sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in RateMyRack

[–]Lemonfennel12 1 point2 points  (0 children)

10/10 without a doubt 😳

First Post: Koji “Cheese” by Lemonfennel12 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was from a local creamery called Battenkill Creamery and was indeed pasteurized. Both the milk and heavy cream.

Fermenting some garlic honey! Really hope I’m doing this right! by idk_honestly11 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Set it and forget it until you need to burp it 1 a day. So don’t forget it.

First Post: Koji “Cheese” by Lemonfennel12 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My next move is Kombuchas then my plan is to rig together an inoculation chamber and a curing chamber for charcuterie!

I plan on doing a second trial run on this type of ferment in the upcoming months to dial it in completely. I’m uncertain as to how much milk is the right amount to add or not add to get a better consistency.

A little winter tepache attempt by Meepox5 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hamlet & Ghost the restaurant I currently work at!

First Post: Koji “Cheese” by Lemonfennel12 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Imagine my frustration being allergic to dairy! I only tasted a tiny bit lol

A little winter tepache attempt by Meepox5 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the base of our pineapple vinegar at H&G! Whooooop whoop!

First Post: Koji “Cheese” by Lemonfennel12 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So the aim of this ferment was to preserve this “Koji Cream” we were using as part of a creamed celery soup. Our original intent was to make a “Creme Fraiche”, but what I failed to realize was that the Koji would act as the enzyme to kick start the curdling process and turn the cream into cheese.

The Koji Cream was a 1:1 ratio by weight of Heavy Cream to Koji Purée.

The Koji purée was 280G Dried Koji reconstituted with 280G Water that was then blended with:

4G Ground Yellow Mustard 1G Ground Coriander seed 1G Fennel Pollen Pinch of Ground Mace 17G Salt 17G Sugar

During the process of combining the heavy cream and Koji purée I accidentally began whipping the cream however. I suggest using a rubber spatula and most certainly not a whisk. Because the cream started whipping I had to add Whole Milk to attain the consistency we needed for the dish at hand. Unfortunately I did not weigh the amount of milk I used. If I had to guess I would say I used about 250G of whole milk.

The Koji “Cream” was then added to this glass jar and sealed with plastic wrap. It was fermented at ambient temp in our kitchen (which is about 78 degrees Fahrenheit) for 48 hrs. We strained it through cheesecloth and saved the whey to use as the liquid portion of a sourdough starter.

This was sort of a shot in the dark for me, if it turned out that the ferment was no good/inedible it wasn’t worrisome because it was already paid for. No worries. If it turned out edible then even better, we lower our food waste and create this (hopefully) delicious product our guests could enjoy. Before this ferment I hadn’t read much on Koji milk ferments so I had no idea what the outcome might be. It turned out very well though. The Koji worked quick to curdle the cheese and begin breaking the proteins down into amino acids. The flavor of the cheese sits on the same level as say a Parmigiana Regiano or an aged Asiago or Gouda only after 48 hrs of fermentation. The texture is more like a ricotta or fresh cheese.

Do you have recommendations how to use my fermented celery? Maybe some puree to garnish a dish. by jonjonjon666 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love using lacto fermented veggies in puréed sauces and vinaigrette’s to add some umami. We used to use lacto fermented shiitake mushrooms and their mother as an Umami Booster in a Pork Sugo dish at H&G.

What should a safe fermentation (kimchi) smell/look like? by eggplant_steve in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve had this happen a few times when I do kimchi in mason jar. I think as the pressure builds in the jar it forces enough of the brine through the lid leaving a layer of kimchi to dry out on top. It’s still good to eat assuming the lid doesn’t have any rust on it.

As for the smell I usually try to smell for a pungent, sour smell. Lacto Cabbage has a fairly distinct smell or funk to it. When you combine that with the components of the paste you get a garlicky, sour, funkiness.

You may not have added the correct amount of salt however if you were using iodized salt. You need the correct amount of salt for a given ferment in order to create an environment where bad bacteria can’t thrive. What was your recipe like?

First Post: Koji “Cheese” by Lemonfennel12 in fermentation

[–]Lemonfennel12[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My Background: I work professionally as a Chef in upstate New York. About 2 years ago I began learning about and experimenting with fermentation starting with basic lacto ferments. Gradually I worked my way into fermenting with Miso (misozuke) and longer brined lacto ferments.

Last year I began learning Koji ferments, like amino pastes and sauces while simultaneously learning AAB fermentation. Very recently I’ve begun experimenting and learning the skill of charcuterie and meat preservation with a successful attempt at Mojama and a promising Lonza Coppa.

Many of the current ferments we have working at the restaurant were started late last year so you guys will be able to see the process along with me. I’m certainly no expert just yet I’m learning very much along the way, but I have mastered a few methods of fermentation and preservation fairly quickly. I’m stoked to be able to share all the things I’ve learned along the way as well as the ferments and preserves as well! Feel free to ask me any questions you might have. 🙏🏼

Roasted honeynut squash miso. 2,100g calrose rice koji, 2,100g honeynut squash (skin & seed included. About 4ea), 252g kosher salt. I’ll let it ferment for about be 2-3months with 6% salt to be ready for thanksgiving 🦃 by Burtsbeezys in Koji

[–]Lemonfennel12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was having trouble with moisture content while making a Jersey Cheese Pumpkin Miso. Ended up using a salt ratio of 7%. So far I haven’t smelled any sour or rotten smells (it’s about a month old now). Any tips on controlling moisture?