What are you fermenting today?

[freemotion]

Free, for a minute there I thought you had to be kidding... but I guess not. Wow!

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.

I was wrong. Don't tell dh....

 

[ORChick]

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!

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 soon 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]

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.

 

[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.