The Girls' Mom Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 So...I tried lacto-fermentation for the first time. I followed the Nourishing Traditions recipe. After the two days (for cucumber pickles), I have opened the jar and it smells...weird? I've never so much as sniffed something lacto-fermented. It doesn't really smell appetizing. Is a strange odor normal? Did they go bad? I'm afraid to try one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Well, it does smell different from store-bought pickles as there is no vinegar. Did you have the lid tightly sealed? That can be dangerous as pressure builds up. Were all the pickles under the liquid? Don't eat what wasn't under the liquid. You can put together a contraption to keep everything below the liquid. Refrigerate it and try one tomorrow when they are cold. In my experience, if it doesn't smell like ammonia or like something died, you have an edible ferment. I have sampled ferments at WAPF that did smell funky, but tasted completely different from their smell. Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 Thanks! I'll throw them in the fridge tonight. They were not tightly sealed, and yes, they were all under the liquid. There WAS a little shaking of the jar going on, because of some curious kids..lol. No ammonia or dead smell...just weird..lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Is it bubbly? Have you ever ate any before? Fermented foods generally have a bit of a bite, like an effervescence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) Well, I tried one this AM. I hate to say, I'm not a fan. They have an off taste to me. :blink: Sigh. I really wanted to like them too...lol. Just like I really wanted to like Kombucha, but just can't. Edited June 15, 2012 by Apryl H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 If you tried a recipe using whey (doesn't NT use this a lot?) then I would suggest you ditch that recipe and try another. Sandor Katz has a good recipe although I didn't fret about the exact brine concentration and they came out very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniper Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Did you put a grape leaf in? I made some from the same book, but I think varied the recipe just a bit. I used Coriander, mustard seed, dill, fresh garlic. They came out delish! Just like a Clausen's. Nice and crisp with a little bite. When I do it again, I will have the grape leaf be the last thing I put in so I can weigh it down better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 If you tried a recipe using whey (doesn't NT use this a lot?) then I would suggest you ditch that recipe and try another. Sandor Katz has a good recipe although I didn't fret about the exact brine concentration and they came out very nice. I did, and I think that is why I don't like them. It's like I can taste the whey.. Thanks for the link, I'll try those. I have a TON of cucumbers, so I can play around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) Ohmygosh, done correctly, they are THE BOMB. I've got two techniques for keeping veggies submerged in the brine: a ziploc partially filled with water, and these snazzy "burping" valves my husband helped me create. Basically, we made a homemade version of these: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/fermented-vegetable-master.html We bought the gallon-sized jars at a local store called Sprouts Farmer's Market for like $3, and a pack of 12 of the valves on eBay for about $5, then my husband drilled holes in the tops of the lids. (They are called S-shaped fermentation airlocks: http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-Shape-Fermentation-Airlock-Home-Brewing-Wine-Cider-/360297433649?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e3668a31#ht_2696wt_1165) I notice now that Cultures for Health has a replacement lid that they sell for $4. I wonder if those would fit on the top of the Sprouts jars, or other wide-mouthed glass jars. Might make it a bit easier. You can see what I've currently got rocking in my kitchen ... the cabbage is covered with a ziploc bag, the green beans (making a German thing called Saure Bohnen, or sour beans) are just filled with brine to the top, then tightly closed off with my special lid. The S-shaped airlock allows gases to escape (the byproduct of fermentation) but no new air to come in (which could allow for nastiness to form at the top). Keep trying! For what it's worth, I don't use whey. The best brine I've found was "started" with the leftover juices of a glass jar of Bubbies lacto-fermented pickles. If you can find those anywhere, do. It will give your juices a good kick start, and help with the taste. My husband, of course, refuses to recognize the effect of a double consonant on the vowel, and insists on pronouncing the u with a long vowel sound. ;) ETA: Oh, and the brine for the beans is red because part of it had previously been used to make lacto-fermented radishes. It's totally okay to syphon off some or all of your brine and re-use it, though I usually only do that for a month or so before doing another "kick start" with a fresh jar of Bubbies pickles or sauerkraut. It's about as expensive as a packet of "vegetable starter" from Cultures for Health, with the added bonus that you get to eat the vegetables already fermented. ;) Edited June 15, 2012 by eloquacious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I also just saw these are available, which fit on standard canning jars, so they'd be great for smaller batches: http://www.perfectpickler.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 I finally realized what they smelled like: sulfur. After a little googling with that in mind, it may have just needed to ferment longer. Too late now though, the chickens enjoyed them :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Gotta tell ya Apryl, you're not exactly selling me on the idea of a lacto-fremented pickle. :ack2: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 Gotta tell ya Apryl, you're not exactly selling me on the idea of a lacto-fremented pickle. :ack2: :D Yeah...I don't think I'm selling myself on them either! On a positive note, I made vinegar based sweet pickles today and they smell delish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 fwiw SF's recipes are notoriously bad. Katz's book has much better info on fermentation, there are lots of variations to the method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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