It's (almost) fermenting season again

[ctviggen]

Well, it’s supposed to be freezing here the next two nights.

Anyway, the local farm is supposed to have “ramps” soon. Anyone ferment these?

Brine Fermented Ramps

This is what ramps are:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/ramps/grow-wild-leek-ramps.htm

I found over the last few years that vegetables that cause me issues if I eat them raw or not well-cooked, I can eat if I ferment them. So, I’m trying to ferment more this year.

Edit: And if anyone has a good pickle recipe, something like Bubbies pickles, let me know. The ones I’ve tried have too much garlic or just don’t taste that great.

[Just_Juju]

Thanks for linking to what ramps are! I buy a lot of specialty spices online and several months ago I got a bonus jar included called “Wild Ramps”. It smelled really good but I have never used it yet because I wasn’t sure how. It’s nice to know it’s an onion! Lol. That helps.

I love sauerkraut so much, and once I learned that many in the stores aren’t properly fermented I tried my hand at homemade last summer. I did it twice. The first time was heaven and I loved it. The second time horrified me and scared me away from trying again. I did everything exactly the same always making sure the liquid was above the weights but still somehow that white moldy looking bacteria started to grow. One of the jars was so bad my gag reflux kept me from being able to scrape it off and I just tossed it. I know it’s not harmful to eat, but … c’mon. I just couldn’t handle it. The second jar and a smaller third jar were bad but I bravely scraped it away and filled with brine again. It started to come back on both pretty quickly. I tossed the large jar and scraped the stuff away in the little jar and I actually did eat the whole thing. It was of course delicious, but I’m not good with dealing with such a mess. It grosses me out, good bacteria or not I don’t want to see that in my food. So now I’m scared to try again. I think I will in a month or so, but if that happens again then I’m quitting. Lol

I’m with you, I don’t like too much garlic or onion in my pickles. I just like simple dill flavored. I have been buying from Olive My Pickle because I get the most heavenly butter olives from them. It’s all way overpriced but I can’t seem to find those same olives anywhere else I look. They are little balls of silky buttery heaven. Crazy for them. So I throw in a pack of pickles when I buy them. I will be interested to see if any good recipes are shared here tho. My pocketbook can’t handle supporting all these health food companies. Way, way overpriced. I’m struggling paycheck to paycheck so they can live a cushy life? Nahhh I think I need to cut the Keto umbilical cord. Lol

[kib1]

I don’t think sauerkraut does well in hot weather. I’ve had much better success keeping it 50-60 degrees, I tried it once in summer and it was really horrible. I think what happened was that the fermenting process happened too fast, which sent too much of the liquid out of the escape hole, leaving some of the cabbage exposed to air. Yark.

[ctviggen]

@Just_Juju I got an email from the farm, and they said they had ramps, which is what got me looking at them. The last few years, I’ve had good luck with fermenting, so I figured they might be interesting to try.

Like you, I like dill pickles too. I also like normal (not fermented) pickles, but I figured fermenting would be better for me. (Not sure whether that’s true, though many things I ferment cause me fewer issues than the non-fermented versions.) If I do find a good pickle recipe, I’ll let everyone know.

@kib1 That’s interesting about the temperature. So, I guess I’d have to wait to ferment cabbage until the fall, when my basement is back to lower temps and cabbage is still around.

I plan to get some ramps this week if the farm has them, and ferment. I’ll report back in a while

[Shinita]

The first time was heaven and I loved it. The second time horrified me and scared me away from trying again.

Your track record is better than mine, I had the latter right away when I tried to make pickled vegs (sauerkraut always seemed a bit too much work considering I don’t need to do it myself. well, my SO’s Mom makes lots of pickled vegs too… so my motivation isn’t great)… Well I didn’t get horrified but I definitely failed, it was several years ago and never tried again. Then came carnivore… But this ramp recipe is so simple, I may try it with something not ramp as I can’t get ramp.

I can buy great sauerkraut almost anywhere so that is no problem, thankfully. Pickles are worse as all have sugar and/or sweetener, we almost never eat it anymore. And silver onions are sugary too, ew. Still good but it would be much better without added sugar.

I don’t like too much garlic or onion in my pickles

Me neither. Ours usually don’t have any. It’s nice and a bit surprising considering how many dishes have onions AND garlic. I don’t want garlic in things, it’s okay in a few cases but it’s too powerful and unneeded for others according to my tastes. But I had so many carnivore(-ish) days in the last years, I barely ever eat either, even when I go off…

the most heavenly butter olives

Oh. I never particularly liked olives but it was fun here and then, I preferred the black ones (they make nice spiders on deviled eggs for Halloween - or any other day for a spider and Halloween lover like me). But they were always firm. Buttery olives… They may be nice even for me.

I don’t think sauerkraut does well in hot weather.

Possible, it definitely isn’t made traditionally in summer (but old times didn’t have fresh big cabbages in summer either I suppose).
Summer is fermented cucumber time Big cucumbers often in huge jars with bread slice on top, eaten chilled… Not everyone likes it, my SO hates it while he likes gherkins. I tolerate it but gerkins are way tastier and go with more dishes (or all alone, not like I eat them that way and very rarely in any way but this is life when one decides on carnivore-ish as their default woe ). Many people are very much into it though, it’s easy to make as well but it needs warmth… Summer is perfect for it, there is cucumber and warm/hot weather!

[ctviggen]

Supposedly, my great grandmother (from Czechoslovakia) would bury her sauerkraut somewhere (Or put it in the basement?), and that’s how she kept it cool in the summer. I think they make thick crocks with tops for this purpose.

Something like this:

https://ohiocaststone.com/fermenting-crocks/

Though probably not as fancy as that one.