline
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Ferment: 4 days
Yield
1 Jar
Japanese Knotweed is terribly invasive. It's extremely hard to control in my area. Conveniently, it's edible!
The texture and flavor reminds me of purslane. It's a little fibrous, but pickling helps. It takes on the flavor of the seasonings you include well. I usually try to avoid peeling veggies if I can, but it's needed with this one.
I've been experimenting with different ways to use Japanese Knotweed. Of all of my ferments so far, this one tastes the best.
Ingredients
- 165 g Japanese Knotweed - peeled and chopped
- 2 sprig Dill
- 2 ea Chile Arbol - dried
- 3 ea Grape Leaves - For crispness - can sub with a few oz strong black tea
- 3 g Peppercorn
- 2.50 percent Sea Salt
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Instructions
- Harvest young shoots of knotweed - aim for pieces under 4ish feet tall, and at least a centimeter thick. The thin ones are extra fibrous.
- Trim off all leaves and peel. Chop into 1 centimeter pieces.
- Weigh your jar and take note of the weight.
- Add seasonings to your jar, drop the knotweed on top. Top off with water.
- Calculate the weight of your ingredients and water combined by weighing and subtracting out the jar weight. Calculate your salt weight by multiplying by .025. Add salt. If you don't feel like dealing with all this, feel free to vibe out your salt amount but aim for 2.5%
- Use your preferred airlock method - let ferment for 4-10 days. Taste periodically and refrigerate once you like the taste.
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