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Anyone into fermenting?

Roswell

Good evening!

I made a cucumber pickle today. A salty one, not a vinegar pickle - those are the two main types.

Got a large cucumber, chopped in half, then chopped into biggish pieces and put in a 850ml fermenting jar. Added water, a tablespoon of rock salt, a sprinkling of dried dill and some peeled garlic cloves. Mixed it all and then pressed down the cucumbers with the glass weight that came with the jar, which pressed the water up to form a moat over the weight, then put the lid on.

The water moat helps to prevent the growth of mold, so I've read. Though I'm also ready to clean the glass weight regularly and skim off any mold that forms on the top of the water with a spoon, which is perfectly normal according to fermentation aficionado Sandor Ellix-Katz.

I bought the glass weight jar because buying a weight that fits whichever jar you have is more difficult, so I opted for a all-in-1 set instead. Also I've made a ferment in the past where I used a stone as a weight and some bits of cabbage managed to always sneak around and rise above it. So that's why I've done a cucumber pickle this time. As they're large pieces they're easier to keep submerged.

After 2 weeks of being kept at room temperature I've read I then need to move it to a fridge to stop the fermentation and help it have a longer life before going off. 

So who else shares this interest?!

  • in reply to ILOVEDOGS

    Hello. Grinning

    That's a downer that you feel bad after eating fermented foods! I made sauerkraut a couple of times too.

    I made a sourdough bread once, I followed instructions in a book about bread written by Paul Hollywood. My parents and I loved it, it was really delicious. 

    I can't eat the fermented dairy products and I can mostly just eat the basic pickles made with salt and a few ingredients. A lot of vinegars disagree with me except for raw apple cider vinegar. 

    I've got some coconut yogurt with probiotic cultures in it I bought for this weekend. Looking forward to that.

  • I have this interest!

    I used to like making sauerkraut and fermented comucumbers. But I noticed I feel really bad after eating them. But I love making yogurt! And I love making pickles, and chutney, and relish. I really really love this, I find it absolutely fascinating I find all the different types of yogurt really interesting, I did not know there were so many from different nations, I love finding out about these. I love kefir too but can also make me feel very unwell. But I still am really interested in it I'm really really interested in cheese too but I've never made any, but one day I hope to do it, I research it and look forward to it in future. I also want to ferment butter. 

    Ooooh! I am so interested in fermenting things! I cannot drink alcohol, same very ill feeling as kefir, I suspect it is the alcohol in kefir that makes me feel ill even though it is very very low. I cannot tolerate it. I do love the fermenting of it though! I love the idea of sourdough too but have not done it yet. 

  • in reply to Roswell

    No, I never tried the homemade stuff.  I bought the seeds, compost, fertiliser and did most of the gardening.  

  • in reply to Robert124

    She must have been a great mum to have, sounds like a character. 

    Do you eat pickles yourself?

  • in reply to Roswell

    I think I've inherited many eccentric behaviours from my parents.

    Back to the gherkins,  we used the plastic jar from quality street and large glass jars. 

    She also believed in recycling rather than buying specific items.  The sugar container on the table is a glass jar,  which previously contained German pickled,  barrel sauerkraut. 

    She kept letters and documents in the large metal tins from roses and quality street.

    When she passed away,  we found £11,000 In cash,  under her bed,  in the tin box from roses.

  • in reply to Robert124

    Some lovely photos there. Relaxed

    That's interesting to add bread, there are a lot of different ways you can do it. Also very resourceful putting them in a used confectionery jar.

    I think most people would be surprised how much more flavour there is in a homemade fermented food than in, for example, a jar of pickled onions or cabbage from a typical shop.

  • My late mother was very much into this.

    Home made wine and gherkins. 

    I bought the seeds every year, we had several plantations throughout the garden.  The gherkins,  with dill, fennel, bread, cooled boiled water and other ingredients went into large jars.

    She ate the gherkins throughout the winter.