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My first time.....

post #1 of 8
10/29/10 at 7:53pm
Thread Starter 
So, I started my first batch of lacto-fermented pickles. I followed the NT recipe and used an old pickle jar to make my batch. The jar is just a little over 2 quarts and I had doubled the recipe using 8 pickling cucumbers. Once I added all of my ingredients in the jar, I ended up having about 2 inches of space above my liquid. Now, since I have never made lacto-fermented pickles before I have NO idea how the liquid in the jar is suppose to look. The jar has been sitting on my counter for 2 days now and on the surface of the water is some white looking build up...when I gently shake the jar...the white stuff "disintegrates" so to speak, kind of blending in with the water. until it settles at the top again. Is this normal? (perhaps the whey?) or is this some kind of mold or something? I hope my batch isn't ruined. I keep reading how easy it is to make and I'm thinking "great, only I can mess up a batch of pickles".... Someone, please tell me I haven't done something wrong!! Thanks!
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post #2 of 8
10/30/10 at 11:45am
White and cloudy brine it normal, if it is very warm it may even bubble! This is the beneficial bacteria and yeast. My best tip for lacto-fermenting is to follow Sandor Kratz's Wild Fermentation recipes instead of the ones that call for whey. Whey in veggie ferments tends to make them pretty darn slimy, IME.
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post #3 of 8
10/30/10 at 1:43pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the tip. I just checked my pickles again today and the pickles kind of rose out of the brine....and all the white stuff was stuck to it. I gently pushed the pickles back down into the brine and once again the white stuff sort of dissolved into water making it cloudy. I'm almost worried that its mold....Is that normal? If there is mold, is that okay or is the whole batch ruined? Its been three days so I just transferred the pickles into the fridge. Anymore helpful tips or info is SO greatly appreciated! Thank you all so much!
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post #4 of 8
10/30/10 at 1:46pm
I have this white crap all over mine, too. I used the Wild Fermentation method. They're still in my fridge, but I'm afraid to try them again They've been in there a couple of months now.
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post #5 of 8
10/30/10 at 2:42pm
Thread Starter 
lol....glad I'm not the only one!
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post #6 of 8
10/30/10 at 9:43pm
Mold grows on the surface, like floating on top of the brine, not down in the brine. And you can just skim that off if you see any. The cloudiness of the brine and the sediment on the pickles are fine and normal.
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post #7 of 8
11/1/10 at 4:23pm
I made pickles all summer, maybe 8 - 10 batches and it was my first time ever making lacto-fermented veggies. I never had any white floaties or mold and that may be due to our climate (very dry) or the fact that I never use whey.

I had never heard the 'slim' issue the pp spoke about with whey, but just for the record you DON'T NEED WHEY. I don't know why people even use it. It makes your veggies have dairy in them and I guess if no one in your family is lactose or dairy intolerant that is okay, but I would leave the whey out.

Also, I left my pickles to ferment for several weeks on the counter and they turned out fine. I have since begun fermenting other things I don't leave out quite as long, but I guess my point is that you don't have to rush things into the fridge.

Also, it has been said that if a batch is ruined you know it. Well I did have one jar of my pickles turn... don't know why, maybe it was the onions I added (experimenting)... I definetly knew the batch was bad...not with smell, but as soon as I ate a pickle it was all bubbly and fuzzy and made my tongue sting and it tasted terrible. Not like salty pickles at all. Just FYI.
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post #8 of 8
11/2/10 at 9:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by deditus View Post
White and cloudy brine it normal, if it is very warm it may even bubble! This is the beneficial bacteria and yeast. My best tip for lacto-fermenting is to follow Sandor Kratz's Wild Fermentation recipes instead of the ones that call for whey. Whey in veggie ferments tends to make them pretty darn slimy, IME.
So happy to read this, tried ginger carrots with whey a few weeks ago and could not eat them--so slimy!

I read Katz' book several years ago on loan, what method does he use? I cannot stand my ferments to be very salty!
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