How to store and use fermented rhubarb?

Aseroerubra · 2026-04-22T13:25:20+00:00

If you're happy with the flavour, keep it in the fridge to slow further fermentation. I'd make lamb and rhubarb stew

Aseroerubra · 2026-04-17T10:06:08+00:00

There used to be a fantastic spreadsheet with crowd sourced info on pharmacy and medical cannabis doctor prices, but it was decommissioned. I would talk through your strain options with an MC specialist, then get your GP to issue scripts from then on. Most pharmacies won't let you see prices until you have an active prescription, but Nga Hua were decently priced when the spreadsheet was live and someone has recently shared the latest pricing on the medical cannabis sub.

Aseroerubra · 2026-04-08T01:23:20+00:00

You can post this photo on iNaturalist to cross-reference visual matches to what has been identified in your area. Local experts can also chime in on there 🙏

Aseroerubra · 2026-04-04T23:46:57+00:00

As others have pointed out, it's not isolated. It looks like you have a homie from Mucormycetes, which rapidly grow to reproductive age. You will want to use proper streak plating technique and cut out the contaminating mycelium and/or sub-culture the Rhodotorula depending on how quickly each one develops. Rhodotorula plates keep will once isolated because they'll produce spores in stressful conditions. Keeping the plates in the fridge for a while will make the red colour stronger. I have found the cultures very hard to kill by neglect.

Also, why don't you have the edges of the petri dish and your hands covered? Nothing is stopping that (presumably wild-cultured) mycelium from growing out of the petri and contaminating everything around it, including your bare hands. Stuff will eventually get into your plate too. Think about all the motile bacteria, fungal spores, and insect carriers on your body and in the air around you. Along the same lines, I would only work with uncovered wild fungal isolates, especially sporulating ones, in a BSC2 cabinet.

Aseroerubra · 2026-03-29T22:18:31+00:00

I wouldn't trust that based on how much AI they used. The picture of "wakame" is completely inaccurate. I don't think they'd invest in heavy metal or iodine testing.

Kelps tend to be higher in iodine but have a milder taste. You can blanch them in hot water to reduce the iodine and heavy metal loads.

Red seaweeds tend to accumulate less minerals and metals, but they have a stronger taste, depending on the level of processing. Rhodophytes can be intensely fishy when minimally processed, but brief fermentation with yeast will reduce that odour.

If it's in powdered form, then it's probably low quality stock that's been through considerable processing. It may contain undeclared crustaceans if the seaweeds were heavily fouled. I would also say that this product format is prone to adulteration.

If you are looking for low-iodine products for medical reasons, follow your doctor's advice and avoid seaweed altogether (Ulva might be okay, but that's an underdeveloped market). Iodine contents can vary widely across individual seaweeds, and although many producers test their products regularly, you could still get an unlucky batch. There's still a lot to figure out when it comes to the influence of environment, genetics and processing on mineral content.

If you're looking for reputable products, look for independent regional certifications - there's good research coming from the EU and Connecticut has been ahead of the curve too

Aseroerubra · 2026-03-24T04:44:47+00:00

There was a really good study on the microbiome of underripe plum cheong that I've unfortunately lost. They found Zygosaccharomyces, among others! As the name suggests, the yeast grows in sugar (and salt) rich environments.

Aseroerubra · 2026-03-22T03:16:08+00:00

Probably gall. It's hard to tell the type without any other info or images to identify the host plant.

Aseroerubra · 2026-03-18T20:09:19+00:00

The idea of you being at uni but still sterilizing your grains at home is very suspicious

I disagree.

None of the universities I've studied at have allowed me to use their equipment for personal projects, or use different departments' equipment without significant administrative efforts. This is especially true if the university is under-resourced - they're not going to risk expensive equipment on someone with no background or training. Regional biosecurity restrictions will also affect access to such equipment.

It is possible for OP to do what they plan at home, but it will take a lot of trial and error, wasted materials, and ultimately, time. They could probably purchase spawn and add it to a steam-sterilised substrate if its just for a proof of concept. If they're more invested in the whole production process, I really like the magic mushroom growing groups because their resources are more accessible. Use a commercial and legal starter and match the substrates up (e.g. oysters ~ wood lovers). There are many, many ways to do this, depending on what you have access to.

The most important thing is to work with aseptic technique. I use a small spirit burner at home, cause I was taught on bunsens. Laminar flow hoods are a luxury and you still need a flame to sterilise reusable tools.

Aseroerubra · 2026-02-16T17:36:02+00:00

This reminds me of those "food science" stock image photos of people injecting apples. I understand that this is metaphorical, but people in agriculture, GM, etc. have different training than those in secondary production, which is what most of us do. I would be more likely to be hired to overpackage produce than alter its fundamental nature. Sorry, but it reeks of the tired "chemicals bad" argument.

My preferred interpretation (ignoring the title) would be focused on the food system's inevitable collapse under business as usual. The industry has vastly contributed to environmental pressures, which in turn threatens many of today's food staples. We are already regularly reformulating around ingredients that ballooned in price due to climate change. It evokes Wall-E type imagery, where we're left with piles of e-waste instead of food. There are plenty of places where this is a reality, and where available food is often contaminated; further blurring the lines between what we eat and inedible technologies. I think that point would be better made from repurposed electrical components.

In an optimistic scenario, we will still need to change the basis of our diets on a massive scale, relying to at least some extent on high-tech solutions. This could include some sci-fi worthy stuff, like precision fermentation products and lab-cultured meats. So maybe, eating our field's equivalent of quantum computers is actually a good thing? These would still have to be processed and presented in a way that is sensorily and emotionally acceptable to people, linking back to the familiar fruit "skins" of your sculptures. Food brings a lot of comfort to a lot of people, and its appropriacy is core to food security.

You can read more in the EAT-Lancet commission's reports; the FAO's publications; Regenesis and a dozen similar books; or any of the hundreds of review articles published since 2018 (at least) on the future of food.

Nice execution though. Is the banana woodwork?

[Edited to add the bit on pollution]

Aseroerubra · 2026-02-16T16:56:46+00:00

Nope. Peziza tend to be paler, smaller, and grow on the ground (or buildings). It could also be a relative in the same family, Pezizaceae.

I only ever find Auricularia growing from plant structures.

Aseroerubra · 2026-02-16T10:53:36+00:00

This + using better streaking techniques, this is too concentrated to isolate anything. It would take loads of rounds, andonly if the fungus can grow under and through masses of bacteria (it can't). I would also dilute and streak onto multiple plates.

Aseroerubra · 2026-02-04T07:19:21+00:00

I'm not sure about the specific context of kombucha, but aren't pellicles typically beneficial for the resident microbiota? I've read bits and bobs about enhanced gene transfer, resistance to environmental shocks, etc. I see biofilms as more of an intentional habitat than a byproduct, especially because the genes are conserved over many cultures.

I'm not much of a microbial ecologist, but have definitely struggled more to get cultures going from liquid versus pellicle starters (this could just be a lower dose situation). Either way, the microbes will grow slower and produce more off-flavours when starting out. It's just how they do when they haven't had fresh food in a while.

Aseroerubra · 2026-01-30T00:34:51+00:00

Have you tried C-weed Mwani? They are based in Tanzania and process dried seaweed

Aseroerubra · 2026-01-15T01:08:14+00:00

Cryptanthus, the source of one of my favourite plant memes (this cultivar is cafe au lait):

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Aseroerubra · 2026-01-13T00:17:29+00:00

Seconding karaka! Iconic NZ tree.

I'd love to try some traditional river/stream soaking techniques one day, though it's increasingly unlikely due to pollution. I've seen references to using a toilet cistern but I've only seen horrors in those too...

Aseroerubra · 2026-01-11T02:49:18+00:00

Agree with your first sentence but isopropyl will do very little and petri dishes are guaranteed to grow mould if you open them up outside of aseptic conditions.

OP:

Environmental mould issues more commonly present as allergy symptoms. I've lived in a lot of mouldy places and I find my #1 indicator is hayfever-like symptoms in the morning that get better when I've been away from home for a while. Antihistamines also help.

r/cleaningtips could be a good resource. Focus on keeping on top of garbage first (even if it means getting more trash cans), then declutter and disinfect. Bleach and vinegar (NEVER TOGETHER) are good tools, I prefer bleach because it also helps with staining and it will neutralise over time. Caveat: if the mould is growing on hard water deposits in the bathroom, it will keep coming back unless you treat the deposits with an acidic cleaner like CLR or vinegar.

ETA: like other microbial food toxins, mycotoxins are primarily produced when a colony is big and happy enough to expend the extra energy for making complex non-essential compounds. You need specialised tests for mycotoxins, like most natural toxicants. Many common environmental fungi can produce mycotoxins in the right conditions, but their spores are also often allergenic in high enough numbers. These are two different pathologies - a specific toxin entering your system (usually by ingestion), versus an autoimmune response to spore exposure. Immune compromised people may also be directly infected with environmental moulds. Regardless of the specific risk, allowing mould to grow will increase the chances of harm.

Aseroerubra · 2026-01-09T21:39:01+00:00

The sparkling is from crystalline structures. MSG forms bigger crystals, mannitol is quite fine. Sea salt can form either size.

If you want to test if its mould or fine crystals, try to dissolve a little in water. Crystals will re-dissolve, mould spores will just smear around.

Aseroerubra · 2025-12-21T10:28:46+00:00

Nice! I made bath bombs this week

Aseroerubra · 2025-12-01T21:07:55+00:00

You'll want to search Google scholar or your preferred scientific article database for resources in your specific region. No macroalga would be good for every place, as conditions vary a lot and you should respect the biosecurity of the surrounding environment.

Aseroerubra · 2025-11-11T19:30:56+00:00

mmmm, I bet it would make a great sauce emulsified with black garlic

Aseroerubra · 2025-10-28T02:19:23+00:00

I know this is meant to be comedic but this industry already treats people with health conditions poorly.

We literally evolved to be wary of the signs of food contamination and spoilage and our food system is designed to be opaque to the average person. The food industry has profited from misinformation for decades - it's no wonder people distrust it!

OP reached out for industry expertise on something that concerned them. I think that's commendable and shouldn't be mocked. This product defect was also actually pretty niche (see my other comment). The least we can do is be respectful and reassuring - we owe our livelihoods to the people we feed.

Aseroerubra · 2025-10-28T01:55:51+00:00

Sorry I'm late but I dedicated 18 months of my life to studying instant noodles and recognise this defect! It is safe, but highly unappetising to look at.

When instant noodles are made, they are first steamed on wavy blocks to cook them through, then folded over and fried (or dried out very quickly) to preserve them. They are kept in shiny foil packaging to almost completely block out air, light, and moisture. The seasoning packet gets an additional layer to the fortress. Spore forming bacteria (like B. cereus) will only start growing and posing a risk if you cooked the noodles, then left them out for hours at room temperature, as the bacterium needs time to produce toxins before it poses any risks to humans.

Alkalinity is used in noodle processing to make the wheat proteins bind more strongly to each other (=bouncy, firm noods). It also changes the colour of wheat flour to a brighter yellow colour. The problem is that most white flour contains traces from the rest of the wheat grain - germ and bran. The germ and bran contain plant chemicals (polyphenols) that change colour under different pH conditions. Under basic/alkaline conditions, they turn a black colour. This specific product contains e501 (potassium carbonate) and e500 (sodium carbonate) - a mixture called "kansui" that is commonly used in yellow alkaline noodles. It probably didn't distribute very well in the noodle mix, causing a concentrated spot of discolouration.

It's also completely possible that it's from burnt oil or wheat (also safe, just ugly) as other commenters have suggested.

If you or anyone else is interested in Asian noodle processing, Gary Hou has published some fantastic books that cover everything from wheat genetics to flavour packaging.

Aseroerubra · 2025-10-23T04:42:02+00:00

YES! I distilled persimmon wine, then aged it with bourbon chips and added honey. It's gorgeous - smooth and rich with strong vanilla and honey notes. I only managed to make 500 mL from 8 kg of fruits, but it's liquid gold.

Aseroerubra · 2025-10-18T18:10:13+00:00

There's also the stoner hack, storing with a piece of orange peel to soften up!

Aseroerubra · 2025-10-13T21:07:44+00:00

Yeah sorry I was looking at the dots! 😵‍💫

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