What are you fermenting today?

[big brown horse]

Wow! Thanks freemotion and ORchick for sharing! I am so making a quiche tomorrow with the extra whey I have. Do you leave the dough at room temp, covered or what?

(I put minced garlic in with my sauerkraut and it did fine.)

About the nuts, how long are they supposed to soak? Then you put them in the dehydrator, right?

 

[ORChick]

Well, I wasn't able to get the pastry made until about noon, so it will only have the afternoon to ferment. I have it in a covered bowl on the kitchen counter. We'll see how it goes. According to Nourishing Traditions the nuts should soak at least 7 hours (mine went overnight), and then dried and crisped in a warm oven or dehydrator, not over 150*. Mine are in the dehydrator at about 130* right now. The book says 12 to 24 hours; that seems excessive to me, especially if I were using the oven, so I intend to check them every few hours and see how they are. - If you are planning to do this, and don't have a copy of NT to refer to, please note that the above recommendations re: time and temp apply to all nuts except cashews. They shouldn't be soaked for more than 6 hours, and should be dried at a warmer temp, about 200*. And the soaking water for all of them should be filtered and salted.

 

[big brown horse]

Thank you ORchick!!!!! (I never liked cashews anyway! )

 

[freemotion]

Leave the dough at room temp while fermenting. Then refrigerate it if you won't be using it right away.

 

[ORChick]

Mine was at room temp. for about 4 hours, as I started late; Then it went in the 'fridge for about an hour - as rolling it out etc goes better when it is cool. The quiche is in the oven as I write. My pie pastry is very good - not just me, others say so too - I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[ORChick]

Well, I wasn't overly enthused. though I don't think it was the fermentation bit. The final result was a little soggy, but I think that was because the dough wasn't cool enough. I have always heard that the dough should be cool at all stages; during it's time out on the counter today it certainly was not - today was our hottest day yet this summer. It probably needed a little longer in the 'fridge, and possibly a hotter initial temp. in the oven. At any rate - it tasted fine, but the texture left somewhat to be desired. We'll see how it goes the next time.

 

[freemotion]

I'm sure the fat might melt a bit at room temp. The bigger the globs of fat, the flakier the crust. Cold ingredients and equipment keeps the fat from softening or melting into tiny globules. So if you work it when cold, let it sit untouched at a coolish room temp (not 105, but I don't remember what that is like anymore!) and then re-chill it before rolling it out, should be better.

The flour will glutenize more with the longer sit time, but for me, at least, the benefits outweigh (out-whey?) the less flakey texture. With the whole wheat, it is less flakey anyways.

Using white wheat is FAR superior to using red wheat. Night and day. Or whole wheat pastry flour over whole wheat bread flour or all purpose flour.

Nourishing Traditions has a complicated dough recipe, but I haven't tried it. It doesn't seem like it would be any better. But....I haven't tried it!

I was never pleased with the results of making entirely whole wheat crust until I started grinding my own flour.....can't remember, OR, are you grinding? But that is more about taste, not so much texture....but it does make a big difference.

 

[freemotion]

Just bottled up some kombucha tea, forgot about that in my list earlier. I now do the continuous brew method, but I may go back to the regular way.

I made up my bean paste and it is sitting on the counter fermenting now, until Monday.

I used three cups of black beans and a large onion and a bunch of garlic, soaked the beans in whey for a day before cooking. After cooking and draining them, I ran them through the food processor with a Tablespoon of celtic salt and 2 oz of whey per four cups of the bean mix. It made two quart jars and one pint. I use my glass-top bale-type canning jars for this stuff, they make it twice as pretty!

It was amazingly easy, and this way I can make up a lot without fear of it spoiling before I use it up. And it is easy to digest.

Now I am ready for salsa season, if the tomatoes ever grow. Supposed to be hot this week, and some sun, so maybe.....

 

[ORChick]

As far as pastry is concerned I am still going the all-purpose (but unbleached) route. And until I can successfully work more whole wheat into the menu it would be silly for me to get a grain mill. The pastry wasn't sitting at 105*, though it was in the high 70's in the house yesterday. When I try this again I will let it have it's resting period downstairs where it is cooler. It tasted fine, and rolled out nicely, just the final texture wasn't pleasing. I don't consider it a failed experiment, just one that needs refinement .

 

[big brown horse]

Just bottled up some kombucha tea, forgot about that in my list earlier. I now do the continuous brew method, but I may go back to the regular way.

I made up my bean paste and it is sitting on the counter fermenting now, until Monday.

I used three cups of black beans and a large onion and a bunch of garlic, soaked the beans in whey for a day before cooking. After cooking and draining them, I ran them through the food processor with a Tablespoon of celtic salt and 2 oz of whey per four cups of the bean mix. It made two quart jars and one pint. I use my glass-top bale-type canning jars for this stuff, they make it twice as pretty!

It was amazingly easy, and this way I can make up a lot without fear of it spoiling before I use it up. And it is easy to digest.

Now I am ready for salsa season, if the tomatoes ever grow. Supposed to be hot this week, and some sun, so maybe.....

I have a recipe for kombucha tea.. it says I have to get a starter from the health food store. Is that true, or can I make one myself? Please explain the continuous brew method.

Thanks for the bean paste recipe!! (Oh, so much to learn!!)