Fermenting Foods

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I love my crock, but recently found a 2 gallon food grade plastic bucket at Lowe's for about $4 with the lid. The crock is wonderful, but not entirely necessary...especially at today's prices.

You don't need a crock to ferment food. Any nonreactive container will work. There are food grade buckets, glass ball jars, plastic food storage containers that will work.

Because I am " Gadget Man" I have a Stoneware Fermentation Crock Pot. You do not need to buy one of these. I can justify owning one cuz of the volume of sauerkraut we eat.

RR
 
My Mom was born and raised on a farm, so naturally, we canned everything. LOL, I use to think if she could find a way to can lettuce she would. I still continue canning but a much less quantity. My favorite is pressure canned beef or venison.

Other than saurkraut, I never thought of fermenting foods. Thanks for the the wildferment site, I will be getting the book.
 
I wonder if any of these can be froze or canned with the wax tops instead of using the canning lids.
 
I am not sure about the wax tops but you can freeze the saurkraut
 
The more I think about this Shelley, I don't think I would use wax especially on saurkraut. For jelly, the jelly sets and the wax is placed on top and just stays there but on saurkraut, it is going to seep down into the kraut.
 
Well I got my saurkraut started and after I sliced the cabbage I realized I had this hanging on the wall, lol

krautcutter.JPG
 
Julie: I got to thinking about the wax dripping through the liquid and decided also might not be a good idea. I guess I was remembering how as a kid I would help my grandma put wax on jelly jars. Brought me back in time I guess.
 
Well I got my saurkraut started and after I sliced the cabbage I realized I had this hanging on the wall, lol

Now that is funny... I see it is next to an old sausage press. Should we start a thread on that? I also make the BEST smoked Polish Sausage, and cold smoke fish.

I wonder if any of these can be froze or canned with the wax tops instead of using the canning lids.
Shelley,
As I remember the wax, (paraffin) was used to seal jams and jellies. I see it on the shelf at Walmart in the canning section. I don't use it because it is derived from petroleum. It is just my opinion but I really don't want that in contact with something I plan on eating.

Julie,
You mentioned pressure canning foods. My grand mother always had a pressure cooker going. I remember walking through the kitchen and the vibration from my foot steps on the floor would make the top jiggle. I have been using a pressure cooker for a few years now. What a time saver making soups and stocks.

I, just this summer, picked up a pressure canner to can low acid foods. I have yet to can beef. I was going to can some chicken soup last week but it didn't last long enough to make it into jars,LOL.


What's old is new again. It's high time we get back to the way things should be. I often wonder what food tasted like 50, 60, 70 or 100 years ago compared to the way things are today. I have a feeling that it had a lot more flavor, just based on eating foods while they are in season vs. not in season.

I never had the chance to see these things as a kid, but am trying to offer them to my niece and nephew...though they much prefer to go to any fast food restaurant instead of eating Auntie's "weird" food...lol.

To rezod11,

The younger generation I work with at the firehouse would rather eat a bag of chips and an energy drink then good home cooked food.

RR
 
Last edited:
LOL, yes a sausage stuffer and it is also a fruit press, we use it all the time. My husband makes his own venison snack sticks and we do venison bologna as well. He has a smoker. Plus we use it to press our apples for apple wines.

Oh you will love canned beef. The stuff just melts in your mouth and the beef flavor is just awesome.

Pressure can some green beans, they develop this buttery taste that you just can't get anyway else.

I think we did have a canning section, not sure but I'll look into it.
 
Well today after nearly two weeks of fermenting I tried the Sauerkraut. Wow! It was perfect! Crunchy and so much better than any that you can buy! We ate quite a bit for dinner with porkchops tonight and I froze 6 bags for later. I thing I will head on over to the local Save a Lot and see if they still have cabbage. Thank you Region Rat for the inspiration!
 
Well today after nearly two weeks of fermenting I tried the Sauerkraut. Wow! It was perfect! Crunchy and so much better than any that you can buy! We ate quite a bit for dinner with porkchops tonight and I froze 6 bags for later. I thing I will head on over to the local Save a Lot and see if they still have cabbage. Thank you Region Rat for the inspiration!

You are welcome.

My sister came over yesterday and we had some for lunch. Next you will have to do a batch of pickles...

RR
 
I started a batch of sour pickles about two weeks ago (following the Wild Fermentation instructions from their website), and noticed yesterday that the brine mix is getting cloudy, and is not nice and clear as it started out.
Is this normal?
 
I started a batch of sour pickles about two weeks ago (following the Wild Fermentation instructions from their website), and noticed yesterday that the brine mix is getting cloudy, and is not nice and clear as it started out.
Is this normal?

Absolutely normal. Don't worry. That just means they are on their way. Good for you.


RR
 
RR,
It's been about four weeks since starting my sour pickles. I have not tasted them yet, but I can smell them, and they smell just like the deli bought pickles. Assuming they are done at this point, the recipe says to put them in the frig., and enjoy.
It fails to say if they should be left in the juice they were fermented in.
Should I leave them as is and just move to the firg., or should I change the now very cloudy liquid I refrigerate them in??
Thanks for the help.
 
RR,
It's been about four weeks since starting my sour pickles. I have not tasted them yet, but I can smell them, and they smell just like the deli bought pickles. Assuming they are done at this point, the recipe says to put them in the frig., and enjoy.
It fails to say if they should be left in the juice they were fermented in.
Should I leave them as is and just move to the firg., or should I change the now very cloudy liquid I refrigerate them in??
Thanks for the help.

reef,
Here is how it usually ends up in our house. We all sample them as the ferment. The way the taste evolves as they are ferment varies. When they start out they are salty and still very crisp. Then the start to change and get that "tang." The longer they go the more sour they will get. When they reach the sour level you want just stick the whole thing, juice and all, in the fridge. This will stop the fermenting and lock in the taste till they are all eaten.

Some times they don't get all the way fermented, somehow the pickle gremlins eat them tooo fast.

Just a note, don't over think it, okay? You really can not mess this stuff up.

RR

edit: Reach in there and taste one!!!!
 
Last edited:
RegionRat, Today I strained out the pulp from 2 batches of fermented peppers, added 2 cups of cider vinegar and bottled 7 pints of a wonderful hot pepper sauce. The next time I make it I will probably leave out the bell peppers. The sauce could stand to have a little more heat.
Thank you again for the inspiration!
 
reef,
Here is how it usually ends up in our house. We all sample them as the ferment. The way the taste evolves as they are ferment varies. When they start out they are salty and still very crisp. Then the start to change and get that "tang." The longer they go the more sour they will get. When they reach the sour level you want just stick the whole thing, juice and all, in the fridge. This will stop the fermenting and lock in the taste till they are all eaten.

Some times they don't get all the way fermented, somehow the pickle gremlins eat them tooo fast.

Just a note, don't over think it, okay? You really can not mess this stuff up.

RR

edit: Reach in there and taste one!!!!
RR,
Tasted my first pickle the other day, and they are way too salty. I'm guessing I used too much salt, or they have not developed the tang you describe (yet) The temp they have been sitting at is about 62F, does that slow down the process?
 
RegionRat, Today I strained out the pulp from 2 batches of fermented peppers, added 2 cups of cider vinegar and bottled 7 pints of a wonderful hot pepper sauce. The next time I make it I will probably leave out the bell peppers. The sauce could stand to have a little more heat.
Thank you again for the inspiration!


I usually use a combination of red and green jalapeno peppers. I let it ferment then age for several months. Some if it is then puréed to a paste similar to sambal then add vinegar and bottle it in 1/2 pint ball jars and some I let rip in the blender and then strain add vinegar and bottle. Most of it is given away to friends and family.

Like the commercial, "I put that s@*t on everything,"

RR
.
 
RR,
Tasted my first pickle the other day, and they are way too salty. I'm guessing I used too much salt, or they have not developed the tang you describe (yet) The temp they have been sitting at is about 62F, does that slow down the process?

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner. I hope your pickles are coming along...

I really don't know how to answer your question. What was your salt to water ratio? "Too salty" is a relative term. I probably over use salt on most things I eat. Things that taste overly salty to my friends most times taste fine to me. I use a 4.5% solution, 45gr salt to 1 Liter water. I don't know what that would convert to in tablespoons and quarts. I know the more salt you use will slow down the fermentation. As for the temp. I would think that the lower the them the slower the fermentation just like wine. I leave mine on the kitchen counter. I would say the ambient temp would vary from low 70's during the day and mid-upper 60's at night.


The 'tang' I am talking about is caused by the formation of Lactic acid. The Lactic acid and salt are what preserves the pickles.

RR
 
I have to go back and look at my notes to see what my % solution was. I want to start another batch using Kosher salt vs. pickling salt to see if it/s different, and I'll carefully get my solution setup this time.....and I'll leave it in the kitchen instead of the basement.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top