Any fermentation fans (fanatics?) here?

[FoodFreedomNow]

I ferment my chicken and duck feed, but I also enjoy fermenting for human consumption. Currently, I have the following ferments going: water kefir, milk kefir, (regular) kombucha tea, yerba mate kombucha tea, and lacto-fermented poblano peppers. I also have lacto-fermented jalapeño peppers and sauerkraut, finished, in the fridge. New projects include berry wine and a dark beer in primary ferment. Oh, and sourdough starter being fed daily on the counter.

Anyone else doing ferments? BTW, the chickens enjoy the fruit left over after straining the kefir and kombucha second ferments, as well as the extra kombucha scobies, too!

 

[samanthaoverton]

Hullo all Im a kombucha lover myself. Two years with the same ferment.

 

[samanthaoverton]

@AnchoredHomestead, Here is a link about kombucha. I learned a lot on this site.

https://www.kombuchakamp.com/what-is-kombucha

And this one if you want to make your own SCOBY from scratch.

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-kombucha-scoby-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202596

I've been making my own kombucha for a few years now. Love the stuff! It's (mostly) gotten me to stop drinking pop (soda).

I also make my own yogurt. It's (mostly) gotten me to stop eating ice cream, and home made is soooo much better, and better for you than the crap you buy in the store. Some of it isn't even yogurt!

I cheat with yogurt..I make it with half n half..talk about perfect. No worries about thickness, etc also I use it for sour cream for tacos etc.

 

[Sally PB]

Have you tried those cultures where you don't have to use a yogurt maker? It's set out at room temp. I've wanted to try them..you or anyone tried them?

I don't have a yogurt maker. You don't need one. If you have a cardboard box and a couple of towels, you have a yogurt maker. I make yogurt in canning jars, but any jar will do. I like glass jars because they don't react with food. Oh, if the jar had a metal lid, don't use that; cover with a paper towel secured by a rubber band.

Here's what I do:

Line the cardboard box with one of the towels.
Put your starter culture (some yogurt) into a bowl.
Heat the milk to 180-185 F. Cool to 120 F. Pour the milk into quart canning jars, saving about a half cup, which I pour into the bowl with the starter. Mix that well, and pour the mixture into the quart jars. Stir milk/starter in the jars. Cover the jars, put them in the box, cover with the other towel, and let it sit for 6-8 hours.

Voila! Yogurt.

More notes on what I do:

I make a gallon at a time. A 6 oz container of plain yogurt is enough to culture a gallon. I use 5* quart jars, and cover with plastic caps. After 6-8 hours, I drain it using nylon mesh bags like what you can buy to store vegetables in. (In fact, that's what they are.) I drain it for about an hour, saving the whey. I dump the now-really-thick yogurt into a large bowl and mix in some honey. Save some of the yogurt before you put in the honey for your next batch of yogurt. (Honey doesn't mix very well into cold things, so I do it while the yogurt is still warm.) Store in glass jars in the fridge.

* I need 5 quart jars to make a gallon, because the volume of a canning jar is a quart all the way up to the rim, leaving no room for starter or stirring, or trying to move the jar without spilling.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Welcome to the amazing world of fermentation!

I'll start here: the bane of lactofermentation is mold. It can be difficult to identify mold in ferments because there often strange clumps and lumps that are caused by yeast. Mold will appear as fuzzy, dusty-looking spots. Some people say it's ok to scrape it off (for example) sauerkraut, and eat what's beneath. Personally, I would toss anything that I thought had mold on it. There is a substance called kahm yeast, though, that looks a tiny bit like mold and caused me to throw out perfectly good ferments before I knew better. Get to know it here: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/natural-fermentation/white-film-cultured-vegetables-mold/.

Another important part when fermenting vegetables, in particular, is to make sure the brine has enough salt and that the brine covers the vegetables (or you risk mold). Fermentation weights (like Pickle Pebbles) are helpful for keeping the veggies below the brine.

The prevailing wisdom around fermenting says not to put different ferments too close together or they could cross-contaminate. I've never had that problem, but I also keep them a few feet apart, at least. I'd be most concerned about a vinegar cross-contaminating a probiotic drink like kombucha tea.

There is a plethora of resources out there. For books, Sandor Katz's "The Art of Fermentation", Julie O'Brien and Richard Climenhage's "Fresh and Fermented", Jill Ciciarelli's "Fermented", and Deirdre Rawling's "Fermented Foods for Health" are some of my resources. I have a bunch of fermented beverage-specific books, too, if you're interested in making those - let me know if you want more info about those.

Just a few useful websites:
-Cultures for Health: http://www.culturesforhealth.com
-Yemoos: http://www.yemoos.com
-Nourished Kitchen: http://nourishedkitchen.com/fermented-foods-for-gut-health/

Hope this is helpful in your journey! I'm always happy to talk ferments. lol

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

@samanthaoverton @AnchoredHomestead

Let's talk ferments!

 

[Sally PB]

It’s on my new skill list this year. First step is learning to brew kombucha

@AnchoredHomestead, Here is a link about kombucha. I learned a lot on this site.

https://www.kombuchakamp.com/what-is-kombucha

And this one if you want to make your own SCOBY from scratch.

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-kombucha-scoby-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202596

I've been making my own kombucha for a few years now. Love the stuff! It's (mostly) gotten me to stop drinking pop (soda).

I also make my own yogurt. It's (mostly) gotten me to stop eating ice cream, and home made is soooo much better, and better for you than the crap you buy in the store. Some of it isn't even yogurt!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

It’s on my new skill list this year. First step is learning to brew kombucha

Great choice for a first ferment. Kombucha is a staple in my household, but there are so many other awesome live beverages, it'll be tough to choose your next one!

A couple of resources: Yemoos, Cultures for Health. Lots of info on those sites on many types of cultures.

Have fun!

 

[samanthaoverton]

So about tepache.. love it. You can go sweet with a shorter ferment and if you go longer..it oddly tastes like a blonde beer..

 

[Sally PB]

I cheat with yogurt..I make it with half n half..talk about perfect.

When I make yogurt, I use fat free milk. After it ferments, I drain most of the whey out of it, so it is THICK! I used to take it to work in a pint jar. I'd stand the spoon up in the middle, and say, "Can your yogurt do this?" Then I'd turn the jar upside down. "Well, how about this?"


I have a use for the whey, so it isn't wasted. And I have really thick yogurt, even thicker than Greek style yogurt from the store.