What are you fermenting today?

[citylife]

I just put together Doms Kefirkraut, using whole kefir grains for the process instead of salt. I should have a clue how this process works by Christmas.
I must say, I am looking forward to checking on the results.

 

[rd200]

Sauerkraut is looking good!!! I think i need to wait another day or two before opening it up. I looks like its working so far. Im excited to try it. Now to get my 10yr old son to try it will be fun. I wonder if i can put it in a smoothie without the taste showing thru?? thats my trick for everything.... put it in a smoothie with honey and maple syrup and they never know the difference!!!

 

[hqueen13]

thats my trick for everything.... put it in a smoothie with honey and maple syrup and they never know the difference!!!

We had friends staying with us and she showed us the wonder of smoothies... One day the smoothie was REALLY GOOD! I came home from work and I asked her what she used this time. She laughed and said wellll..... apparently the smoothie didn't taste so great, so she "saved" it with Maple Syrup! Maple Syrup makes everything better!!

 

[ORChick]

Despite the fact that DH is German, neither he nor I are great fans of Sauerkraut. However, I have been making a gallon jar full every couple of years because the fermenting bacteria are so healthy for us. Tonight - first time in a long time - I opened up the jar from a year ago last autumn (about16 months old). It has been refrigerated, but not otherwise preserved in any way, other than the fermentation bacteria. So this is a little note for those of you who may be wondering how long this will keep without canning. It was just fine; not as crisp as it was last year, but it tasted fine - and, had I canned it, it would also have lost crispness. I heated it gently, and just until hot, so as not to kill all the bacteria, and found it quite good - not too sour, as I had feared.

 

[cheepo]

please forgive me...don't mean to be nieve
I really have no knowledge when it comes to fermenting...other than..wines...
however...know...from food safety influence...you aren;t suposed to have things out and past the refreidgerated temp more than 2 hours
is fermenting really safe...???

 

[so lucky]

please forgive me...don't mean to be nieve
I really have no knowledge when it comes to fermenting...other than..wines...
however...know...from food safety influence...you aren;t suposed to have things out and past the refreidgerated temp more than 2 hours
is fermenting really safe...???

I'm pretty new to fermenting, so I'm not the best person to answer this, but I'm sure someone else will chime in, too. When fermenting vegetables, such as kraut, there is a natural bacteria on it that will be killed off if cooked. That and the addition of salt (and whey, if handy) helps protect it, and encourages the fermentation process. I have read that cabbage is especially rich in this particular bacteria, which is one of the reasons it is used so frequently to preserve. It's sort of a natural. As far as things like kombucha, the sugar protects the mixture from certain bad bacteria while it feeds the yeast process. Yes, bad beasties can occasionally get into your fermenting food, but they are identified by color (funky red or green mold, etc.) or smell, so can be discarded. I had a whole gallon of kraut go bad, but I realized eventually that I had contaminated it with the addition of non-purified water and exposure to air. Uggh! what a stinky mess.
I'm still a coward on many home-fermented things--I made my own SCOBY from a bottle of purchased kombucha, and I was too scared to drink the finished product. It reminded me of things I have inadvertantly grown in the back of the fridge.
My wild yeast sourdough bread adventure did not turn out well, even after several attempts. But it is fun trying new methods. My DH is getting accustomed to seeing jars of "things" sitting around in the kitchen. He only complains when they smell bad.
Go back and read some of the threads on fermenting when you have time. It's really fascinating.

 

[ORChick]

2 hours? Really? Isn't it strange that the human race has survived long enough to actually have refrigeration, so that we can make silly rules like that?

I know this thread is a long one, but if you have an interest in fermentation there is a lot of useful information here.

As so lucky pointed out, the fermentation process itself, if done properly, protects the food. In the case of Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables, as well as yogurt, cheese, etc. it is the lacto bacteria that are doing the job, and which will be killed if heated - so you don't want to boil your ferments, and you certainly don't want to can them!

Also as pointed out, a ferment *gone wrong* is very obvious, by smell and/or color. There isn't much chance of anyone ingesting one that has gone off. Of course, you need to learn what the proper smell for the product is, as some of them can smell *off* to those who aren't familiar with them.

It is a fascinating subject. As you do wine already, you shouldn't find it too big a leap to get started with some of the other things. Have fun with it!

 

[hqueen13]

please forgive me...don't mean to be nieve
I really have no knowledge when it comes to fermenting...other than..wines...
however...know...from food safety influence...you aren;t suposed to have things out and past the refreidgerated temp more than 2 hours
is fermenting really safe...???

Ha, according to the FDA your entire world isn't safe if it isn't properly refrigerated, sanitized, homogenized, pasteurized and properly DEAD!!
There are SO many WONDERFUL healthy foods that are quite safe to eat that don't follow conventional guidelines, but you will find ample evidence of them in historical cultures all around the world. Fermentation is another way of preserving things, the example you give is perfect - wine.

And frankly, I know a lot of people that fall into this sufficient/natural/real food movement that leave meat out on the counter for quite some time to age it, which enhances the flavor and probably tenderness.

The trouble with modern food processing is that it happens on such a grand scale that things can't be kept safe. Look at all the ecoli and salmonella outbreaks that are constantly happening. Those factories process such huge volumes if they don't "kill" everything with "cleanliness" then we wouldn't survive. The same is true of pasteurization of milk. The animals are kept in such horrid conditions in CAFO farms they are unable to maintain their own health - thus the milk has to be "sterilized" in order for it to be fit for human consumption.

The owner of one of the nation's largest raw dairies did an experiment and inoculated two gallons of milk, one raw and one pasteurized, with ecoli (I think it was ecoli, either that or salmonella, I can't keep them straight!). The raw milk KILLED the ecoli due to the bacteria and enzymes in the milk. In the pasteurized gallon the ecoli FLOURISHED.

When I make cream cheese I pour yogurt into a strainer lined with cheesecloth and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for a day or so, and the whey drips out and leaves cream cheese, which is perfectly good! Sure, if I left it out on the counter for a week I might have a science experiment, but for the amount of time it takes to allow the whey to drip out, it is perfectly reasonable, not to mention necessary. The process wouldn't work at the refrigerated temperature.

I think our modern culture with foods of convenience has taught us to fear anything less than what society has deemed "safe." What a sad byproduct of our life of convenience!

 

[ORChick]

Hey cheepo! I hope you haven't been frightened off. Fermentation truly is a fascinating subject, and perfect for the SS type as it .... is cheap, uses little if any electricity, and preserves food well beyond it's usual "use by" date. Not to mention that the results taste good, and are very nutritious!
I apologize if I sounded snarky. I agree, certain things should not be left out at room temp. for longer periods - however, I do find 2 hours to be excessively prudent. But then, I keep my room temp at 64* during the winter, and actually grew up in a house where the indoor temp was closer to 58* or so, for most of the year. My mother left a lot of things out, with no one harmed by it. There is actually a mayonnaise recipe out there (Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon) that includes whey in the mix, and calls for leaving the mayo. on the counter for 7 hours to ferment a little, and ripen. I will admit that that one gave me pause ... but I tried it; the mayo. was delicious, in no way *off*, and no one got sick. (I used my own Girls' eggs, plucked from the nest that morning)
A lot of the condiments that we have on our shelves that are made with vinegar commercially (or even at home, if you make your own pickles or mustard) used to be fermented - pickles, mustard, ketchup, relishes. This is possible in small batches, but not so good if you want to make huge quantities with a consistent result. So Del Monte and other companies that make these things use vinegar, for preservation and to get that fermented *tang*.
As I mentioned, the many pages of this thread offer a lot of advice and information on fermentation. Some other sources, if you are interested, are the aforementioned *Nourishing Traditions*, as well as *Wild Fermentation* by Sandor Katz, and *The Joy of Pickling* by Linda Ziedrich. This last is mostly about vinegar pickles (many different ones), but also has good information on fermented pickles and numerous ways to ferment cabbage - Sauerkraut and kim-chi.

 

[cheepo]

hello..thank you so much for your informative replys...I am actually very intregued....
I always was a bit of a rule breaker...
and i am gonna look into those books...and I am bit by bit opening myself to more
healthy traditions and feeling all the more healthy for it...
the kifir is going really well...so now There is whey to try other things...
hqueen13..very interesting about the dairy...I had sort of felt that pasture zaping wasn't all good...
this day class kept calling the past 2 hour point..."the danger zone" but personally have felt that ...
even though things might be left out...so long as the item hasn't soured..once it hits refridgerated temps
what ever bacteria they, say can flourish in outside..warmth will die off in the cold...
and..
I guess maybe in fermenting it is producing its own health vinager...so to speak.
so lucky you explained it very well...I am a ways from feeling adventurous enough to try kombucha
thanks again...very much apreciated...