| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Sep 25 2014 : 11:28:04 AM
Hi girls -
The apple core and peel vinegar I started over a week ago is starting to smell more like beer than vinegar. Also, I was under the impression that the liquid would be brown and cloudy, with a little bit of scum on top (which becomes the mother). Mine, however, is a light brown and very clear with no scum on top. Is it okay, or did I perhaps do something wrong? Should I leave it to sit for a while yet, or should I strain it at this point as per the directions, OR should I pitch it? I'm probably worrying for nothing and am just too impatient, but it really does smell like beer, so I'm concerned. Please advise!!!!
Thanks so much -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Sep 29 2014 : 09:06:04 AM
LOL! Shannon! It really IS beautiful pottery! Just a head's up: they usually have great sales on holidays! Last word I received from them is that right now they have an ongoing 20% off sale. I called last weekend and they said at the time that they didn't have an sale end date issued yet, so it is quite possible it is still going on! Their sales are usually not good on internet orders - they're usually only for in-store and over-the-phone purchases, so I always order by phone. You just need to mention the sale to receive the discount. The girls there are extremely helpful and friendly. You can let them know what you're looking for, and they will go find it for you, and let you know of any special items they have in-store that are not shown online (there are MANY, believe me!). And the neat thing is, if you're not worried about seconds, you can ask if they have any of your pattern on the seconds shelf, and they will help save you money. They always pick the best they can find, and I've never been disappointed. I've bought plenty of seconds, and unless you really scrutinize, you usually can't tell!
Besides its beauty and the fact that it's made right here in the good ol' USA, I love that I can mix and match all my patterns, and it always looks beautiful! I have the blue vine, the blue green vine, the Pennsylvania blue and the Love Birds patterns. Then, when we were on vacation recently, we were up in Ogunquit, ME. I had to check out there store - they were having a sale, after all, and shipping can be very expensive! For our 26th wedding anniversary, my hubby suprised me with a starter set in the cranberry for the holiday season! I was so shocked! I felt so guilty because it's a ridiculous splurge, but it's been a loooooong 26 years! LOL! Just kidding! ;) And WOW are they beautiful - I wish you could see them in person! I can't decide which pattern is my favorite now! LOL! ;) It's easy to become addicted and get carried away... Be careful, sister! :) The best way to go is to have people buy you one piece at a time as gifts - a soup mug here, a dinner plate there. My Mom is wonderful about this, so I usually let her know of the sales as they come throughout the year. She has given me many wonderful pieces over the years, and I treasure - and use! - every single one! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| hudsonsinaf |
Posted - Sep 29 2014 : 05:46:01 AM
Nini - oh my word! Their pottery is gorgeous! Might have to see if I can get a piece each year for Christmas ;) LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Now to pick a pattern. I'll obviously get my hubby's opinion/permission, but I really like the cornflower and cow!
~ Shannon
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Sep 29 2014 : 03:52:04 AM
Lisa - You are too modest! You've been a HUGE help to me as I've been learning! I couldn't have done it without you - OR Ms. Jackie Clay! :)
Judy - Lisa's the fermentation Queen in my book ;), so I'm sure she will have some great ideas for both of us! I would love her to teach us! One thing I would really like to try next year is fermenting pickles instead of processing them through canning. I found a recipe that I really want to try by Katzcradul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zz2l5qnZfA I just didn't get to it this summer... 'Made plenty of dills, mustard pickles and sweet, hot pickled peppers, though! :)
Hi Shannon! We're referring to those great stoneware crocks - the round, straight-sided stoneware jars. You can find them in resale shops, but if you're going to use them for food preparation, you need to be very careful to check them for minor cracks and wearing away of the finish, which can trap bacteria. I get mine from Salmon Falls Stoneware: http://salmonfalls.com/cgi-bin/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=enter+shop&thispage=crocks.html&ORDER_ID=!ORDERID! but Lehmans also carries them: http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=crock . I also believe you can get them at Farm and Fleet and other stores like that. I bought mine from Salmon Falls because I collect their pottery, but since they don't have really big sizes (at least not online - they may have them in-store, and you can always call them for that), my next purchase will be from Lehman's. My family loves my homemade sauerkraut so much, it's hard to keep up with them using the smaller crocks! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| hudsonsinaf |
Posted - Sep 28 2014 : 6:04:42 PM
what is a crock? where would I get one?
~ Shannon
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
| country treasure |
Posted - Sep 28 2014 : 5:51:43 PM
Hi Nini & Lisa!
The mistake I made with the kraut was tasting it & deciding to leave a bit longer. Big mistake! The surface had nasty scrum & the top bit of cabbage wasn't looking good when I got back to it. Plus the weather last year was VERY hot which didn't help. I'm pretty picky about canning so I probably reacted too quick & tossed the crock but better that way than sick over it.
I've canning for YEARS but pretty new to the whole crock secrets but love learning.
Can either one of you give a beginner suggestions to what else to try in the crock?
I've got mis veggies right now which seems to be coming along good.
A quick question: do either of you can your kraut? Due to using our own grown cabbages I filled a 10 gallon crock with it so to eat before it goes bad. I know that some say that canning kills all the goodness. Your advice would be welcome! THANKS
Will try the vinegar! Thanks Nini for sharing!
Judy
country wishes! |
| nubidane |
Posted - Sep 28 2014 : 1:19:58 PM
Nini!
I bought 4 bags of Paula Red apples (for 2.99 a 3 lb bag) at Save A Lot of all places, but I love those apples. They are tart, which I love. So, when I process them, I'm going to try this.
I love the ferment. It is a current obsession.
And yes, yes, yes, only use kosher or sea salt. I get nervous if my kosher salt supply goes below 3 boxes. Ha!
And Oh my goodness, if I am your go to girl, you are in trouble. But thanks anyway..
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 10:23:21 AM
Judy!!!! Hiiiiii!!!! I was just thinking about you! :) I have my cabbages and am going to start my new batch of kraut either tonight or tomorrow! SO glad your second batch worked out well! SO good, isn't it?
Okay - I followed Mrs. Volfie's recipe from her YouTube channel, ourhalfacrehomestead, only she just used apple cores; I added the peels as well.
Here's the link to her how-to demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaLxyy6VDxU
And here is what I did: I filled my big crock with all the leftover peels and cores from when I made apple pie filling. Then I covered the peels and cores with a mixture of two tablespoons of sugar with four cups of warm water, continuing to add the mixture until it covered everything (I think it took eight cups of the warm sugar water mixture, total - maybe a little less). I put a clean towel over the top, secured it with a rubber band and placed it in a warm corner on my kitchen counter, and then you're supposed to give it a little stir to mix it every day. At the end of that week, the mixture should be a bit cloudy and have some scum on top. You drain the mixture through a colander into a bowl, leaving the scum in the liquid, because that becomes the mother(?). Next you pour the liquid into clean, sanitized canning jars, placing a couple of thicknesses of cheesecloth on top and securing with a canning jar ring. Then you let it sit in a warm place and "percolate" for about a month or so and test it. The longer it sits, the stronger the vinegar is supposed to become. She really does do a super to follow, step-by-step video. I just love her!
After reading Lisa's post, I went back and reviewed the video for the umpteenth time and realized that I hadn't stirred it every day. Duh! That's what I get for cutting back on my daily cup of coffee!! SO, I removed the tea towel, stirred the contents, and WOW did it smell like apple cider vinegar!!! I didn't have any scum on top, but it still looked exactly as it should. I drained everything into a bowl, then poured it into my jars (one half-gallon, one pint), covered them with cheesecloth, secured the rings and set them aside on my counter. Now I wait. I can't WAIT, but I wait! :) I hope it works out - this is one of the easiest projects ever, and I just LOVE apple cider vinegar!
Now my crock is available to make more kraut, and I'll be getting to that again very soon! Good things are always in the works in Nini's pantry! :)
You know... it just occurred to me, Judy. When you made that first batch of kraut, did you use regular table salt? I remember reading somewhere that you should only use kosher salt or sea salt, because something about the iodine in the table salt can affect the fermentation process... Lisa's my primary go-to girl for just about everything kitchen (sorry Lisa - lucky YOU, huh?), so maybe she can shed some light on this for us? Not sure if we talked about that last time or not, but thought I should mention it just in case! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| country treasure |
Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 09:31:31 AM
Hi Nini!
Your vinegar sounds interesting! Never heard of it before! Could you share your recipe please?
Found more apples so timing couldn't be better.
OOOh Nini, this year the kraut worked out great! Thanks for the advice last year.
I probably just left it too long but the second time around was the winner. It sure tastes good!
Smiles Judy
country wishes! |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Sep 26 2014 : 11:38:25 AM
Thank you, THANK YOU, Lisa! I wasn't sure if there was something wrong with it because of the beer smell. I am wondering if maybe I didn't use enough cores or something. I'll give it another week or so before moving on - you're right: good things DO come to those who wait! Unfortunately, though, waiting another week on the vinegar is holding me back from making more sauerkraut! I think it's time to buy an additional crock!!! Talk with you soon! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| nubidane |
Posted - Sep 25 2014 : 7:05:45 PM
Nini
I've never made vinegar, but I know with my kombucha, the longer it sits, the more it takes on a vinegar smell.
if I were you; I'd just let it be for a few weeks and see.
I have 2 batches of kombucha going; one I use every 10 days or so for drinking, and the other sits and sits for use like a vinegar and fermenting things(I add a bit of new kombucha to it so I don't run out, but the base is quite vinegary)
So, not sure if I helped or not, but my advice is "good things come to those who wait"
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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