Re: Extreme frustrations with fermenting

[Guest guest]

Here are some resources to help you along .Don't give up it is a snap when

you get the hang of it.Please free to email me as I ferment often.

http://www.wildfermentation.com/links.php

good luck,

On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 2:22 PM, Cray Fish <crayfishfeed@...> wrote:

> Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to remove

> that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I end up

> throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole thing.

>

> I also did ginger carrots. I again pounded with enough juice to cover

> it but as I served it to myself over the days, I guess the protective

> juice simply got absorbed into the carrots and then they just turned

> really, really slimy, which my roommate noticed before I did without

> telling me so I had been eating this slimy ginger carrots without

> noticing b/c I spoon it into ground beef where it gets mixed up and I

> am obviously not paying close attention. I hope this slime is not

> affecting my health in any adverse ways.

>

> If anyone has any input I would appreciate it, I am ready to give up

> fermenting anything at this point b/c it always ends up getting thrown

> in the trash.

>

> thanks

>

>

>

--

LoBue Events

Our menus are organic, local and seasonal. We are committed to supporting

sustainable agriculture and responsible usage of our resources.

Chef LoBue

415-722-3934

[Guest guest]

Several species of beneficial bacteria produce slime... I think it is

Lactococcus that is best known for it's stringy slime...

You should try the jar-in-jar method: one jar contains the kraut and another

(full of brine) stacked in it to push the kraut down.

-Lana

" There is nothing more useful than sun and salt. " - Latin proverb

On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 3:22 PM, Cray Fish <crayfishfeed@...> wrote:

> Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to remove

> that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I end up

> throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole thing.

>

>

> I also did ginger carrots. I again pounded with enough juice to cover

> it but as I served it to myself over the days, I guess the protective

> juice simply got absorbed into the carrots and then they just turned

> really, really slimy, which my roommate noticed before I did without

> telling me so I had been eating this slimy ginger carrots without

> noticing b/c I spoon it into ground beef where it gets mixed up and I

> am obviously not paying close attention. I hope this slime is not

> affecting my health in any adverse ways.

>

> If anyone has any input I would appreciate it, I am ready to give up

> fermenting anything at this point b/c it always ends up getting thrown

> in the trash.

>

> thanks

[Guest guest]

You made some red sauerkraut that was really good when I visited you

years back. I remember cause I ate it with every meal. You had just

made it maybe a few days before I got there, so it was just fermented

enough. So not all of your ferments turn out bad.

Do you use whey? Are you salting to taste or are you just adding a

pre-determined amount of salt?

The sliminess shouldn't be a problem...I think many good bacteria can

make polysaccharides that are slimy...but I certainly wouldn't enjoy

slimy cabbage or carrots.

-

>

> Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to remove

> that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I end up

> throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole thing.

>

>

> I also did ginger carrots. I again pounded with enough juice to cover

> it but as I served it to myself over the days, I guess the protective

> juice simply got absorbed into the carrots and then they just turned

> really, really slimy, which my roommate noticed before I did without

> telling me so I had been eating this slimy ginger carrots without

> noticing b/c I spoon it into ground beef where it gets mixed up and I

> am obviously not paying close attention. I hope this slime is not

> affecting my health in any adverse ways.

>

> If anyone has any input I would appreciate it, I am ready to give up

> fermenting anything at this point b/c it always ends up getting thrown

> in the trash.

>

> thanks

>

[Guest guest]

Try the recipes in Wild Fermentation. They work for me. The whole

pounding cabbage thing works best if they are fresh picked but they

can dry out in storage and then you'll have to add water at the ratio

1 tablespoon salt to 1 cup water, more or less. That's what I do but

I don't use whey in ferments, I like the salty taste a lot, and use

sauerkraut mostly for the salty flavor on dull things like rice,

mashed potatoes, or salad anyways.

If the top is getting brown, see if you have a glass jar you can put

on top to keep it submerged. If the opening is small, maybe a spice

jar. That will keep the dehumidifier in the refrigerator from

evaporating the liquid away so quickly too.

Lately I've gotten really lazy in my ferments and have been

following someone's advice to just shut the ingredients in a glass

jar and leave them in the basement for a month then eat. So far no

problems with exploding jars and no mold on top either.

>

> Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to

remove

> that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I end up

> throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole thing.

>

>

> I also did ginger carrots. I again pounded with enough juice to

cover

> it but as I served it to myself over the days, I guess the

protective

> juice simply got absorbed into the carrots and then they just turned

> really, really slimy, which my roommate noticed before I did without

> telling me so I had been eating this slimy ginger carrots without

> noticing b/c I spoon it into ground beef where it gets mixed up and

I

> am obviously not paying close attention. I hope this slime is not

> affecting my health in any adverse ways.

>

> If anyone has any input I would appreciate it, I am ready to give up

> fermenting anything at this point b/c it always ends up getting

thrown

> in the trash.

>

> thanks

>

[Guest guest]

I've had that problem with my ferments, that the juice disappears in

the refrigerator. I take it out, add more salted water, let it

ferment a bit more, put back into the refrigerator and the juice

disappears once again. I haven't had to throw anything out because

of it, though.

Next time I intend to pack less kraut and add much more liquid in an

attempt to compensate for the vanishing liquid.

I use the butt-end of the cabbage in the top of the jar as a

protective seal and to wedge the kraut down under the liquid. Just

toss it when you crack open the jar to consume.

-PattyT

>

> Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to

remove that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I

end up throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole

thing.

[Guest guest]

so just to understand this correctly, when I see the saurkraut

reabsorbing the water and drying out, I can just add a cup of salt

water and with one tablespoon of salt, or less using the same ratio I

imagine. So then I just leave it in the refrigerator without having to

ferment it again right?

Has the slimy carrots ever happened to anyone else?

> >

> > Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> > enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> > while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to

> remove

> > that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I end up

> > throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole thing.

> >

> >

> > I also did ginger carrots. I again pounded with enough juice to

> cover

> > it but as I served it to myself over the days, I guess the

> protective

> > juice simply got absorbed into the carrots and then they just turned

> > really, really slimy, which my roommate noticed before I did without

> > telling me so I had been eating this slimy ginger carrots without

> > noticing b/c I spoon it into ground beef where it gets mixed up and

> I

> > am obviously not paying close attention. I hope this slime is not

> > affecting my health in any adverse ways.

> >

> > If anyone has any input I would appreciate it, I am ready to give up

> > fermenting anything at this point b/c it always ends up getting

> thrown

> > in the trash.

> >

> > thanks

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I am a fabulous cook, but ferments are hard. I still get them wrong

often, and our food budget is too tight for experimentation and tossed

batches. I would look first to antimicrobials in your water. I have had

bottled water labeled spring kill my ferments, and make my bread not

rise. Someone had obviously cheated or mislabeled a run at the bottling

factory. Then look to your salt. Some salts have additives and natural

antimicrobial properties which tilt a ferment- too much iodine will kill

a ferment like too much salt. You could have mislabeled salt as well.

Half the staff at the healthfood store here is seriously stoned so

mistakes are expected. Whey makes a slimy ferment.

Based on my culinary knowledge, I have some interesting comparative

fermenting experiments laid out for myself concerning various techniques,

if I ever get the extra vegetables.

Desh

____________________________________________________________

Become a Medical Transcriptionist. Click here to find schedules designed to fit

your life.

http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/PnY6rw2bxfz6SghOWzjJh4DQ7ZIxC79zFgQN\

ttcqjU9bid6qYIJwi/

[Guest guest]

> mistakes are expected. Whey makes a slimy ferment.

Interesting! I've always used whey and never had a problem with slimy

ferments. Sometimes I've gotten a white film on top, but in NT it says

that's to be expected occasionally. The white film isn't dangerous and

doesn't mean it's gone bad. You can eat it or scoop it out, whatever you

prefer.

But, then again, we do frequent ferments in small batches that we use up

within 6 weeks or less. Perhaps other folks are doing large batches

and/or keeping them longer?

Cheers,

M

www.foodrenegade.com <http://www.foodrenegade.com>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to remove

> that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I end up

> throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole thing.

I've found that the foolproof way to make perfect sauerkraut, every

time, is with a Harsch crock. Ten pounds of shredded cabbage and 5

tablespoons of salt. Make sure the airlock rim doesn't dry out (I just

cover the lid with plastic food wrap, which prevents evaporation but

lets the gasses out.)

[Guest guest]

Best is probably to ferment it at room temp instead of in the fridge

for the first few weeks then cap it and refrigerate it if you feel

better about keeping it there. Refrigerators have a dehumidifier in

them to keep moisture from building up and creating mold problems and

messes, but it dries out food that's in there too.

It's hard to know what to use to " top off " sauerkraut that has gone

dry - the salt didn't evaporate out just the water, so adding salt

water might make it too salty but adding plain water might stay on

top and allow mold or bacteria to grow. Best would be to make it,

adding salt water if necessary so it has about 1 " of water on top of

the pressed cabbage so there is extra from the beginning in case of

evaporation, or bubbling and overflowing which is what happened to me

mostly.

If it's capped and then seems to go dry, it doesn't seem to get moldy

but the top " dry " part does have a different and less agreeable

flavor than what is in the brine. I think the difference is it's

carbon dioxide in there not oxygen.

Honestly I've quit doing sauerkraut lately and do more kimchi and can

do it without the ginger or hot pepper to make the flavor

more " german " . In that you use the salt water brine and not just dry

salt, and it is close to done in about a week, tho the flavor

continues to develop. I've lost patience for the months long process

of making plain sauerkraut, which according to what I've read isn't

historical anyways because they'd put in all kinds of things -

onions, garlic, carrots, turnips, juniper berries even meat - it

wasn't just cabbage. I guess the inputs of all those additional

ingredients feed the yeast and bacteria better so it grows faster.

> > >

> > > Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always

pound

> > > enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a

little

> > > while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to

> > remove

> > > that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I

end up

> > > throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole

thing.

> > >

> > >

> > > I also did ginger carrots. I again pounded with enough juice to

> > cover

> > > it but as I served it to myself over the days, I guess the

> > protective

> > > juice simply got absorbed into the carrots and then they just

turned

> > > really, really slimy, which my roommate noticed before I did

without

> > > telling me so I had been eating this slimy ginger carrots

without

> > > noticing b/c I spoon it into ground beef where it gets mixed up

and

> > I

> > > am obviously not paying close attention. I hope this slime is

not

> > > affecting my health in any adverse ways.

> > >

> > > If anyone has any input I would appreciate it, I am ready to

give up

> > > fermenting anything at this point b/c it always ends up getting

> > thrown

> > > in the trash.

> > >

> > > thanks

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Nope, I ferment in jars on the counter, then store long-term in the

refrigerator. I do use salt, as well as whey. My results are good,

but I do notice that when I transfer the kraut to the refrigerator the

juices tend to get absorbed into the kraut. The added salt water was

an attempt to keep the liquid level up. Didn't really work as that

absorbed, too.

-PattyT

>

> I'm confused - it sounds like you are fermenting in the

refrigerator. Is that correct?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I 'knead' my sauerkraut with my hands in a bowl and put it is quart jars covered

with wax

paper and a tight lid. The brown parts can be discarded but it is easy to cover

it.

Joan

>

> >

> > Hi all, I have tried making saurkraut a few times and I always pound

> > enough to make sure it is covered with enough juice. After a little

> > while in the fridge, it starts to brown on the top and I try to remove

> > that layer and pound up some more protective juice but then I end up

> > throwing it out b/c the browness slowly takes over the whole thing.

>

> I've found that the foolproof way to make perfect sauerkraut, every

> time, is with a Harsch crock. Ten pounds of shredded cabbage and 5

> tablespoons of salt. Make sure the airlock rim doesn't dry out (I just

> cover the lid with plastic food wrap, which prevents evaporation but

> lets the gasses out.)

>