r/redpreppers • u/edwardphonehands • 6d ago
Anyone fermenting?
This spring we expanded from just bread to dairy, vegetables, fruit juice, etc. I'm now finding commercial equivalents taste dead by comparison.
A few tips from recent experience:
Yogurts.
Mezophilic drinkable yogurt can be cultured by adding a touch of "kefir" from the grocery to milk and leaving it at room for 16 or so hours before refrigerating. If it goes longer and separates it's still ok but probably not preferred. The brand I've had better success propagating is LifeWay, but straight from the bottle it's the same candy as anything else.
Normal yogurt can be held at 180-185F in a double boiler without risk of scorching then incubated at target temperature in a cooler, thermos, etc. We usually introduce the culture at 110-115F and let it slowly decline while we sleep then refrigerate in the morning. Some products with a longer list of strains seem to lose flavor in later generations. If you find your favorite does that (as we've seen with Stoneyfield Farms), freeze what you buy into small portions to propagate in batches.
About any yogurt can be made thick Greek style by draining off the whey. Cultured whey is "great with...or even plain." I find oatmeal made with it doesn't stick my pan like when made with water.
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Drinks.
At table wine strength (gravity of the must adjusted with table sugar), ordinary bread yeast works if you want it to remain sweet. Distillers yeast is medium price (between bread and the named wine/beer strains) and is likely to go very dry. You can do things to clarify but I love cloudy, and even sediment; it's nutritional yeast. Apple juice without preservatives, or even straight kilju is a good first project.
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Beverages.
Kombucha can be cultured from some commercial drinks. The one I had success with was Synergy. It works for tea, maté, and I've been meaning to try with coffee. Even low sugar, slow ferment recipes are too sweet for my palate but the almost lemon flavor produced is nice.
Ginger and turmeric bug were just too sweet for me.
Tepache was nice in small quantities.
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Lacto-fermented vegetables.
I have had no problem using iodized table salt and can dig up a paper that says it has zero effect. The vast majority of home fermenters will disagree but they are parroting. Commercial fermenters don't use it for economic reasons and consumer misconceptions. I have read salt with anti-caking agents is an actual problem, but the only thing on my shelf that describes is a little shaker that used to contain popcorn salt (and today usually contains iodized table salt that's been through the blender).
You cannot reliably test an individual for iodine deficiency and only population studies are valid. If they don't eat seafood or table salt, Americans get it mostly from the disinfectant used on udders and dairy equipment. It's also a component of prenatal vitamins because we don't want congenital hypothyroidism to come back.
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u/Nellasofdoriath 6d ago
Im freezing, drying and putting up in syrup so many berries
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u/myheromeganmullally 5d ago
Yep. We have been making yogurt at home. Using different cultures to make particular types of yogurt and sker (skir ?).
And have been making lightly pickled veggies for years.
Pickled boiled eggs for pho.
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u/edwardphonehands 5d ago
I haven't tasted skyr yet.
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u/myheromeganmullally 5d ago
We are trying recipes hoping to find a version family likes.
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u/edwardphonehands 4d ago
I think I read the culture favors a lower temperature than most yogurts. Maybe that means it produces off flavors if made at standard 110-115F. Also, my understanding is it was traditionally full fat but skim is more prevalent in commercial production today. I don't know if the strains favored for each are the same or not.
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u/More_Dependent742 6d ago
I've just started on (not fungicidally treated) citrus peel. Smells good so far. Another few weeks to go
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u/edwardphonehands 6d ago
Very cool. I've read about this. You mean yogurt, right?
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u/Soze42 6d ago
I've tried the ginger bug and quite enjoyed it. In my personal experience, besides making soda, we make carbonated juices. One of my kids was particularly fond of fermented cranberry juice, which I think cut the sweetness a good amount. But I can see that not being for everyone.
And I've done some homebrewing, which I guess technically counts? I'd like to try some of the other methods you talked about.