My neighbour gave me the go ahead to harvest some grape leaves from her vine that grows over our communal fence. I have them soaking in some brine with added whey at the moment, and soon they will go into a couple of jars to ferment for a few days - a la "Nourishing Traditions". What are you fermenting today?
What are you fermenting today?
- Thread starter ORChick
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MorelCabin
Quilting Extraordinaire
Hey...you're not getting off that easy...what exactly are you doing??? I have grapevines that I planted this year...what do the fermented leaves make? Please share! 
- Thread starter
- #3
Stuffed grape leaves eventually - check any Greek, Turkish, Lebanese cookbook - actually any Middle Eastern cookbook. They have different names but are all basically the same thing. You can buy brined grape leaves, and I have several recipes for making them from scratch, but the NT recipe is the only one I have found for fermenting them. They should hold in their jars for quite awhile, and I can make the little appetizers as I want - rice, herbs, pine nuts, lemon juice sounds good; ground lamb sounds nice too. I have about 3 dozen leaves soaking right now, so that should give me enough to experiment. And there are new leaves growing .
I have also read about wrapping fish in grape leaves for the grill - lends a subtle flavor apparently.
.I have also read about wrapping fish in grape leaves for the grill - lends a subtle flavor apparently.
MorelCabin
Quilting Extraordinaire
Mmmm that sounds good, I will have to check into that! Thanks!
freemotion
Food Guru
I have oats soaking in whey, but those will be planted.
I do always have barley and sunflower seeds fermenting in a corner by the back door for my dairy goat's meals. Started that when my old horse wouldn't hold onto her calories anymore, and when she got that little fermented meal twice a day, she gained lots of weight. So I figure my little Mya would benefit, too, and she does so much better on the fermented grains. (No, it won't make you fat....in both those cases, it healed digestive problems!)
I plan to make bean paste next, so I have the beans soaking in whey. As soon as the tomatoes come in, I will make a fermented salsa, so I want the bean paste to serve with them.
I made some fermented pie dough, that is now cooked and cooling on the stove....a quiche and a strawberry/rhubarb tart.
I have bread dough fermenting in the fridge.
In the fridge, I have some beet kvass
and some gingerale and the last of the sauerkraut from last fall. Oh, and last week's grape leaves. DH is grinding up a big pork loin as I type, to make some sausage. Then I am gonna stuff those grape leaves with my own Italian concoction. Not just for dolmas! I hope....
I have yogurt, and a batch of mozzarella is draining right now. Both forms of fermented foods.
Wow, for those of you who are new to the whole idea of fermenting.....fear not. I didn't mean for this to sound like so much bragging. I decided not to edit it, because I hope it encourages someone out there.
After typing this, I am amazed at my progress, because it was really not very long ago that I made the determination to get fermented foods into my daily regimen and make preparing them a habit. I didn't realize, until just now, that I was doing so much. I'm not done yet, though! Next: cucumber pickles, and garlic for cooking and to break my Costco garlic habit!
I do always have barley and sunflower seeds fermenting in a corner by the back door for my dairy goat's meals. Started that when my old horse wouldn't hold onto her calories anymore, and when she got that little fermented meal twice a day, she gained lots of weight. So I figure my little Mya would benefit, too, and she does so much better on the fermented grains. (No, it won't make you fat....in both those cases, it healed digestive problems!)
I plan to make bean paste next, so I have the beans soaking in whey. As soon as the tomatoes come in, I will make a fermented salsa, so I want the bean paste to serve with them.
I made some fermented pie dough, that is now cooked and cooling on the stove....a quiche and a strawberry/rhubarb tart.
I have bread dough fermenting in the fridge.
In the fridge, I have some beet kvass
and some gingerale and the last of the sauerkraut from last fall. Oh, and last week's grape leaves. DH is grinding up a big pork loin as I type, to make some sausage. Then I am gonna stuff those grape leaves with my own Italian concoction. Not just for dolmas! I hope....I have yogurt, and a batch of mozzarella is draining right now. Both forms of fermented foods.
Wow, for those of you who are new to the whole idea of fermenting.....fear not. I didn't mean for this to sound like so much bragging. I decided not to edit it, because I hope it encourages someone out there.
After typing this, I am amazed at my progress, because it was really not very long ago that I made the determination to get fermented foods into my daily regimen and make preparing them a habit. I didn't realize, until just now, that I was doing so much. I'm not done yet, though! Next: cucumber pickles, and garlic for cooking and to break my Costco garlic habit!
TanksHill
Super Self-Sufficient
Free, for a minute there I thought you had to be kidding... but I guess not. Wow!
big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
Thanks for starting this thread! 
freemotion
Food Guru
Yeah, I thought I was kidding too, as I kept typing and typing and typing! Another lesson for me in.....if I am overwhelmed with a new project, stick with it, it will become easy and second nature before I even realize it. I really had no idea that I was doing so much fermenting. I've been thinking I'm a newbie and need to get off my butt with this project. Well.TanksHill said:
I was wrong. Don't tell dh....
- Thread starter
- #9
OK, I was only bragging about my grape leaves to start, but I also have a batch of kefir going, and some sourdough starter in the 'fridge. Apple cider vinegar is working away in the corner, and there is some sauerkraut in the 'fridge, but that is just puttering along, the fermenting was done ages ago, we just have to finish eating it now. I have some pecans soaking overnight, which is, I suppose, sort of a limited ferment. You are still ahead of me, Free; how do you do fermented pastry? I am planning a quiche for tomorrow's dinner, but its probably too late to ferment the pastry dough for that, unless you see this soonfreemotion said:I have oats soaking in whey, but those will be planted.
I do always have barley and sunflower seeds fermenting in a corner by the back door for my dairy goat's meals. Started that when my old horse wouldn't hold onto her calories anymore, and when she got that little fermented meal twice a day, she gained lots of weight. So I figure my little Mya would benefit, too, and she does so much better on the fermented grains. (No, it won't make you fat....in both those cases, it healed digestive problems!)
I plan to make bean paste next, so I have the beans soaking in whey. As soon as the tomatoes come in, I will make a fermented salsa, so I want the bean paste to serve with them.
I made some fermented pie dough, that is now cooked and cooling on the stove....a quiche and a strawberry/rhubarb tart.
I have bread dough fermenting in the fridge.
In the fridge, I have some beet kvass
I have yogurt, and a batch of mozzarella is draining right now. Both forms of fermented foods.
Wow, for those of you who are new to the whole idea of fermenting.....fear not. I didn't mean for this to sound like so much bragging. I decided not to edit it, because I hope it encourages someone out there.
After typing this, I am amazed at my progress, because it was really not very long ago that I made the determination to get fermented foods into my daily regimen and make preparing them a habit. I didn't realize, until just now, that I was doing so much. I'm not done yet, though! Next: cucumber pickles, and garlic for cooking and to break my Costco garlic habit!
or I change my plans, and postpone things for a day or two. Been meaning to ask - how do you pronounce your goat's name? Mya = My-ya? My goddaughter is Maia (My-ya), and is often enraged at the permutations of her name that she hears.
freemotion
Food Guru
Oh, you are still my hero! ACV!!! Wow!
For the pie dough, I just use my normal recipe but replace a bit of the water with whey, and put it in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temp overnight, 12-24 hours. You have time! I'd still do it for supper if you see this early in the morning and get it soaking for 8 hours or whatever, anything is better than nothing, right?
I use about 2.5 cups freshly ground flour from white wheat berries, a teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 cup lard or butter or chicken fat, depending on what the crust will be used for, and then moisten it with an egg beaten with a tablespoon or two of whey and the rest water. It rolls out perfectly, I often don't even have to trim the dough. Love this recipe. I don't really measure anything, just eyeball it. It is fairly forgiving.
ETA: yes, that is how I pronounce Mya.....My-ya. Her name was Milan when I got her and it did not fit her at all. So I kinda tinkered with it.
For the pie dough, I just use my normal recipe but replace a bit of the water with whey, and put it in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temp overnight, 12-24 hours. You have time! I'd still do it for supper if you see this early in the morning and get it soaking for 8 hours or whatever, anything is better than nothing, right?
I use about 2.5 cups freshly ground flour from white wheat berries, a teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 cup lard or butter or chicken fat, depending on what the crust will be used for, and then moisten it with an egg beaten with a tablespoon or two of whey and the rest water. It rolls out perfectly, I often don't even have to trim the dough. Love this recipe. I don't really measure anything, just eyeball it. It is fairly forgiving.
ETA: yes, that is how I pronounce Mya.....My-ya. Her name was Milan when I got her and it did not fit her at all. So I kinda tinkered with it.
