What are you fermenting today?

[FarmerDenise]

Thanks Dace.
Of course if one reads your post in sequence, one might think are talking about getting old.
And I would still say, thanks, I hope so too.

 

[freemotion]

FD, sorry about Easter. Not everyone understands how attached you can get to a chicken. We have 29 birds, mostly chickens, and there are a few that are very special. I fully understand how a chicken can become a dear, dear pet.

 

[big brown horse]

That is too bad about your little chicken. So sorry!

 

[FarmerDenise]

Back to fermenting.
I drained my yogurt in a jelly bag last night. This morning I ended up with a nice bit of whey and a solid mass of yogurt cheese. I plan on trying it in my three cheese zucchini recipe and in the future will also season it with herbs and use it instead of seasoned cream cheese. It is a bit tart to substitute for the ricota, but I intend to do so anyway. Maybe if I add a lot of basil to the tomatoes, it'll compensate for the tartness.

Now I am looking forward to checking the older posts on here in order to find out what other nifty things I can do with the whey.

 

[Farmfresh]

I like to use whey in place of milk in recipes. Seems to work just great!

If I ever have an overload my chickens purely LOVE it.

 

[freemotion]

I now have kefir whey in my fridge. I tried the kefir cheese, it is too sour for me, but dh liked it. I had kefir in my shake today, I could taste the difference, but it was not unpleasant. I know it is so good for me, so I am determined to develop a taste for it, somehow!

I transferred my bean paste to antique quart canning jars to go into the fridge, and I learned an important lesson. Don't forget the bean paste and let it go an extra half-day, especially in hot weather! It started to grow mold! So I scraped off the top layer and jarred it up anyways. It smelled perfectly good underneath, nice and fermented. I will check on it closely and make sure it is ok.

I made a very happy discovery today, looking in the fridge for something to throw away so I would have some room, and I chose an ancient bottle of fermented gingerale from the recipe in Nourishing Traditions that I'd made months ago and didn't like, but couldn't bring myself to toss. I kept telling myself that I should drink a bit now and then for the benefits. It was just too salty and sharp tasting.

I made it in a two liter soda bottle snagged from a backyard bbq we had last summer....oh, maybe the gingerale is closer to a year old???? No, I saved the bottle, I'm pretty sure I made it last fall or winter. Anyways, the bottle was quite tight with pressure, and it started to fizz over when I opened it, had to get that cap right back on! Then I finally got it opened and curiosity got me to pour a half-cup and taste it....it was good! Still too salty, but very promising. Mellow, very fizzy, and just good! I plan to make some more when the temp in the kitchen is a bit more stable so I can make it with far less salt, and I will age it for a few weeks or even months before drinking. It will make a nice treat or even a drink mixer.

I'm gonna have that second fridge filled to bursting within a few short weeks, I just know it!

 

[ORChick]

I now have kefir whey in my fridge. I tried the kefir cheese, it is too sour for me, but dh liked it. I had kefir in my shake today, I could taste the difference, but it was not unpleasant. I know it is so good for me, so I am determined to develop a taste for it, somehow!

I transferred my bean paste to antique quart canning jars to go into the fridge, and I learned an important lesson. Don't forget the bean paste and let it go an extra half-day, especially in hot weather! It started to grow mold! So I scraped off the top layer and jarred it up anyways. It smelled perfectly good underneath, nice and fermented. I will check on it closely and make sure it is ok.

I made a very happy discovery today, looking in the fridge for something to throw away so I would have some room, and I chose an ancient bottle of fermented gingerale from the recipe in Nourishing Traditions that I'd made months ago and didn't like, but couldn't bring myself to toss. I kept telling myself that I should drink a bit now and then for the benefits. It was just too salty and sharp tasting.

I made it in a two liter soda bottle snagged from a backyard bbq we had last summer....oh, maybe the gingerale is closer to a year old???? No, I saved the bottle, I'm pretty sure I made it last fall or winter. Anyways, the bottle was quite tight with pressure, and it started to fizz over when I opened it, had to get that cap right back on! Then I finally got it opened and curiosity got me to pour a half-cup and taste it....it was good! Still too salty, but very promising. Mellow, very fizzy, and just good! I plan to make some more when the temp in the kitchen is a bit more stable so I can make it with far less salt, and I will age it for a few weeks or even months before drinking. It will make a nice treat or even a drink mixer.

I'm gonna have that second fridge filled to bursting within a few short weeks, I just know it!

Yay for the kefir cheese - and yay for your DH who likes it . I must admit that it is not my taste either, but the whey is full of good stuff!

How did you get salty ginger beer? The recipe I use doesn't have salt, and looking at NT I don't see salt there either . I opened up a bottle from last year too - 2/3 of the bottle contents fizzed out before I could catch it! But what was left still tasted good

 

[Wifezilla]

Those fermented drinks mellow with age. Same with mead. The longer it sits, the better it gets.

I made up 2 gallons of yogurt tonight. With milk at $1.58/gallon I can't afford NOT to make it. Sure it isn't raw milk, but I've got to work with what I can.

Apparently you can preserve yocheese by rolling it in to balls and covering it with olive oil. I may make a batch just to see what happens as I let it sit.
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1924550

My hold list at the library is growing.
Nourishing traditions : the cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats / Details Fallon, Sally
The encyclopedia of country living / Details Emery, Carla.
The backyard homestead / Details Madigan, Carleen.
Putting food by / Details Greene, Janet C.
READ FASTER PEOPLE!!!!

 

[ORChick]

Those fermented drinks mellow with age. Same with mead. The longer it sits, the better it gets.

I made up 2 gallons of yogurt tonight. With milk at $1.58/gallon I can't afford NOT to make it. Sure it isn't raw milk, but I've got to work with what I can.

Apparently you can preserve yocheese by rolling it in to balls and covering it with olive oil. I may make a batch just to see what happens as I let it sit.
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1924550

I've done that with the yo-cheese. Normally I do it with goat cheese (bought, unfortunately ), but I tried it with yo-cheese for my brother who was visiting, and wanted soemthing low cholesterol (yeah, I know, but he doesn't ). It was very nice, and I have done it since, just because it is nice. Make sure you put some nice herbs in the oil with the cheese - rosemary or thyme, and maybe a dried chile or two.

 

[Wifezilla]

Great idea ORChick! I have plenty of herbs in the garden.

Freemotion, I am draining my yogurt right now, and I will be saving the whey, but I don't have my book yet. How long will that whey keep?

And as for ginger ale....how does this recipe sound to you?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lacto-fermented-Ginger-Ale/