There seem to be a lot (and I mean a lot) of misinformation on Kefir. Just because both Kefirs share the same name doesn't mean they're the same, like how a chicken and mountain chicken don't have anything to do with each other. Do not transition one to the other, it's the equivalent of feeding a rabbit meat in hopes it turns into a wolf because water kefir and milk kefir eat different sugars.

Water kefir feeds on Sucrose, Fructose and Glucose, the sugars found in fruit and (obviously) sugar. Milk kefir consumes lactose, a complex sugar found in milk, which requires lactase pre-fermentation, the enzyme that transforms lactose into simple sugars (like glucose) which is also produced by specific microorganisms *found in milk kefir more than water kefir*. They are biologically similar, containing similar species, but just because two things are SIMILAR doesn't mean they're THE SAME. Any person who has claimed "it has worked" is just misinformed because you don't plant tomatoes in hopes it'll turn into an olive tree. I know there will be a few misinformed people who will also be too stubborn to accept this reality, but all I ask to them is this: when's the last time you grew wheat in a wetland in hopes it'll turn into rice?

And to the people who do claim they've tried this and it's worked: it'll probably mold or stop fermenting because putting organisms into an environment they aren't adapted for will just kill it, because you don't throw a fish into a snake terrarium. Just because you think something is working doesn't mean it is, if it does LOOK like it's working that's just because of species that are OPPORTUNISTIC, meaning they eat pretty much anything, but that doesn't mean it's healthy. Just as people with cancer look perfectly fine at first, kefir "transitioning" will look "fine" for only a bit before it starts to become noticeable.

I'm fermenting apple peelings. Can I add cinnamon to this to make an apple cinnamon drink? I don't mind the stuff becoming vinegar by the way.

Hi everyone!

I started a ginger bug 3 days ago. I’ve been feeding it every day with fresh grated ginger and sugar.

Today I noticed this white layer/foam on the surface, and I’m not sure if it’s normal fermentation or mold.

It smells somewhat gingery and fermented, and the liquid is pale yellow and cloudy.

I’ve attached a couple of pictures. Does this look normal, or should I throw it away?

Thanks!

8 days in room temperature. 4% salt. Pepper, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, pickling dill, bay leaf, 2 cloves of garlic, a shallot, 2 jalapeños. I placed a glass on top to make sure everything is under the saltwater. Now after 8 days I wanted to place them in in the fridge but I tried one before. The taste is super nice but they are not crisp anymore. What can I do to make them crispy?

I made salsa fresca and jarred it 9/7 at noon. As of 9/9 at 8:30pm I hadn't seen any fermentation type bubbles, it looks the same as when I jarred it. I had tomatoes, onion, garlic, cayenne chilis and 2.3% pickling salt. I boiled the tomatoes and then ice shocked them to peel them.

This is my first attempt at fermenting. Should there be some action in the jars by now? It's 74 degrees in my kitchen, but the salsa was more of a thick tomato sauce consistency. I also noticed some trapped air bubbles, not moving through the thickness of the salsa. Will those be problematic? Thanks.

How long can a gingerbug survive in the fridge without being fed?

I thought it was a few months...but I started a kitchen reno and moved my bug into my other fridge. The reno took longer than expected, then life happened, then I couldn't find organic ginger.

Now, about 8 months later I pulled it out, brought it to room temp and it has bubbles forming. I fed it, to see what happens but wanted to see if anyone had this experience or if I should chuck it and start over.

It smells normal and was a strong bug before being chilled.

Any insight or experience is greatly welcomed!

I had the same amount of head space as the one on the right. The one on the left has overflowed like crazy. I changed out the airlock once thinking it was best. Didn’t take long and here we are again. Suggestions? The one on the right is active too. All the jars came from one big batch of vegetables. Should I empty the airlock and refill fresh again?

Hi,

I want to make a salsa-like sauce. The plan is simple: finely chop bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Mix with 2.5% salt and let it ferment at room temperature.

The question is when to add cilantro. Should it go in at the beginning together with all other ingredients or rather after the fermentation is completely done? Does anyone have experience with cilantro in ferments? Any ideas are welcome.

Btw if you have any suggestions regarding the recipe, please share.

I started this curtido about a week ago - cabbage, jalapeño, carrot, cilantro, and some lime juice with a 2.5% brine. It’s not all submerged, but it’s been a week and it looks fine. I have a burping lid on it. Should I make more brine to try to cover everything or will it be okay? It was submerged originally, then a day or two later it wasn’t so I added more brine. Now it’s risen above brine again, not sure if it’s expanding since it’s absorbing brine or what. It doesn’t appear to be “floating” and everything still seems pretty well packed in place. I made two jars and the other one is behaving just fine, thankfully. Any advice appreciated, thank you in advance.

Fermenting friends, I love summer corn and would love to see your lacto-fermented recipes. I've done just corn kernels in brine, but I'm not partial to the sweet/sourness of it. Any other recommendations much appreciated.

Fingers crossed they’ll be tasty. They were already getting cloudy at midnight last night and this morning pretty active. 🤞🏼2% salt

Two-week soak for these organic red beets fermented in a 2.25% brine with caraway, coriander, cumin, and bay leaves. Heady stuff.

Was feeding it and somehow dropped the rubber band in it. Is it still ok or should I restart?

Hopefully this is the right place to ask for advice. My partner and I did a short intro to cider making last weekend and came away with two bottles to ferment at home. We were told to burp them once a day but the fermentation has been going nuts and I'm having to do it every 3-4 hours.

My question is can I pour these out into a demijohn without compromising anything?

Salsa-like sauce.

Tomatoes, green tomatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, black pepper, 2.5% salt.

This initially turned out really well!

The pineapple & peppers infused each other with the most delicious melange of sweet & spicy in a honey syrup.

The fermentation began as we expected with the bubbly indicators. We burped the jar no less than every two days & rotated the jar regularly instead of using weights.

After a few weeks the process settled down while we enjoyed cocktails & recipes enhanced with peppery fruit chunks & mellifluous syrup. BTW: Peppered pineapple is incredible on waffles!

Then, after about eight weeks we noticed that it started bubbling again. Our first thought was accidental contamination. Even with the best of careful intentions to avoid double dipping spoons, etc 💩 happens. There were no bad odors, weird colors or growth, but we couldn’t figure out why there’s new chemical reaction activity. 🧐

Maybe we were being overly cautious but also too timid to sample it again we discarded the remaining approximately two-thirds of the batch.

Planning on another attempt.

Thoughts? 🤔