Fermentation

[Dnallehekaj]

My habanero kombu saurkraut finished a few days ago!

Heres a small jar I'm giving to a friend that doesn't like sauerkraut, but wants to try homemade:



I have just over a gallon and a quart of this delicious, radioactive-looking ambrosia.

It's my first time using habaneros, and it actually retained a little spice! I'm stoked! I usually use serranos and jalapenos, and they bring a lovely flavor, but zero heat. Now I have it all!

 

[Whisky]

Started some Sauerkraut yesterday. Haven’t made any in 3-4 years so we’ll see how it goes.

 

[TexLaw]

Alright, it's been about another three weeks on this crazy stuff. It's difficult to tell because of a different setting and light, but it's become quite a bit more golden than before.



There are no more bubbles coming out, so that strong phase of fermentation is over (and has been for a couple weeks). I went ahead and put a regular lid on it, so I figured I'd go ahead and have a taste.

Wow! This is interesting! It's certainly still garlic, but the strong burn is gone. That came as quite a surprise as some of my research mentioned that fermentation would make the garlic even hotter in the short term (mellowing out over time). I didn't get that at all. There certainly is a little bit of a bite, but it's far milder than a raw clove would be, and there has developed a menthol-like sensation that I never saw coming.

At the same time, it still has a great deal of the crunch and texture of a raw clove, even if reduced a bit, and that surprised me. Even if it had no basis in reason, I expected something more soft. Instead, it's more crisp. I could bite the clove in half fairly cleanly and easily.

The flavor is nothing short of fantastic. Again, it's still garlic. There's no doubt about that. However, the flavor has become much more complex. There's a prominent herbal character added to it, thyme and fennel. The strong pungency has gone just like the bite has, but there still is a sulfur undertone. A little fruitiness comes in the middle and lasts through the early finish. It's a long finish, too, and pretty much comes out as "garlic" in the end but with some nuances that I couldn't quite put my finger on the first time around.

I like this stuff a lot, and I'm going to get another batch going very soon. In the meantime, I'm figuring out things to do with it (other than just snack away). I expect some will make its way into my next batch of hummus.

 

[TexLaw]

So, I was at the grocery store, and the garlic looked good, and I knew I had some time yesterday evening . . . .



I started a new batch of the fermented garlic (again with a 2.5% brine by weight of water). There's a little bit of activity this morning, so I'm sure the garlic farts are just around the corner.

A bonus bit of fun was getting to compare the fresh batch side to side with the batch that's roughly 5.5 weeks old at this point.

 

[kelbro]

Put a couple of batches of cherry tomatoes in the brine this morning. One with onion and garlic and one with basil and rosemary. Also trying to ferment some pickles.

 

[Possum092]

A bumper garden crop of cucumbers this year, so it’s pickling time. These go fast around our house.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...Tell us what you like to ferment...

Wheat bran.

 

[kelbro]

Fermenting some tabasco peppers now and a batch of garlic in honey.

 

[Possum092]

Another round of cucumbers picked and pickled today.

 

[krls67]

Made some fukujinzuke for curry. Lotus root, daikon radish, cucumber, and ginger.

daikon recipe

 

[kelbro]

I'm two months in on a batch of fermented garlic. What's next? Can it be chopped up and used like you would use minced garlic? Haven't tested the taste yet and I'm wanting to try some.

 

[Dnallehekaj]

I love when this thread gets bumped!

I'm two months in on a batch of fermented garlic. What's next? Can it be chopped up and used like you would use minced garlic? Haven't tested the taste yet and I'm wanting to try some.

I don't ferment garlic, but my brother does, and I got some limited experience with it last I visited.

Eating it straight was great. I also liked rough chopping cloves and adding them to stir fry and fried rice when they were done cooking.

Did I mention eating them straight?

 

[TexLaw]

I'm two months in on a batch of fermented garlic. What's next? Can it be chopped up and used like you would use minced garlic? Haven't tested the taste yet and I'm wanting to try some.

I've been using it anywhere I want a mellow, smooth, round garlic flavor. It's especially good in a raw application since your can just add it as is.

It's been particularly good in my fermented hummus. I also use a little of the brine in that hummus.

It's also been great in vinaigrette whether minced or blended. I want to try some in aioli, but I haven't gotten around to that.

And, yes, eating it straight is mighty good!

 

[kelbro]

I've been using it anywhere I want a mellow, smooth, round garlic flavor. It's especially good in a raw application since your can just add it as is.

It's been particularly good in my fermented hummus. I also use a little of the brine in that hummus.

It's also been great in vinaigrette whether minced or blended. I want to try some in aioli, but I haven't gotten around to that.

And, yes, eating it straight is mighty good!

Thanks Doak.

 

[one2mny]

I’ve had a batch of garlic fermenting in honey for a couple weeks now. Excited for the results!

 

[kelbro]

I’ve had a batch of garlic fermenting in honey for a couple weeks now. Excited for the results!

I have some that is several months old now. I found myself hoping for a stuffy head or some other reason to try it out. Finally just gave in and sampled a few cloves. It's like candy!

 

[TexLaw]

I have some that is several months old now. I found myself hoping for a stuffy head or some other reason to try it out. Finally just gave in and sampled a few cloves. It's like candy!

Man, you know it's good when you're hoping to catch a cold so you have a reason to eat it.

 

[Dnallehekaj]

I took out a new batch of sauerkraut a few days ago. Red and green cabbage, ginger, carrot. I didn't put in garlic or hot peppers this time. It's good, but I'm used to it being so exquisite that I design meals around it.

I don't know if the garlic or peppers are to blame for elevating the kraut, but they will be used from now on. I've been using them for years in every batch, and wanted to branch out. I have learned from my mistake.

I don't specifically notice the carrots. I thought they might add a sweetness or bring some kind of different character to the flavor. The ginger is the standout. It has lost the bite of fresh ginger, but still cuts through with a mellow presence. The supporting cast of ingredients don't quite pull their weight enough.

I'm being harsh, it's not like a ginger salad with ginger dressing in a ginger bowl, with a cabbage candle in the other room. I'm just a little bummed it's "good" and not "the best thing in my fridge" like usual.

 

[TexLaw]

I don't specifically notice the carrots.

You say that, but you might be surprised. I made the batch before last with carrots and didn't really think they added anything. Then, I made this most recent batch. I left out the carrots because I figured they weren't worth the trouble to mix in with the shredded cabbage.

I miss the carrots. They did add a little sweetness and very subtle complexity that is not in this recent batch. I would never have called it "sweet," but it took the edge off the acidity. I like this recent batch, and I know its just like the batches I made before adding carrots, but I really want to go back to what I had. It's not a lot--about one carrot for every two heads of cabbage, but it made a real, positive difference.

I'm adding carrots to the next batch, and I'm sticking with them after that. The extra effort is worth it.

 

[Dnallehekaj]

I mirror your carrot thoughts with my thoughts of garlic and hot peppers. Maybe I will try them next batch, when I add what I left out this time. You are very convincing, @TexLaw!

I'm not into fermented ginger in kraut though. That can be fermented solo, or with daikon or korean radish next time.