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Offline The15thMember

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Fermenting
« on: October 21, 2022, 07:49:52 pm »
I made some homemade sauerkraut for the first time today.  I've done fermented honey garlic before, but this is the first vegetable ferment I have done.  Anyone else doing any fermenting?


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Offline G3farms

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2022, 08:29:23 pm »
My wife say I have been fermenting for years now!  :shocked:
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2022, 09:19:17 pm »
Looks like you did a good Job Member.. Was there a lot of steps involved?

My wife say I have been fermenting for years now!  :shocked:

Haa haa G3  :shocked: :grin: good one!

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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2022, 09:32:37 pm »
My wife say I have been fermenting for years now!  :shocked:
:cheesy:

Looks like you did a good Job Member.. Was there a lot of steps involved?
Not at all.  Honestly, it was so easy, I'm surprised everyone doesn't do this, and that I haven't done it before.  :happy:  I had a head of green cabbage and a head of red cabbage.  I chopped them up and layered them in a big bowl with Celtic sea salt.  I then mixed and crushed it all with my hands to bruise the cabbage and distribute the salt.  Then I packed it super tightly in the jars, topped each jar with a cabbage leaf to keep it nice and tight, and now it will sit for about a week or two.  Boom, sauerkraut!  :grin:
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Offline iddee

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2022, 09:35:29 pm »
I haven't lately, but I made 5 gallons of kraut in a 6 gallon croc every year for several years. Start tasting it on day 3. Then taste every day until desired strength is acquired. 7 days should be about max, depending on temps.
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2022, 09:41:28 pm »
Thanks Reagan.

I haven't lately, but I made 5 gallons of kraut in a 6 gallon croc every year for several years. Start tasting it on day 3. Then taste every day until desired strength is acquired. 7 days should be about max, depending on temps.

How do you store it iddee? What is the process?

Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline gww

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2022, 12:51:39 am »
I am not iddee but make all kinds of fermented stuff like kimchi and sweet tater stems and and turnups, cucumbers.  Keep it all in the fridge and it is why I have three of them.  During winter I can get by for a while on some cold basement steps that don't freeze.
Good luck and hope this is helpful.
Cheers
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2022, 02:24:09 am »
Yes this is very helpful. Two more questions (for now) 'their may be more later'
How long will this last in the fridge? And how will I know when it is past its 'prime'?  (Still good to eat not being spoiled)

Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline iddee

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2022, 07:57:55 am »
The old folks would just leave it in the crock all winter and dip out as needed. If it molded, just scoop off the mold and dip from underneath.

After 7 or eight days, it gets stronger than I like. My wife removes about half of it and cans it on day 3 or 4. I like to leave it until day 6 or 7, then can it.
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Offline gww

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2022, 10:55:12 am »
In my experience it will last more then a year if refrigerated.  It will slowly get more sour which I personally like better then when first made.  If the fridge goes out it will go bad, ask how I know.  I think iddee hit it pretty good.  Not really sure how bad it gets if cold but taste does change and that may affect your decision on eating it.  My opinion is it mostly gets better but all are different in their expectations.  Mom always did can the sauerkraut when I was young and that probably guarantees holding a certain taste.
Cheers
gww

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2022, 02:54:50 pm »
Yes this is very helpful. Two more questions (for now) 'their may be more later'
How long will this last in the fridge? And how will I know when it is past its 'prime'?  (Still good to eat not being spoiled)

Phillip
As Wally and gww mentioned, from what I've read, seen, etc. in my research, it will be obvious to the nose when it goes bad.  You also wouldn't want to eat it if it's growing brightly colored mold, but a little white or gray mold can simply be skimmed off.  Whenever it's as sour as you like it, you put it in cold storage to stop/drastically slow the fermentation.  In a cold environment, it will last quite long, since the goal of fermentation is to have the good bacteria take over, so the bad bacteria don't, and all the bacterial growth will be slower in the cold.  You can can ferments to make them last for a really long time, although the canning process does destroy a lot of the bacteria that are good for your gut.   
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2022, 03:51:14 pm »
Thanks to each of you. My next question; Does canning create a noticeable change in taste in each of your opinions?

Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline iddee

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2022, 03:59:03 pm »
I don't think canning affects it at all. It can be water bath canned. No need to pressure can. Nothing destroyed that bringing it to a boil before serving wouldn't destroy.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2022, 07:10:02 pm »
I don't think canning affects it at all. It can be water bath canned. No need to pressure can. Nothing destroyed that bringing it to a boil before serving wouldn't destroy.
Well sure, there wouldn't be any difference between canning and cooking before eating.  But there would be a big difference between either of those things and eating it raw. 
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Offline iddee

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #14 on: October 23, 2022, 12:06:13 pm »
You may be right there, I don't know, but I like it better hot, with wieners or sausages.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Acebird

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #15 on: October 24, 2022, 08:40:53 am »
Nothing destroyed that bringing it to a boil before serving wouldn't destroy.
As with all forms of cooking it is time and temperature.
Water bath is lower temperature for longer time then pressure canning.  Any form of cooking will affect taste.
Every time we tried to make kraut it turned brown  on top and my wife didn't like it.  I didn't think it was bad.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #16 on: October 24, 2022, 10:43:54 am »
If you are making kraut in a crock you need something to hold it down.  My Grandmother in law always had a plate about the size of the crock and a (clean) rock on it to hold everything under the brine.
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Offline iddee

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #17 on: October 24, 2022, 12:15:40 pm »
As MB said, you can't let air get to it for a period of time. It must be kept below the liquid surface. No, the brown wasn't bad. It just doesn't look good. We had a white flint rock, almost a crystal, cleaned and wrapped in tinfoil on a plate.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Acebird

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2022, 08:04:37 am »
As MB said, you can't let air get to it for a period of time. It must be kept below the liquid surface. No, the brown wasn't bad. It just doesn't look good.
I tried to get the wife to listen but she is Irish.
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Fermenting
« Reply #19 on: October 26, 2022, 03:29:31 pm »
We tried the kraut last night.  It's not quite done, still too cabbage-y, and not sour enough.  It's going to be good though, I can already tell!  :grin:
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.