Inedible?
Our friend Carla, trusted guest chef, sends in the following:
"As the title of Ms. Mary Cat's blog suggests, she would occaisonally be posting "inedible" items on her blog. Presumably, because Mary Cat is such an excellent cook, little to no posts about inedible items have appeared on her blog. Experimental, nouveau Fermento-phile Carla to the rescue!
"As the title of Ms. Mary Cat's blog suggests, she would occaisonally be posting "inedible" items on her blog. Presumably, because Mary Cat is such an excellent cook, little to no posts about inedible items have appeared on her blog. Experimental, nouveau Fermento-phile Carla to the rescue!
After my recent purchase of a fermantation cookbook and my life altering realization that I am always craving fermented foods, I decided to embark on the creation of homemade sauerkraut. Essentially, homemade kraut involves cabbage, salt, some jars and a lot of waiting. You mix the salt and the cabbage together and put it in a jar with another weighted, smaller jar on top. The combination of the weighted jar and the salt causes the cabbage to essentially excrete water, which makes a brine. Then you have to let the creation sit for about 4 weeks, while the natural bacteria do their work.
I am patiently waiting. However, there is a strong possibility that this could be inedible. Post-tasting post to follow!"
Thanks, Carla -- We can't wait for the follow-up!
Thanks, Carla -- We can't wait for the follow-up!
3 comments:
I looked up pickles in Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking. Interesting quote about sauerkraut:
"In it's fist incarnation as a staple for the workers on the Great Wall of China, sauerkraut was simply cabbage covered with wine. Now it is made from fresh cabbage that is shredded and salted."
He also discusses the two major bacterium that contribute to the flavor, at what acidities they grow, produce lactic acid, and then decline. I enjoyed the concluding line:
"Notice that no bacteria need to be inoculated into the initial brine; they are ready and waiting in the atmosphere around us."
Ready and waiting! So go make some pickles, don't leave these poor bacteria hanging!
this reminds me that I want to make moon brine pickles.
do any of your devoted readers know how?
google tells me that there are several brands of pickles on the market with different combinations of the words "moon" and "brine".
I found out the MoonBrine pickes are made in JP (Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston), so maybe the moon brine pickles that started this craving are a local brand. Maybe we shoudl email this man and tour the kitchen!!
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