Very OT: yogurt machines

[Ellen Madono]

Hi Tanya,

I have a small elextric plug that takes the plug from the heating source (the yogurt maker, rice maker etc) and plugs into the source of electricity (the wall plug for example). It has a knob that turns down the amount of electricity that goes into my heat source. I am using a large rice warmer as my heat source so it has the room to hold a long bread making thermometer. I think they make smaller ones that are also water proof. Since I put it in my heat source pan (some water) the water proof part is essential.Then, i adujust the amount of electricity going into my heater according to the reading on my waterproof bread making thermometer.

I have become crazy about femementing. Use natural source (the room's live stuff), yeasts ect. I make the fermented mixture then make things like bread, pickels, sweet rice drinks, miso. Ymmmm

Having a good relationship with living things seems to promote bowel health for me.

Ellen Madono

[Tanya Marquette]

Thanks Ellen
Interesting about your use of natural bacteria. How do you do that?
I think I will try to monitor my crock pot for water temperature.
t
From: Ellen Madono
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 12:50 AM
To: minutus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Minutus] Very OT: yogurt machines

Hi Tanya,
I have a small elextric plug that takes the plug from the heating source (the yogurt maker, rice maker etc) and plugs into the source of electricity (the wall plug for example). It has a knob that turns down the amount of electricity that goes into my heat source. I am using a large rice warmer as my heat source so it has the room to hold a long bread making thermometer. I think they make smaller ones that are also water proof. Since I put it in my heat source pan (some water) the water proof part is essential.Then, i adujust the amount of electricity going into my heater according to the reading on my waterproof bread making thermometer.
I have become crazy about femementing. Use natural source (the room's live stuff), yeasts ect. I make the fermented mixture then make things like bread, pickels, sweet rice drinks, miso. Ymmmm
Having a good relationship with living things seems to promote bowel health for me.
Ellen Madono

[Shannon Nelson]

Ellen, that sounds wonderful! If it's not unforgivably OT, could you post an entire recipe or two? E.g. for pickles and sweet rice drink? I have been wanting to get a grip on "wild fermenting".

And as far as OT, one could make a case that this sort of thing would be very reasonable "patient education" -- it's been a traditional part of mankind's diet for so many reasons!

Shannon

[Ellen Madono]

Hi Tanya,

I found a Kindle book on natural fermentation. She goes over many different cultures and traditional ways of fermenting.
ting naturally. If you come from a German culture, you already know about how to make sauercraute. Every culture has there own recipe. It was one way that we preserved food before refrigeration.

Best,
Ellen

[Tanya Marquette]

I think I misunderstood your original post. Of course I know about fermenting vegetables.
Pickling all kinds of veggies has become very popular over here. Vinegar itself is a fermented
product and very healthful. I thought you were using something very specific to your personal
environment and was asking about that. All cultures seem to have learned to preserve food
with drying and fermenting. Even alcohol –it was very early in human history that people learned
to make fermented alcohol drinks.
t
From: Ellen Madono
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 9:18 AM
To: minutus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Minutus] Very OT: yogurt machines

Hi Tanya,
I found a Kindle book on natural fermentation. She goes over many different cultures and traditional ways of fermenting.
ting naturally. If you come from a German culture, you already know about how to make sauercraute. Every culture has there own recipe. It was one way that we preserved food before refrigeration.
Best,
Ellen

[Ellen Madono]

Hi Shannon,

I think wild fermentation is beyond the normal American who can barely cook out of a box or can. It is a lot like gardening. I am just learning myself. I think you have to like playing with nature to like doing this.

I was the kind of kid who always lined up 5 different cookie recipes and combined them. I am much worse now. As an adult, I just read a dozen recipes and do something related. So don't ask me for a recipe. I will just mess up your head.

It is the concept that you need. This crazy lady, Sandor Katz, has several books.

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods by Sandor Ellix Katz and Sally Fallon

The electronic books are cheap.
I think that fermenting with prepared starters is easier while you are getting the idea. Stuff like yeast, or yogurt starter. I would use the real starter rather than starting yogurt from store bought stuff. I comes out much nicer. Not all slimy. THere are all kinds of things to know about yeast. I still have a lot to learn.
I have fruit and veggie starters too sitting in my fridge. but they don't raise my heavy half whole grain breads enough. So I sneak in some yeast. Still the texture is not right. As I say, I go by feel not by recipe, so learning is very touchy feely. Slowwww Lots of mistakes.
I just put my yogurt from last week under a wooden bucket to sit on top of my whole grain rise that is also fermenting but at a higher heat. The heater under the bucket is hotter that what yogurt needs. But the wooden bucket will hold the heat. It is geting warm here. Almost summer. I didn't measure the temperature, but I will probably find my yogurt is done by now. I use soy milk to make the yogurt. I will save a small container of this batch to be used for the next batch next week. Half of the rice will go into the freezer to be eaten slowly since I am the only whole grain rice eater.
Best,
Ellen

[Ellen Madono]

Hi,
Yeah I am making Japanese, Koean and Chinese pickels. All kinds. Miso. Fermented rice. All pretty complex and requiring ingredience that even here I have to search for. I get some of my information off of the internet. But just trying is most of the learning. Recently I found a book on who the Farmers in Japan ferment. It is very technical, so I have to sit down and study it.

Now I am dreaming of making a hole in the ground and lining it with stones and then charcole. I want to make smoked garlic. Hard to imagine doing when you live is close quarters with neighbors. But, I am still thinking about it. Talk about crazy ladies.

Best,
Ellen

[Tanya Marquette]

Just remembered that I have some Korean Kimchi in my refrig. It was made by a Korean
woman who is farming in my town. She thought it mild, but I could only eat 1 or 2 small
pieces at a time mixed into milder food! She makes this all the time and began to sell
it in the winter when there were no fresh vegetables to sell.
t
From: Ellen Madono
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 9:41 AM
To: minutus@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Minutus] Very OT: yogurt machines

Hi,
Yeah I am making Japanese, Koean and Chinese pickels. All kinds. Miso. Fermented rice. All pretty complex and requiring ingredience that even here I have to search for. I get some of my information off of the internet. But just trying is most of the learning. Recently I found a book on who the Farmers in Japan ferment. It is very technical, so I have to sit down and study it.
Now I am dreaming of making a hole in the ground and lining it with stones and then charcole. I want to make smoked garlic. Hard to imagine doing when you live is close quarters with neighbors. But, I am still thinking about it. Talk about crazy ladies.
Best,
Ellen

[Ellen Madono]

You should learn from her, or at least get her ingredients. I don't know your sensitivity to hot peppers, but they have milder ones, and you just add in less. Hot is not necessary. Ginger, garlic and fermented rice really makes a difference. You need special fermented shirmp or the fermented juice of squid. Also, I wash my pickels sometimes when they are too hot or salty. The pickel juice of any kind is good for soups.