Sauerkraut
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| 51 | Also, Uli, those glass jars you were talking about are on sale at Briscoes so will go get a good amount of those tomorrow as want to start fermenting some veges. racheee - 2009-08-18 17:07:00 |
| 52 | Quart measure rachee I don't know if your recipe is American or not, but bear in mind that American volume measurements are different from UK and Australasian ones. A US quart is much smaller. There was a thread about this a while ago. It would pay to look up US measurements on Google and check. davidt4 - 2009-08-18 18:00:00 |
| 53 | temperature We have temeratures of between 22 - 30 degrees celcius most of the time, will this affect making saurkraut? vailima1 - 2009-08-18 19:28:00 |
| 54 | It would be ok to get the fermentation started However after a few days it needs to go in the fridge, as it will not produce a good quality at those high temps - it might go very soft and not very nice tasting if you are not careful (=extra clean). Until it ferments properly it's only the salt that keeps it from going off, so a cooler fermentation is more likely to produce a good result. Give it a try with a small amount - one jar full - and see how it works. uli - 2009-08-18 21:59:00 |
| 55 | You have a Nourishing Traditions book. I was looking for ways to ferment fruits, preferably without it turning to alcohol, and I came across this book. I think I will buy one. Now I am not sure what you are doing with all that milk but you have to remember that it is impossible to get 'raw' milk in NZ unless you live on a farm. All our milk is pastuerised without exception. Getting whey is easy though. Just buy some plain, unsweetened yoghurt. (I like Clearwaters organic full cream yoghurt which sells in the South Island. Just put it into a sieve lined with a handitowel, over a bowl and put in the fridge over night. By morning your yoghurt will have separated into whey and curds (called Greek yoghurt or yoghurt cheese). buzzy110 - 2009-08-19 09:01:00 |
| 56 | Take heart rachee. Your starter probably isn't dead. If it seems to be doing nothing just either put it in the fridge for about 5-7 days and look at it again or throw half away, feed it and leave till it shows signs of life. Believe me it will. I went through the same thing. At certain stages it just slows right down but it will return. The best thing is to do very little and give the yeast a chance to start multiplying. Like I said in my sour dough posts, it takes ages to get a stable culture. Even now, when I just use a tblspn of starter to make my next batch it takes ages to multiply and get another colony going. buzzy110 - 2009-08-19 09:06:00 |
| 57 | valima. Those temps are excellent for starting your sauerkraut (as uli has said). My instructions are: 1. Make sauerkraut and leave at room temp (20-22dC for 2-3 days to get it fermenting. 2. When fermentation has started move to about 15-18dC for a bout 4-6 weeks. 3. After that store somewhere cool at around 5-15dC. My house too is naturally very warm, even through winter, but I do have a cool side, which fortunately has an unused bathroom so I store my kraut in there. Have you got a cool room? buzzy110 - 2009-08-19 09:15:00 |
| 58 | Cont... I can't suggest anything practical for you to do if you are making yours in bulk instead of jars. One website I visited suggested storing in plastic bags in the fridge or freezer. I usually start eating mine at about 4 four weeks. It is interesting to observe though, that there is not much reason to have sauerkraut over summer as there are so many other things to eat and it was traditionally a way to ensure there were vegetables to eat through the harsh European winters when no vegetables grew and there was no such thing as importation. You may like to ponder that. buzzy110 - 2009-08-19 09:20:00 |
| 59 | buzzy110 - I think vailima1 may reside in Rarotonga. uli - 2009-08-19 18:09:00 |
| 60 | buzzy110 - do you know the book "Wild fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz? I bought it from fishpond a couple of years ago. Very expensive but well worth it. Excellent research, refreshing to read and there is lots of things to try out and also lots of references at the end of each chapter to go and read further. The foreword is by Sally Fallon - author of "Nourishing Traditions". uli - 2009-08-19 19:44:00 |
| 61 | buzzy - I have just seen that both books are available on fishpond for $105 together: http://www.fishpond.co.nz/product_info.php?cName=Books/Healt uli - 2009-08-19 20:12:00 |
| 62 | bump for buzzy :) uli - 2009-08-20 10:45:00 |
| 63 | Hi uli. Yes I have seen that offer on fishpond as well. And no, sadly, I haven't got any books on fermentation but I guess, that soon I will have to add some to my collection if I am to continue to be involved. Luckily for me the internet has been a rich source of practical help, even if it is not exactly theoretical. In fact, I doubt I would have been able to do anything that I am doing now in that department if it wasn't for the internet. buzzy110 - 2009-08-20 12:04:00 |
| 64 | In fact, all this experimenting with wild yeasts and fermenting has given me a wild idea about how I can improve my garden health and get rid of weeds, other than throw them out. I got to thinking about the Japanese practice of Bokashi and in my mind I connected it up to whey (lactic) fermentation so the other day I saved all the weeds from my vege patch that I had pulled out, mulched them through the lawnmower and squashed them into a bucket with a whey and water starter and put the airtight lid on. I am curious to see how it turns out. If it does nothing but kill the weeds and start to break them down so I can put them back into my garden, I'll be rapt. I'll let you know if I get fizzy weeds. lol. buzzy110 - 2009-08-20 12:09:00 |
| 65 | And yes, before you start in on composting, I have huge problems with that. First my husband insists on doing the compost heap but he won't use a recipe or proper techniques so all he produces is improperly processed mush with still active seeds and an incorrect ph balance. So instead of helping my garden it kills it and overruns it with weeds. That is why I am starting something for myself and seeing how it turns out. buzzy110 - 2009-08-20 12:13:00 |
| 66 | Your fermented weeds are exactly what you can put into your compost heap - cause that is the best compost starter ever. I discovered it by accident over 30 years ago :) You will still get weed seeds - but that is no concern to me as I like weeding. It is very to see the food plants emerge and to have lots of weeds to feed to the compost pile :) uli - 2009-08-20 12:58:00 |
| 67 | And here I was thinking I had an original thought! I'm going to make a trench and bury my first bucket once it has fermented, just like they say to do with bokashi. I have also gone and bought a bokashi starter today and will see how that compares. It says to use veg scraps but they all go into my worm farm and I can't be bothered doing bokashi then putting into the worm farm so I'm going to use lawnmower mulched weeds or even lawn clippings. buzzy110 - 2009-08-20 17:38:00 |
| 68 | what are the positives of fermenting foods? this thread is interesting. winnie15 - 2009-08-20 18:39:00 |
| 69 | there are a lot of health claims attached to fermented foods. However the original thought was preservation of bulk food harvested in summer and autumn for the leaner winter and especially the early spring months when one works so hard in the garden - yet there is hardly anything to harvest and the body gets tired so quickly. uli - 2009-08-20 21:36:00 |
| 70 | There is a lot on the net and super books around now - however this article may be quite an easy to read intro: http://www.herbcompanion.com/cooking/The-Surprising-Health-B uli - 2009-08-20 21:37:00 |
| 71 | this is my next project: http://nourishedkitchen.com/morrocan-preserved-lemons/ uli - 2009-08-20 22:12:00 |
| 72 | heres a video on you tube how it's done, i'm glad i watched it as it's not so difficult as i imagined it would be! ... http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-make-sauerkraut-other-fer winnie15 - 2009-08-20 22:33:00 |
| 73 | has anyone tried kombucha mothers for that drink? .. Uli what will you use the lemons for once they're done fermenting? winnie15 - 2009-08-20 23:32:00 |
| 74 | you can use the lemons as a side dish to curries and such and you can also whizz them up with chilli and garlic and parsley (or coriander or basil) for a lovely sauce to go with fish. Of course all fermented foods need a bit of getting used to. uli - 2009-08-21 09:56:00 |
| 75 | This is the same with more common fermented foods like sourdough bread, cheese, Kim-chee, yoghurt, real Italian salami (not the cheap supermarket sausages). In fact my Pak'n'save sometimes has fermented Italian sausages - a real treat. They get imported from Australia I gather. So just experiment with very small amounts to get used to the taste. I have a recipe for a fruit Kim-chee which sounds exciting too .... sooo much to try :) uli - 2009-08-21 09:56:00 |
| 76 | I put down jars of preserved lemons last year and am still ploughing my way through them. At first I didn't know how to use them but I have since found I can use them in everything. No special recipes, just throw them into stews (casseroles) and soups, onto fish, into fish, into chickens when roasting, mushed up and rubbed over lamb with other marinade ingredients, into marinades, in fact anywhere you want a lemony flavour. Of course if you have a tagine then that is what they were made for but I don't need anymore cooking 'pots'. They say to throw away the flesh and use the skins but I just use it all with no detrimental effects whatsoever. buzzy110 - 2009-08-21 13:43:00 |
| 77 | winnie. To answer your question about benefits I have just referred back to my issue of Organics NZ. It says 1. Preserves food without refrigeration. (though of course you have to refrigerate!). 2. Breaks down substances that are hard to digest (i.e. lactose and casein in milk - yoghurt). 3. Frees up many nutrients, especially minerals, that would otherwise be chemically locked away and would not be absorbable. 4. Have more enzymes that aid digestion and nutrient absorption because they are still raw foods. buzzy110 - 2009-08-21 13:49:00 |
| 78 | Benefits cont... 5. Are probiotic super-foods, restoring and maintaining healthy flora in the gut, which leads to greater nutrient assimilation. 6. Can help heal ADHD, allergies, candidiasis, chronic fatigue, cholesterol imbalance, depression, diabetes and disorders of the intestine - colitis, leaky gut, reflux, and the list goes on. (Skeptical about #6 but everything helps) buzzy110 - 2009-08-21 13:53:00 |
| 79 | Benefits cont... Aside from all those there are things like savings and convenience. For the grand total of about $25 I have supplied my family with nutritious, prepared vegetables for lunches and some dinners and still have heaps to get me through Spring. I have not had to purchase any further salad greens. It has cost me nothing in terms of power usage of stove and freezer and glass bottle packaging is reusable so I'm saving the planet. The crock has no packaging waste at all. buzzy110 - 2009-08-21 13:58:00 |
| 80 | I booked Nourishing Traditions from the library yesterday and am looking forward to having it for a whole month, during which time I will read carefully and decide if I need to buy my own. buzzy110 - 2009-08-21 14:00:00 |
| 81 | Nourishing Traditions is probably the best book I have ever bought. Haven't even read it all yet! racheee - 2009-08-21 16:56:00 |
| 82 | It is not impossible to get raw milk unless you live on a farm Buzzy. You can buy up to 5 litres off a farmer, no worries. An organic farm preferably.. racheee - 2009-08-21 16:58:00 |
| 83 | rachee really? I always thought this is highly illegal in NZ? uli - 2009-08-21 18:42:00 |
| 84 | Oh. Sadly, there are not too many dairy farmers, organic or otherwise, working in Auckland. I'd love to be able to get my milk fresh from the farmer. I'm pretty sure uli is right though about it being illegal to sell unpastuerised milk so keep it quiet, I wouldn't want your supplier to get into trouble. Lucky lucky you. You could make real butter as well. buzzy110 - 2009-08-22 10:06:00 |
| 85 | It is certainly not highly illegal at all. You would think we were talking about firearms or drugs rather than milk! Here from the NZFSA: Additionally, section 11A of the Food Act 1991, allows for the farm gate sale of up to five litres, at any one time, of raw milk intended for consumption by the buyer or their family. It should however be noted that such milk would need to be harvested under an approved Risk Management Programme which is appropriate for milk for direct human consumption. racheee - 2009-08-23 11:02:00 |
| 86 | You may want to read this regarding the benefits of raw milk: http://www.realmilk.co.nz/ racheee - 2009-08-23 11:04:00 |
| 87 | Hi, have been reading this thread and I am very in making my own sauerkraut etc. those lemons look very yummy, earlier this week a work collegue of mine were discussing using a Tagine, so I will try and get the book Nourishing Tradition from library to do some more reading. We Also can buy fresh milk from Hohepa in HB, who grow all produce according to Rudolf Steiner method, I will use this milk to make cheese, and by the sound it it can use they whey for other preserving. skippie1 - 2009-08-23 11:38:00 |
| 88 | I have made my whey now, and the cream cheese is still straining. Looking forward to tasting it and to making my fermented veges etc! racheee - 2009-08-23 12:19:00 |
| 89 | rachee - we all know about the benefits of raw un-homogenised milk here I guess. However I think the quote you gave means a farmer can do this if he has a fully functioning cow shed and just uses the milk that would have otherwise gone to Fonterra out of his vat. If I however milk a couple of cows by hand on the paddock (much cleaner than in a shed) then I am not allowed to sell that for human consumption. I guess that is the difference. uli - 2009-08-23 13:27:00 |
| 90 | Well I'm jolly well going to go knocking on farmer's doors when I am out travelling. I remember the milk we used to get from the farm we stayed on every summer. Oh the cream that you could stand your spoon up in. My mother used to send us gathering blackberries and she'd make heavenly pies and the cream just topped it off. Only needed wee slices to feel satisfied. Now I'm getting all nostalgic. buzzy110 - 2009-08-23 16:14:00 |
| 91 | Hi skippie. Do you make your own sauerkraut or are you going to get into making it? I am always keen to hear how other people do it. buzzy110 - 2009-08-23 16:16:00 |
| 92 | Bump. Dragging this thread back to the main stream just in case anyone has anything further they might like to add to it. buzzy110 - 2009-08-25 12:54:00 |
| 93 | Dragging back to the main page again as I have a question to ask about raw milk which somebody with Nourishing Traditions may be able to help me with. buzzy110 - 2009-08-26 21:52:00 |
| 94 | I've been fortunate enough to have been given about 3litres of raw milk today. I was hopping someone could give me some ideas of what I could do with it. buzzy110 - 2009-08-26 21:53:00 |
| 95 | Hi Buzzy, Sorry, had not checked the message boards for a while. Drink it would be a start!! Also, making things that you don't heat up would be a good idea. I made my whey and cream cheese with raw milk, very yummy! racheee - 2009-08-30 11:52:00 |
| 96 | rachee - how do you "make" whey? For me it was always just a byproduct of cheese making which I have when I make goats cheese. And then only. uli - 2009-08-30 12:33:00 |
| 97 | uli - I guess rachee means the whey she has collected while draining yoghurt to make cream cheese?? maybe? winnie231 - 2009-08-30 16:32:00 |
| 98 | Yes, 'making' whey but using raw milk rather than yoghurt. I made Sauerkraut today! Went to a Sauerkraut and yoghurt making course - very good! Going to make my own tomorrow. Very exciting and oh so easy! You can just chop the cabbage by hand with a knife, don't need a mandolin. racheee - 2009-09-03 16:46:00 |
| 99 | What sort of container did you put your sauerkraut in? You might find that using a mandolin is probably a good idea if you are making a whole lot. I do because I have a 10 litres pot which is rather a lot of work with a knife but if doing jars I'd probably just use a knife if I didn't own a mandolin. You are very lucky to have courses like that in Invercargill. Jolly hard to find any sort of interest here in Auckland. Sigh. buzzy110 - 2009-09-03 17:47:00 |
| 100 | We just put it in normal jars, so that was good as I have piles of jars! As a pounder she had sawn a wooden rolling pin in half - I thought that was genius! You can put all sorts of things in it too, most veges that you might have, and herbs and coriander or mustard seeds, things like that. racheee - 2009-09-03 20:12:00 |
