#FromTheFermentationBench

I've just strained off the latest beetroot kvass - just over 1.5l of yummy fermented tonic drink. This time it was beetroot and apple. It is delish!

The fermented beetroot is saved in the freezer for smoothies. The apple was a bit mushy to bother with.

The 2 vinegars (apple and quince) are doing great, and I am remembering to stir daily. There's weeks to go yet until the final product. They are still tasting sweet, not alcoholic or sour yet. Stages to go...

And #FromTheGarden - The plant ferment - this time I used yarrow and borage leaves - is now covered in juice that has extruded from the leaves. It takes about a week to finish fermenting then it can be strained off and used as spray or soil drench (diluted at least 1:500)

FYI it's not a weed ferment as it is not using weeds but is made from herbs, fruit and veg leaves, and can also include actual fruits and veg. Plus sugar.

#FromTheFermentationBench #Fermenting #Ferment #Fermentation #FromTheKitchen #kvass

Lovely news #FromTheKitchen - I strained off the infusing pomegranate vinegar this afternoon, and it is a gorgeous pomegranate colour 😄 Can't wait to use it.

Also, #FromTheFermentationBench the vinegars (one jar apple and one quince) and the 2 beetroot and apple kvass jars are all bubbling nicely despite the cold weather.

I checked the 2 chickpea misos (one at 5 weeks, the other [this one had some live miso incorporated to help fermentation] at 3 week). Both seem to be doing well. Some tamari on each. Perhaps both could have had more weight. I really noticed the lovely miso aroma from the 5 week one.

And #FromTheGarden - I picked one of the mini mini finger limes as it was wanting to come off the tree. It is so miniature but it is the first year with fruit and it did its best.

#Gardening #GardeningAU #GardeningAdelaide #GrowYourOwn #Fermenting #Fermentation #Vinegar #Food #WhatIAmCooking

Miso is being made.

Homemade Red Miso, from The Book of Miso, using brown rice koji.

#Miso #Fermentation #FromTheFermentationBench #FromTheKitchen #WhatIAmCooking #Fermenting

#FromTheFermentationBench

The chickpea misos are looking very good, even the one I thought I screwed up. 🤞

I've been listening to Johnny Drain talk about enzymes in fermentation and particularly miso, and he gives me hope - as long as --some-- enzymes are present, they will do their thing. It just might take a bit longer.

Which reminds me, time to put up another batch of miso. Make some kvass. Vinegar. Fermented carrots.

#Food #Ferementing #Miso

I had to throw the fermenting apple vinegar out 😭 Just as it was smelling so delicious.

Vinegar needs to be stirred every day, but last week I had a couple of really flat days where I didn't do very much at all. Feeling sort of ill in a non-specific way. The vinegar didn't get stirred. It developed kahm yeast. I did all I could to rescue it, but I in the end I had to give up.

This morning I read, from Kirsten Shockey:

"Don't get too attached to your expectations about the outcome, and understand that some ferments might not turn out well. You might have to throw some back in the ground, and that's okay."

#Food #Fermentation #Ferment #Fermenting #Vinegar #FromTheKitchen #FromTheFermentationBench

Checking in #FromTheFermentationBench

Day 5 and I tasted the Beetroot-Celery Salad ferment from Kirsten Shockey, and it is Fan-tastic! Love it, and am sure it will be featured regularly at meal times over the next few weeks.

The apple vinegar has a lovely apple-sweet pre-alcohol scent that is lovely as I stir the fermenting vinegar. The taste is still sweetish but a sour note is juuuuust there in the background.

The two chickpea miso's seem to be progressing well. One is in glass so I can see the internals. The other I am assuming is going Ok. I made mistakes with both of them, so we'll see what the end results bring. I think one will be fine, but I am not sure about the other. There are bound to be mistakes the first few times you make something completely new.

#Fermentation #Fermenting #GrowYourOwn #Food #Vegetarian

The kitchen is tidy. The chickpeas are soaking, making cracking sounds. There will be miso made tomorrow.

The apples are dehydrated. I leave them out until morning to cool so I can feel if they have any moisture left in them. But I reckon they are done. There are enough apples left for another batch, altho they look beautiful in their golden greenness in the large Moroccan bowl.

I picked some more bay leaves, about 50, rinsed them and they will dry overnight before being added to the pile on the large tray for complete dehydration. I don't put them in the dehydrator, they dry on their own pretty quickly. Ditto for some curry leaves that are on another tray.

There is gentle jazz in the background and the crack crack crack of the chickpeas.

The apple vinegar, fermenting on the bench, is bubbling well. I made a beet-celery fermented salad mix, kraut style, which will ferment for 4 or 5 days at a guess.

An Indian cookbook lies open on the lounge.

#FromTheKitchen #Food #WhatIAmCooking #WhatIAmFermenting #FromTheFermentationBench