Anyone ferment?

[merkaba93]

I thought id ask, see if there is some cool stuff out there and maybe steal some ideas.
At the moment I have going, fish sauce, soy sauce, Brussels sprouts, white wine vinegar. I just finished a batch of kimchi and kraut. I also just created a sourdough starter. Going to tackle bread soon.
I don't have any cheese or salami going at the moment.
What are you guys doing?

[onmygame]

You are pretty brave with the fish sauce - though I don't know the environment you are letting it sit in. I do know that the typical environment where they let fish gut slurry sit and ferment from between months to years is usually 70+ degrees (if not 90+) and quite humid, and crocks sitting in the sun are the norm.

My apologies if I'm thinking of something different - either way, please be diligent.

We do kimchi on the regular (wife is Korean born and awesome at this) and have considered kraut as well as kosher dill pickles and a few pickled spiced items like asparagus spears and beets.

Even though these things are in our sights, seems that back burner runs cool as all get out.

[Fl0und3rz]

Love your threads.  I have not been brave enough to ferment, though kosher pickles and kraut would be first targets.

[Twispriver]

I pickle cukes, peppers and beans every year and I've been making and canning sauerkraut for several years. Most of the pickling is done in jars but I've also done the odd batch in the ceramic crock and I always use the crock for sauerkraut but I'd like to try some in an oak barrel.
If it's a good fruit or berry year I've made all different kinds of wine and mead and in my younger days I got pretty good at fermenting different grain mashes for homemade whiskey.

[merkaba93]

You are pretty brave with the fish sauce - though I don't know the environment you are letting it sit in. I do know that the typical environment where they let fish gut slurry sit and ferment from between months to years is usually 70+ degrees (if not 90+) and quite humid, and crocks sitting in the sun are the norm.

My apologies if I'm thinking of something different - either way, please be diligent.

We do kimchi on the regular (wife is Korean born and awesome at this) and have considered kraut as well as kosher dill pickles and a few pickled spiced items like asparagus spears and beets.

Even though these things are in our sights, seems that back burner runs cool as all get out.

Nope you are correct. Whole anchovies and 25% by weight sea salt added. Mix and wait. I have a bucket with a fermentation top. Though science shows there really isn't a lot of fermentation going on, just some of the gastrointestinal enzymes breaking down solids. Otherwise it's just the salt pulling liquid out of the fish.
Dude, I get it, I find my projects are kinda spotty at times.

[merkaba93]

Love your threads.  I have not been brave enough to ferment, though kosher pickles and kraut would be first targets.

There is nothing easier than Kraut. You should really try it. Shave cabbage. Add pure sea salt (no anti caking agent) a tbs at a time and massage until you have enough brine to cover the cabbage as you move it to your fermentation vessel. I usually keep a leaf whole to leave on top so that if it ends up exposed to air it will go bad not the kraut. Remember lactic acid fermentation is going to create some gas, so everything is going to want to rise to the top. And it needs to stay submerged! Anaerobic environment. You can also buy weights to keep it all down. Let it set until it's a sour as you like. I like 8 days. 

[merkaba93]

I pickle cukes, peppers and beans every year and I've been making and canning sauerkraut for several years. Most of the pickling is done in jars but I've also done the odd batch in the ceramic crock and I always use the crock for sauerkraut but I'd like to try some in an oak barrel.
If it's a good fruit or berry year I've made all different kinds of wine and mead and in my younger days I got pretty good at fermenting different grain mashes for homemade whiskey.

Homemade whiskey? That's cool, tell me some more about that!
And what kind of peppers are we talking? Bell? Habenero?

[KFhunter]

I'm fermenting kombucha


but I'd like to do kraut one of these days, and maybe kimchi although i don't like Asian food much I do eat that if it's good.

[JimmyHoffa]

Is there much difference between the oriental fish sauce and the roman fish sauce?

[AL WORRELLS KID]

We love to make Kim-chi, Sauerkraut and Sourdough for our Bread Machine, Pancakes and Biscuits (although I have yet to try them all mixed altogether.) 
If you don't want to experiment, you might want to try buying "OlyKraut", (it's not your normal Sauerkraut) that's for sure.
 Doug

[magnanimous_j]

Is there much difference between the oriental fish sauce and the roman fish sauce?

Supposedly they are very similar. Roman garum was usually more heavily herbed, but there were many fish sauces that were under the umbrella term of garum. But it was the same basic concept: salt, fish guts and time.

[Whitpirate]

Love your threads.  I have not been brave enough to ferment, though kosher pickles and kraut would be first targets.

There is nothing easier than Kraut. You should really try it. Shave cabbage. Add pure sea salt (no anti caking agent) a tbs at a time and massage until you have enough brine to cover the cabbage as you move it to your fermentation vessel. I usually keep a leaf whole to leave on top so that if it ends up exposed to air it will go bad not the kraut. Remember lactic acid fermentation is going to create some gas, so everything is going to want to rise to the top. And it needs to stay submerged! Anaerobic environment. You can also buy weights to keep it all down. Let it set until it's a sour as you like. I like 8 days.

I make a fair bit of kraut and can it for use through the winter, garlic and dill beans/asparagus and I make a fresh kimchee but I'm starting to play around with kombucha and other fermented drinks.

[merkaba93]

Is there much difference between the oriental fish sauce and the roman fish sauce?

Supposedly they are very similar. Roman garum was usually more heavily herbed, but there were many fish sauces that were under the umbrella term of garum. But it was the same basic concept: salt, fish guts and time.

Yeah, there can be some aeromatics added to the sauce to change the flavor. I feel like that was done more in garum than in Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce. Heck even worcestershire sauce is partly a fish sauce.

[boneaddict]

Playing with Kvass now.   its more or less in the idea stage. 

[NRA4LIFE]

We make kraut every year in the fall.  We've been experimenting with things other than cabbage too.  Kohlrabi works great, it has a slightly different flavor than cabbage.  Adding some grated carrots gives any kraut a nice color and slightly different taste as well.

We also started dabbling in fermented pickles, using no vinegar.  I think some people call them Water Pickles.  You use only water and canning salt.  They have a slightly different flavor than vinegar pickles but are very tasty.