Kimchi, Kefir, Sauerkraut and all other fermented foods

Last night I decanted the sweet peppers shallot and garlic, as well as the bell peppers. The foodstuff are lovely and sweet to the point that I ate them in a nann bread wrap. @Lucybee you were right the bell peppers are sweet and with the just right amount of crunch.

Today Lunch is going to be the the same but in pitta bread.

That's great! Glad they came out well! I might try peppers again next.

Kimchi looks great @atz - I've been meaning to try for a while!

My water kefir keeps getting a bit yeasty - foam on the top, and smelling a bit more beery than usual. It's not that much of an issue but I think it reduces the time I can store the kefir water, as the yeast converts the remaining sugars to alcohol and it starts to taste unpleasantly boozy after a few days.

I've moved it to a new super clean jar with a new muslin, but there's inevitably some yeast residue transferred with the grains. I'm sure it's just down to the weather, but I wonder if there's anything I can do to encourage the scoby to defeat the yeast?

Seems like the place to ask; anyone make their own yoghurt? What do you use as a starter if starting from scratch?

Buy some live yogurt and use some of that?

Started a few weeks ago using this recipe from Dr Michael Mosley's The Clever Guts Diet book (worth a read).

Dead easy, have been using old yoghurt containers, wrapping them in an oven glove and leaving it in the microwave for 24 hours.

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Nice one, what did you use to start it off? Just Actimel or similar?

Just a few tablespoons of shop bought natural yoghurt.

Right! ok cheers

Got some plums on the go. Possibly jumping the gun a bit but we've got so many on the tree I figure it's worth a try.

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Found out tonight the rubber tab on Kilner jar rubber seals is to release the vacuum pressure.

Pull it and the lid releases.

Mind Blown!

Wow, I did not know that!

I only found out from a 1970's book about preserving.

wow! great fact

Growing koji on pearl barley today to use with teff to make a sort of teff miso. Hoping for some nutty umami goodness.

Excellent!

Did some dill pickles last night, not fermented just brined. Getting loads of ridge cucs off my plant though so will do some sour ones.

Right now I’m knocking up a liquor to have a go at Szechuan fermented veggies.

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Bloody love anything szechuan

Koji went well. Is in the fridge now till I blend it with the teff tomorrow

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O hai there. Kwas (ferment) time.

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Any forum recommended Kimchi recipes? Just got a bunch of good jars and want to give this a shot.

I think I used this one... seems pretty comprehensive & authentic

https://www.koreanbapsang.com/baechu-kimchi-napa-cabbage-kimchi/

You need to watch this to get you in the mood!
https://www.lfgss.com/comments/14530094/

Ok. Thanks for ruining reality for me.

That was....a joy to watch.

@Silly_Savage Appreciate it. That looks like a good start.

My water kefir's gone a bit listless, hardly any fizz and it's obviously not eating all the sugar (still tastes mainly of sugar after 36 hours). Reckon I might have left it for too long in the hotter end of the summer and it's severely weakened - but it might just be because of the cold snap in the last week or so. Is there any better test to see if it's done for and needs to start again?

Forgetting your lacto fermentation stuff in the garage for months is not a good idea. Dill cucumber were part soft and smelt bad. Cabbage just remained salty. Tho the beetroot is passable and not sure on the sliced dill pickles, jalapeno and garlic.