Fermentation - What's your favorite?

[Timjoebillybob]

I’m guessing he’s talking hooch make’ins. 50 gal. Will get you 5 gal of shine. Unless I’m mistaken.

Depending on sugar content 50 gallons will make well over 5 gallons of shine. The yeast I use will ferment out at around 17-18% ABV. But I don't distill, just make wine and such.

 

[Crandall Crank]

Just to clear it up...I'll make several batches of wine that are usually 6 gallons each. So, if I made 10 different batches, each at 6 gallons (10x6), we end up with 60 gallons of wine. I ferment, not distill.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

But my recipe for that is nothing special, just a basic jailhouse recipe.

You make it in your toilet??

 

[Aszerigan]

@bwframe and others - what is your recipe for your pickles? I've made refrigerator pickles before and they were meh. I'm down for a lacto fermented pickle recipe too. I also have pickle crisp, is that used in fermented pickles?

 

[Mij]

You make it in your toilet??

Every body knows jailhouse hooch is made in pringles cans.

 

[manifest destiny]

You make it in your toilet??

Every body knows jailhouse hooch is made in pringles cans.

Empty peanut butter jar, actually.

 

[Mij]

Empty peanut butter jar, actually.

OK, works for me. Neighbor down the road is a county jail guard, only know what he told me a few years ago. I’m a bottled in bond kinda guy myself.

 

[bwframe]

@bwframe and others - what is your recipe for your pickles? I've made refrigerator pickles before and they were meh. I'm down for a lacto fermented pickle recipe too. I also have pickle crisp, is that used in fermented pickles?

The brine seems to make a lot of difference in taste/texture of months stored pickles.

Mine may be too salty for some? I do keto, and we like (need) our salt. For my taste a stronger brine also makes for a better pickle. There is plenty of info out there on brine concentrations. A lot of recommendations are 3% brine solution, mine's on the high end of 5%.

For brine I use 1/2c Redmond Real salt to 1/2 gallon Berkey filtered water. Simpler, 1c salt/1 gallon water, but a larger mix often makes for more leftover brine.

The rest is very simple for what I've done routinely. Appropriately sized fresh pickle cukes packed in 1/2 gallon jars along with a couple garlic cloves, a chopped fresh horseradish leaf (tannin for crisp pickles, along with mild horsey taste,) and a handful of fresh dill.

Last year my timing was bad on the late season pickle crop and I didn't have fresh dill. I used bought McCormick pickling spice instead along with a jar or two made with saved dill seeds. Jury's still out on the longer term taste of them.

 

[Mij]

^^^^^^^^^

Thank you.

 

[Aszerigan]

The brine seems to make a lot of difference in taste/texture of months stored pickles.

Mine may be too salty for some? I do keto, and we like (need) our salt. For my taste a stronger brine also makes for a better pickle. There is plenty of info out there on brine concentrations. A lot of recommendations are 3% brine solution, mine's on the high end of 5%.

For brine I use 1/2c Redmond Real salt to 1/2 gallon Berkey filtered water. Simpler, 1c salt/1 gallon water, but a larger mix often makes for more leftover brine.

The rest is very simple for what I've done routinely. Appropriately sized fresh pickle cukes packed in 1/2 gallon jars along with a couple garlic cloves, a chopped fresh horseradish leaf (tannin for crisp pickles, along with mild horsey taste,) and a handful of fresh dill.

Last year my timing was bad on the late season pickle crop and I didn't have fresh dill. I used bought McCormick pickling spice instead along with a jar or two made with saved dill seeds. Jury's still out on the longer term taste of them.

Thanks, man. That sounds delicious.

 

[bwframe]

^^^^^^^^^

Thank you.

Sure!

There are no top secrets here, other than a few years trial and error. Mostly developed from YouTube and other online info.

1/2 gallon jars and the inexpensive vacuum/vent/valve lid system, along with glass weights that can be easily grabbed, make it easy to ferment quickly, as cukes accumulate. Rather than turning into a big chore that you I will put off or avoid altogether.




Going on the ease of doing, I try not to overthink the pickle prep either. Washing is done outside, in a bucket with garden hose. That also knocks off any prickly bits when stirred in water bath. I don't trim ends or cut them at all, unless needing to fill void space at the top of jars.

The fermenting does not take long in the summer temps at my house, where I avoid the AC. Cookie sheets and bowls catch jar overflow, similarly important to make this an easy job that you will relish doing.
.......................................................................................... . See what I did there?

 

[Mij]

Sure!

There are no top secrets here, other than a few years trial and error. Mostly developed from YouTube and other online info.

1/2 gallon jars and the inexpensive vacuum/vent/valve lid system, along with glass weights that can be easily grabbed, make it easy to ferment quickly, as cukes accumulate. Rather than turning into a big chore that you I will put off or avoid altogether.


View attachment 248342

Going on the ease of doing, I try not to overthink the pickle prep either. Washing is done outside, in a bucket with garden hose. That also knocks off any prickly bits when stirred in water bath. I don't trim ends or cut them at all, unless needing to fill void space at the top of jars.

The fermenting does not take long in the summer temps at my house, where I avoid the AC. Cookie sheets and bowls catch jar overflow, similarly important to make this an easy job that you will relish doing.
.......................................................................................... . See what I did there?

View attachment 248344

We put up pickles every 3 years and use a product called Mrs. Wages. But that’s just dill pickles. I like the fresh in the fridge kind but never get around to making them. And we haven’t had the fermented kind in a long time, unless we go to the MIL’s when she has them. And my FIL goes thru’em quick. We did some fermented about 20 years ago and they were great. We’ve got big crocks, but haven’t had a chance to use them in years. This year is a sweet corn year for us, but I’ll put out a few cucu’s. And a few tomatoes. Did put up some hot, pickled green beans last year, they don’t last to long. I can eat a whole jar in an evening.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

We put up pickles every 3 years and use a product called Mrs. Wages. But that’s just dill pickles. I like the fresh in the fridge kind but never get around to making them. And we haven’t had the fermented kind in a long time, unless we go to the MIL’s when she has them. And my FIL goes thru’em quick. We did some fermented about 20 years ago and they were great. We’ve got big crocks, but haven’t had a chance to use them in years. This year is a sweet corn year for us, but I’ll put out a few cucu’s. And a few tomatoes. Did put up some hot, pickled green beans last year, they don’t last to long. I can eat a whole jar in an evening.

I think DoggyMama used Mrs. Wages when she made them, but I'm not sure. She only made bread and butter and "zesty" bread and butter I think. I'd never heard of fermented pickles until this thread. My first reaction was "Yuck!", but it seems like they're well liked by some of you guys. How do they differ from "regular" pickles?

 

[Mij]

I think DoggyMama used Mrs. Wages when she made them, but I'm not sure. She only made bread and butter and "zesty" bread and butter I think. I'd never heard of fermented pickles until this thread. My first reaction was "Yuck!", but it seems like they're well liked by some of you guys. How do they differ from "regular" pickles?

The ones my wife made in the crock had a taste like sourkraut and you had to use a wood tool to get them out, they only last a couple weeks then they went bad. So we had to eat them while we could. That’s my experience only, others I’m sure have other methods to keep them. She learned from her mom.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

The ones my wife made in the crock had a taste like sourkraut and you had to use a wood tool to get them out, they only last a couple weeks then they went bad. So we had to eat them while we could. That’s my experience only, others I’m sure have other methods to keep them. She learned from her mom.

Then that's nothing I want to try. Not a big pickle eater anyhow. The only time I use sauerkraut is around New Years Day and St. Patrick's Day for Reubens.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

DoggyMama likes the cucumbers and onions in vinegar. I don't like anything in vinegar.

 

[Mij]

Then that's nothing I want to try. Not a big pickle eater anyhow. The only time I use sauerkraut is around New Years Day and St. Patrick's Day for Reubens.

Now that’s just the way my wife made them. I’m sure there will be other answers.

We had Reubens a couple days after you made yours, wife got some different kraut, cold in a bag. Different taste than I was used to. I’m used to canned. But the bagged stuff made the best sandwiches I’ve had. She had to buy deli cut corned beef because I didn’t have a brisket and couldn’t find one.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Now that’s just the way my wife made them. I’m sure there will be other answers.

We had Reubens a couple days after you made yours, wife got some different kraut, cold in a bag. Different taste than I was used to. I’m used to canned. But the bagged stuff made the best sandwiches I’ve had. She had to buy deli cut corned beef because I didn’t have a brisket and couldn’t find one.

I usually use the Klaussen jarred kraut. Never tried making them with deli cut corned beef. That's why I only make them a couple times a year.

 

[bwframe]

We put up pickles every 3 years and use a product called Mrs. Wages. But that’s just dill pickles. I like the fresh in the fridge kind but never get around to making them. And we haven’t had the fermented kind in a long time, unless we go to the MIL’s when she has them. And my FIL goes thru’em quick. We did some fermented about 20 years ago and they were great. We’ve got big crocks, but haven’t had a chance to use them in years. This year is a sweet corn year for us, but I’ll put out a few cucu’s. And a few tomatoes. Did put up some hot, pickled green beans last year, they don’t last to long. I can eat a whole jar in an evening.

I used to use Mrs. Wages for pickles and still do for canned salsa.

There is not much in the way of good for you stuff in a store bought or home canned pickle. They taste good, but that is it, often using sugars, spices and vinegar to give flavor. Lacto-fermentation on the other hand uses all live foods, with salt changing the composition to a food that is as good as or better than fresh from the garden.

https://revolutionfermentation.com/en/blogs/fermented-vegetables/differences-fermentation-pickling/#:~:text=Canning stands out for its,and gives them new flavours.

Lacto fermented foods don't use heat that cooks out the "live" enzymes and nutrients. They are full of good for you stuff that mostly gets killed by the heat in canned products.

6 Benefits of Fermented Vegetables, According To Science

Fermented vegetables have many health benefits, and they taste great! Find out why eating fermented vegetables is so good for you, according to science.

revolutionfermentation.com

 

[bwframe]

I'm gonna have to buy a few heads of cabbage.

Researching fermenting components to post above, I seen that the glass weights that I had purchased in the past had changed in configuration. The new handle design just might solve an issue that I have run into in the past? Often two glass weights are needed to keep the veggies below the brine surface in the jar neck. This protruding handle may stand off the weight enough to not need a second?