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So, What are You Fermenting???

7K views 114 replies 27 participants last post by  jaynna 
#1 ·
This morning I pulled my sauerkraut from my fermentation crock after 7 weeks fermenting.  Jarred it up and put it in the fridge where I will let it sit another 3-4 days before I start using it.  Later this afternoon, I will start a bunch of kosher style pickles fermenting-usually only ferment them for 4-7 days as I like deli style half sours.

So is anyone else pickling using the fermentation method and if so what are you fermenting?
 
#3 ·
While I have a fermentation crock I usually just make my deli-style kosher dills right in the jar and haven't had a problem yet.  I put the lids on them but only give them 3/4's of a turn to hold them in place but loose enough for gas to escape.  I have to admit though that for my pickles I do "cheat" a little.  I usually add 1 cup of white vinegar to my brine which is 8 quarts water and 1/2 cup of kosher or canning salt.
 
#6 ·
I do the half sour deli style pickles myself. Last time I let them ferment for 3 days, but I noticed that after jarring them and placing them in the refrigerator, after about 3 weeks they had gone past the level of sourness I prefer. So next time I think I'll jar them after two full days. One thing that really shocked me, is the simplicity of the seasoning. It was simply garlic and black peppercorn with a little fresh dill. I've made all manners of spice mixes in the past but these had the best kosher dill flavor of anything I've made to date.

I want to try kraut at some point, but the length of time is a bit much for me right now.
 
#7 ·
I flavor mine mostly with dill and garlic although I do add red pepper flakes, whole coriander, whole mustard seed and whole peppercorns-not much, just a few sprinkled into each jar.  I don't bother with measuring those unless I'm actually writing a recipe for something.
 
#16 ·
I made 19 quarts of cuc pickles in August.  Containg:  cucs/soft water/salt/currant leaves/garlic/pepper balls or bayleaf/dill seedtops or feathery dill leaves.  That's it.  Unbelievably tasty. 

The jars are staying in the refrigerator until the coldroom gets cold enough. I never pour hot water on my pickles or use vinegar.  Ghastly!

What's with this "kosher" business?  Why do you have to use kosherized salt or kosher anything? 

What do y'all think of fermentation crocks?  They seem to be rather pricey.
 
#17 ·
I managed to get my crock at an auction really cheap because no one else knew what it was. I love it.  I enjoy having tools designed for a specific task. I may buy a smaller one to be able to do more than one item at a time. I think pricey because they are well made and work really well. There is still room for human error but the water seal designed lid makes the process of fermentation leaves less to worry about. 

Kosher salt and canning salt have similar grain size and can be used similarly. The size of the grain is important when canning/preserving. Table salt is too fine. I don't remember why it is referred to as "kosher". 
 
#18 · (Edited)
Chefwriter, kosher salt can be of any size.  I have purchased kosher salt that was large "flakes" and I've purchased kosher salt that is pretty fine although more times than not it is larger than table salt.  Many brands of canning salt are as fine, or finer, than table salt.  Both of these salts are different from table salt in the fact that they do not contain any additives.  Table salt usually contains iodine, which can give off flavors in canning, and prevent the proper microbes from growing during fermentation.  Table salt also sometimes contains anti-caking agents, which can contribute to fermentations being cloudy.
 
#19 ·
Picklling salt doesn't have to be "kosher" to be iodine- and additive-free, by the way. The only reason pickling salt is kosher is that virtually everything on the supermarket shelves is kosher, not because it's somehow better, purer, or healthier. I am old enough to recall when the only kosherized food was in a special, small, section of the store. Now, you can't get anything else.

Chefwriter, what brand of crock is it that you got such a deal on? Harsch, by any chance? I wonder if there's any other brands, cheaper, so I don't have to get lucky at an auction like you did! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif
 
#21 ·
Thanks everyone for all the info on kosher salt. I guess I"ll have to double check what I"m buying and what I have already bought. I have both Kosher and canning/pickling salt and remember from last year that what I have is interchangeable for canning. At least it better be. I just got back from a local orchard with many pounds of produce. 

Yes, I believe the crock is a Harsch. If memory serves, in my research about canning supplies, I think I found a link to a place in Illinois that makes crocks. Then again it may have been Ohio. 

I'll do a bit of research and see if I can find it again. 
 
#23 · (Edited)
Just to clarify, when I used the term kosher, I was only implying a style of pickle. This is from WikiPedia on pickled cucumbers:
A "kosher" dill pickle is not necessarily kosher in the sense that it has been prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary law. Rather, it is a pickle made in the traditional manner of Jewish New York City pickle makers, with generous addition of garlic and dill to a natural salt brine.

In New York terminology, a "full-sour" kosher dill is one that has fully fermented, while a "half-sour," given a shorter stay in the brine, is still crisp and bright green.[sup][6][/sup] Elsewhere, these pickles may sometimes be termed "old" and "new" dills.
 
#24 · (Edited)
@eastshores those are nice looking! You know that when your mouth starts to water with just the picture.

I've been buying these half sour pickles our local Martin's markets in the deli. They're not really good until I add my own mix . I've been draining them down and then combining white vinegar, salt, juniper berries, dill, mustard seed, black peppercorns, coriander and garlic with a little water and letting them for a week or so. They really take on a whole different taste since they start very bitter and salty. I still can't figure where they get half sour since there is no sour at all and they don't taste like any "salt pickle" I've ever had.

I also found some hot cherry peppers and decided to try those for a round as well. Red wine vinegar, salt, garlic, red onion and maybe a touch of fennel just to see. I like those peppers sliced, on my pizza so the heat and the added fennel might make up for the lack of sausage on it these days.

So far I've had good results with using food saver bags, no vac seal, just work the air out, seal and let them sit in a cool dark space, the garage fridge is set at about 40 and seems to work okay but probably too warm for a proper ferment. Anyhow, I do have 2 or 3 old olive crocks in the garage but since their 4gal, 6gal and 10gal, they're too big for the amount I'm preparing right at the moment. I'm the only one who eats this stuff.
 
#25 ·
I also found some hot cherry peppers and decided to try those for a round as well. Red wine vinegar, salt, garlic, red onion and maybe a touch of fennel just to see. I like those peppers sliced, on my pizza so the heat and the added fennel might make up for the lack of sausage on it these days.
That sounds great! I would think the red onion used in the pickling would go well on the pizza too.
 
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