How about a fermented veggies thread? - Page 6

[carnelian]

Originally Posted by tinuviel_k

Does anyne have a really tasty pickled beets recipe? If so, could you share? I have tried the NT recip, and it is ok, but not my favorite.

Wild Fermentation has one which looks Most libraries carry this book. Also check this out. It looks good as well.

[tinuviel_k]

Thanks! I just picked up Wild Fermentation at my local bookstore. it's great! The woman who sold it to me wnted to know if there was a college class that needed the book or something, because about 10 people have come in asking for it this month. Word travels fast, I guess.

[saratc]

I made the fermented ginger carrots for the first time and I think it tastes funky. I like carrots and ginger separately and I love sauerkraut and kimchee, so I can't tell if it's bad or if I'm just not used to the taste. I made it at the same time as I made a batch of sauerkraut with the same salt and whey, and the sauerkraut tastes really good. The carrots are retaining their orange-red color, so I'm thinking it's fine. But I still have to say it tastes unpleasantly funky to me. I'll wait and see if I like it better as it ages...

Now I'm afraid to try all the other recipes. I've only ever done sauerkraut and kimchee and I already knew I liked them and what they were supposed to taste like.

[bluets]

has anyone tried the fruit kimchi recipe in Wild Fermentation? got any tips? i just tried the kimchi in Nourishing Traditions (similar to the one in Wild Fermentation) - see my post in the NT-June thread.

[Kissy]

I like the ketchup...

Originally Posted by squirrelletta

Has anyone tryed the Ketchup? No one awnsered yet?

I know others have spoken up already, but I wanted to chime in and say that I made the ketchup. In fact, it was the first thing I ever made from NT, and I liked it so much that I started making other stuff too. Heh. It reinspired me back into my kitchen.

The texture is more like Hunt's brand ketchup than Heinz's brand, but I wonder if that could be fixed by mixing. I'm going to dig it up from the back of the fridge and use my stick blender in it and see.

We haven't eaten much ketchup since I've made it, since after I made it we started eating better again and haven't had much in the house that tastes good with ketchup! *LOL* I should mix it up, bottle it in an old ketchup bottle and bring it over to the kids I sit for to eat, so it gets some good use. *grin*

The older boy *ADORES* pickles, and now that their CSA is open again, he and I are going to make different kinds of pickles and he's *VERY* excited about that. He also wants to make bread, but our last sourdough attempt failed because we left it out in the rain. Heh heh heh. We'll try again next week.

~Kissy

[Hibou]

[QUOTE=bluets]has anyone tried the fruit kimchi recipe in Wild Fermentation? got any tips? QUOTE]

Haven't tried it, but would love to hear how it turns out if you make it!

[TigerTail]

Originally Posted by Hibou

I finally bought it too. I like his recipes much better than SF's, and I love the diversity- flipping thru the book totally inspires me!?

Ditto. He rocks. (I missed the chance to meet him & do a workshop at The Barefoot Farmer's Steiner-esque farm! My dh said go, he'd take a day off work to stay with the kids, but I was just too beat.) Though maybe one summer I'll make it south.

Originally Posted by Hibou

Has anyone made their own ginger beer or root beer? Thought this might be a good way to get my dh to start on fermented foods (he thinks it's totally creepy). I am specifically wondering about sweetners. I don't want to use refined white sugar, but would it be better to use honey or Rapadura?

I made ginger beer but honestly don't remember the result (that's not a good sign .) I've made great beer, mead, & plum wine though.

Made awesome kraut (with that pineapple vinegar) & scary kraut (too hot, not enough salt, kind of sketchy food bank shredded cabbage). Started making my kimchee years (20!) ago, love that stuff. I've made plenty a pickle in my day, but never fermented; I'm going to do that this year.

[bluets]

Originally Posted by Hibou

Haven't tried it, but would love to hear how it turns out if you make it!

NASTY. WF says to let it ferment for a week. Well, the fruit just all turns to mush. blech.

So now I'm wondering if the trick my dad uses for crispy sauerkraut might also work for less-mushy fruit kimchi. That trick being to add an inch or so of a piece of horseradish root, or a small sprig of a cherry tree (leaves+bark).

[kallyn]

Originally Posted by bluets

NASTY. WF says to let it ferment for a week. Well, the fruit just all turns to mush. blech.

Does the recipe have whey in it? I think that whey makes things mushy.

[bluets]

well, no, the recipe didn't call for whey. but i used whey (not knowing that it turns things to mush). excluding the mushiness, i wasn't too thrilled about the general flavor - garlicky fruit just isn't too appealing to me (yet?).

ETA: so in NT, fallon writes that one can cut back on salt and use whey instead. is that not true? (that's why i used whey)

[kallyn]

Originally Posted by bluets

ETA: so in NT, fallon writes that one can cut back on salt and use whey instead. is that not true? (that's why i used whey)

You can definitely USE whey, and I think it probably imparts some nutrition, it's just that it makes the final product mushy. I have no idea why it does that. I usually skip the whey and just use more salt.

[saratc]

My sauerkraut and ginger carrots both contained whey, but they are both very crispy. But then again, I reduced the whey a lot after reading that it makes things mushy. I also followed the directions in either NT or Wild Fermentation not to wash my veggies too well so I can leverage the wild yeasts on the veggies. In fact, I don't remember washing the cabbage at all -- just took off the outer layer. I also reduce my salt even though I also reduce my whey significantly.

[craftynsewon]

fermented vegetables

I haven't tried fermenting vegetables yet but have been reading about it for awhile...

As for using the crocks from crockpots I think they would be ok as long as the vegetables stay submerged under the brine... now to form an airtight seal I've read that people have filled bags with water... this was done with large crocks maybe double bagging a ziplock bag of water might work in this case too... the water would create a seal with the bag you just want to make sure the bag is sealed tight and won't leak. The weight of the water in the bag will keep the vegetables down in the brine as well.:

[auntieM]

I did use the baggie trick once my kraut got depleted enough that a jar wouldn't do it. It worked, but the bag leaked. That's why Katz suggests using brine in the bag.

[craftynsewon]

I just got the WF book at the library yesterday and last night read that Katz suggests using brine in the bag... I had only read previously that some people fill bags with water for a weight.. I think the brine makes a lot more sense to use though... your keeping that sterile environment.

[craftynsewon]

fruit kimchee

Does anyone have a favorite fruit kimchee that they would like to share?? I'm just starting to get into fermented fruits and vegetables and if someone has a successful recipe I would appreciate it... those immediate failures have a tendency to turn the family completely off..LOL

[craftynsewon]

fruit jars

Has anyone here ever made a brandied fruit jar??? This is something that is quite common among the Amish and Mennonites.

I've made it in the past and love the taste although until the other day I never really thought of it as a fermented fruit mix..

I've also tried creating a Rumtopf jar but absolutely hated it... most of my fruits discolored and got mushy..

The difference between the two recipes are the types of fruit used and the brandied fruit jar used brandy where as the Rumtopf used rum in it.

[bluets]

Originally Posted by craftynsewon

Has anyone here ever made a brandied fruit jar??? This is something that is quite common among the Amish and Mennonites.

I've made it in the past and love the taste although until the other day I never really thought of it as a fermented fruit mix..

I've also tried creating a Rumtopf jar but absolutely hated it... most of my fruits discolored and got mushy..

The difference between the two recipes are the types of fruit used and the brandied fruit jar used brandy where as the Rumtopf used rum in it.

do you have a recipe or two to share?

[bluets]

Originally Posted by craftynsewon

Does anyone have a favorite fruit kimchee that they would like to share?? I'm just starting to get into fermented fruits and vegetables and if someone has a successful recipe I would appreciate it... those immediate failures have a tendency to turn the family completely off..LOL

there's one in Wild Fermentation (my book is at home and i am not but see below) that looked like it would be good but i don't particularly care for the outcome... it doesn't use whey but i did - see a few posts ago about my experience with this recipe.

from what i recall, the stuff that goes into your jar:
small bunch of grapes
2? plums
1 pear
1 apple
1/2 pineapple
small bunch of green onions
1-2 jalapenos
1-2 dried chili peppers
3 Tbsps crushed ginger
3-4 garlic cloves
small bunch of cilantro
an unknown amt of sea salt

mix all together in a bowl. stuff into jar. add enough filtered water to bring liquid level to just above the surface.

[Brookesmom]

I made the root vegetable kimchee from Wild Fermentation last week with the CSA beets, carrots and radishes. Yum. I got a head of cabbage at today's pickup so I'm going to make my first sauerkraut. I am going to try it in the crockpot crock since I haven't dropped the $$ for a Harsch crock, although I keep meaning to scour Goodwill and the garage sales for one. Anyone have luck finding cheap crocks used? I need inspiration! There have got to be tons of them sitting in people's basements and garages unused waiting for me to discover.

I would love to hear more about the brandied fruit recipe (I have brandy in the house!)

-Kelly