Those of you who are into fermenting veggies
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macchiatto
Posts: 2,890 Member
I just got a free fermenting kit to test and review. Any tips on how to get started or low-carb-specific tips for this? Favorite websites or resources?
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I recently decided to try making homemade sauerkraut.
I also learned a lot of 'do's n dont's', here:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/
Personally, I like the Craig's Kitchen process. Easy-peasy with great results...yummy and I *luckily* have not had any issues with mold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtX9uQi7xeM
Good Luck!!!
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@DittoDan got into fermenting. He said he learned by searching YouTube.
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@DittoDan I would love to benefit from your research and experience if you have any favorite recipes and/or tips you'd like to share as I get started!0
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NonnaTurtle wrote: »I recently decided to try making homemade sauerkraut.
I also learned a lot of 'do's n dont's', here:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/
Personally, I like the Craig's Kitchen process. Easy-peasy with great results...yummy and I *luckily* have not had any issues with moldhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtX9uQi7xeM
Good Luck!!!
I loved this, thank you! I'm on my second batch, and it's far superior to my first, in which I added too much salt...essentially just preserving the cabbage and slowing the fermentation drastically. We live and learn, ya should've seen my first (and second) attempt at bread!
Thanks!1 -
@NonnaTurtle Thanks for the link! I bought a head of cabbage the other day with plans to make sauerkraut today. Timely!!1
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@SuperCarLori and @kpk54, my pleasure. Hope you get great results with this process
My first batch was a 'live n learn', as well. I added too much salt the 1st time and I popped it in the fridge after only 4 days, so I didnt give it enough time to really ferment (sugar was not burnt-off
) Next batch was perfect.
I love his method. I was super surprised at how much moisture the cabbage released after kneading in the pink Himalayan salt for just 15 minutes. More than enough liquid to cover all the cabbage, and then some. Yay!
Good Luck!!!
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NonnaTurtle wrote: »@SuperCarLori and @kpk54, my pleasure. Hope you get great results with this process
My first batch was a 'live n learn', as well. I added too much salt the 1st time and I popped it in the fridge after only 4 days, so I didnt give it enough time to really ferment (sugar was not burnt-off
Hmm. Is there a way to tell to what extent the sugar's been converted?
(Now don't go telling me to look it up in the LDS archives....)0 -
HA! no archive bullying, here
to tell you the truth, I dont know/ havent' found a definitive answer to that question. Newbie homemade sauerkrauter.
I found out here that once you put it in the fridge, fermentation stops. It sounds like you need to leave it out for at least a week to ferment the sugars.
http://www.foodrenegade.com/3-biggest-fermenting-mistakes-youre-already-making/
(click embeded links Day1, Day2, ..... for info),
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This blog has a wide range of recipes for fermented foods. I've found their book, Fermented Vegetables, a great resource. I especially like that they are generally not as heavy handed with the salt as most recipes I've seen online.
http://ferment.works/blog/2 -
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Can I just say, I've been making sauerkraut for nearly 10 years now, and I've got tips if anyone wants them. Not to gatecrash or anything, but my Kimchi is a prize-winner, too....0
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AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »Can I just say, I've been making sauerkraut for nearly 10 years now, and I've got tips if anyone wants them. Not to gatecrash or anything, but my Kimchi is a prize-winner, too....
Bring 'em!0 -
Bring 'em! I've tried making sauerkraut and fermented dill pickles and had to toss them out. I think we have ferment gremlins hiding around the house that sabotage my feeble attempts every time.
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The two main rules are to be accurate with your salt, including the type you use, and to keep all the food submerged below the brine level.
I have never bought any fancy jars or equipment, like proper pickling jars with fancy valves and stoppers an' stuff.
I've just been judicious in the above, and made sure everything is clean. I'm not talking about bleach abd borax scrubbing. I'm talking just properly clean.
OK: Take a nice firm and solid cabbage.
Cut in half, and remove the heart/core out of the cabbage, reserve the outer leaves (cleaned, washed) and then finely shred the cabbage. Weigh it, and then if necessary, adjust the weight to make sure the calculation is correct. (remove some cabbage if you need to round it down to the nearest Kg. or half-Kg.) Put the cabbage into a good, large plastic or glass bowl, and sprinkle on the salt. Start massaging and mashing the cabbage until you make it produce a pool of brine in the bottom of the bowl.
Once you have bottled the cabbage (you really need to press it down very firmly, compressing it as much as you can, to make it sit under the brine) the fermentation process will produce a bubbling effect, and even a white foam on the surface. This is perfectly normal!!
This is how I put my cabbage to ferment.
I start it off in a good tall cylindrical plastic container.
I press it down as firmly as I can.
Then, I lay the outer leaves on top, forming a kind of 'lid.
By this time, I'm hoping the brine is well above the level of the cabbage, which is when I pile on the weight - in my case, those little smooth, round, glass pebbles you can find in garden centres or cheaper department stores that sell everything for a pound.... You'll have to judge just how many you need... you can even top them off with a container filled with water as long as you can apply the lid on top.... making sure the base of it is really clean and thoroughly washed - really, the important thing is to keep it all down.
You'll also need some kind of cover to keep the air out. I totally get that with a litre bottle this is difficult (!) but if you manage to weigh the cabbage down well, you might be able to put the lid on the container. Try a double-layer food-bag filled with water, that will fit in the jar, but of course, be careful to not pierce it....
"Burping" is important: Once you see definite fermentation taking place (bubbles rising, an upward fizz when you move the container) you'll need to let the gases out or you could end up with an explosive mess. I have never done this, but I have seen it happen....! Just turn the lid daily and let the air out, then re-secure the lid.
The rate of fermentation will depend on where you put your sauerkraut: basically the warmer and lighter the location, the faster it will ferment. I keep mine on the side of the work counter in my kitchen. It's easier to keep an eye on it....Usually around 2 to 3 weeks will see you blessed with sauerkraut!
Mine rarely makes it to the fridge...
You can combine julienned strips of carrot too. Or make Karrotekraut.
Any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask!1 -
Preliminary prep with red cabbage, mixed with carrot. You can see the salt grains on top:
Mixed with salt... much reduced, and you can see the brine in the bottom-left corner. By the way, I don't use the bowl for anything other than pickling, like this...
Bottled and ready to ferment:
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Speaking of fermented foodstuffs: I recently had a sudden (but temporary) urge to make my own kombucha tea. The "temporary" part came into play when I found an online site complete with full color photographs describing the process. One of the component parts looks like, how can I say it, "a mucous fluid that frequently is expelled from the nose during episodes of head congestion." It was impossible to un-see that.3
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I make my own kombucha, and have several scobys. I have given some away, and my H swears by kombucha for his acid reflux, which goes virtually the instant he drinks a sip or two.
I admit a scoby looks...'unsightly'... but the resulting drink is awesome!1 -
ACV in the making....
and a new batch of kombucha on the go...
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AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »ACV in the making....
and a new batch of kombucha on the go...
RESPECT!0 -
I've done sauerkraut, have some in the fridge, I used youtube.com for find how people do it, and the kit I got was this one:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DXJWAYI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It was simple and easy, no mold issues at all. I had canning jars that the top fit onto perfectly.
You need it to sit at least a week, maybe more, the cabbage gets more transparent as it ferments, with normal cabbage that I used, it took about 1.5 weeks to get the change to almost white and letting the light through.
I also bought some Wildbrine sauerkraut to compare, I really couldn't tell much of a difference, I like them equally well. Not sure I would bother with making my own again, since the Wildbrine is so tasty and similar. And not expensive at Costco.1
