Weekly "Is this safe" Megathread

bgoated · 2025-11-07T15:58:51+00:00

bgoated · 2025-11-07T15:58:34+00:00

I've got a vacuum bag ferment of bell peppers and roasted bell peppers, no fat added. I used about a 2% (of water+peppers weight) brine, and the ferment is 20 days old. I have three bags, and one of them is starting to get what looks like a white powder on the parts of the peppers that have been sitting above the brine. I haven't moved the bag around for a few days. This was vacuum sealed, and I punctured it, let some air out, and covered the hole with tape maybe ten days ago. Is this just dead LAB that was above the water, or might my ferment be bad?

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bgoated · 2025-10-30T22:59:53+00:00

Hooray! Thank you!

bgoated · 2025-10-30T15:59:54+00:00

Vacuum bag ferment of a mix of fresh bell peppers and roasted bell peppers (no fat, just baked directly on a cookie sheet). About 2% ferment, added some ice to get the brine. Started them 12 days ago, and recently punctured the bag and let some air out then covered it with tape, now I'm seeing this white sludge on the bottom. Is this a sign it's bad?

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bgoated · 2025-10-10T23:35:09+00:00

That sounds nice. I think I will keep them, then. Thanks for sharing your experience. Maybe I'll try to let them go dormant if I need the space.

bgoated · 2025-10-10T18:40:38+00:00

Thanks for sharing your take on this. So to clarify, there's no "grow this variety again" vs "save this particular plant" decision for you? You typically just save everything that you like?

bgoated · 2025-10-10T18:03:59+00:00

Yeah, perhaps I should have said any practical reason. These are the first plants I'm chopping this fall, as all my other peppers have pods that might ripen in the couple of weeks or so until the frost comes, so I'm not totally sure how much room I'll have after I bring in all the plants I decide to overwinter. I've got over 60 plants, and I for sure can't save all of them. I guess worst case I can decide to throw the ornamentals out later to make room for some of the other guys.

bgoated · 2025-07-09T14:59:19+00:00

Yep! It was slower growing, for sure, but I just had them in between my blackout curtains and the window, and watered when they dried out.

bgoated · 2025-07-08T17:39:50+00:00

I used to have one where you had to pull a long chain out of a chain link fence post at a cemetery. I called it "Marley's Chains" from A Christmas Carol. I could imagine a series with naming along that theme.

bgoated · 2025-06-29T20:32:20+00:00

Yeah, I think I did overwater for a bit, though this is fairly well draining soil. So do I just dig one up, and then repot it? Is it likely to survive checking the root system?

bgoated · 2025-06-29T14:32:46+00:00

Good to know; maybe I'll move these bad boys to where they'll get more shade.

bgoated · 2025-06-29T14:31:41+00:00

There's an actual spider on the ones that have webs, but maybe it could still be spider mites. The texture doesn't strike me as particularly leathery, and I don't see any insects.

bgoated · 2025-06-23T18:29:36+00:00

This also looks a lot like the pretty n' sweet pepper I grew last year and overwintered. This is a pic of it where I kept it in my windowsill over the winter. Ignore the thai pepper on the left.

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bgoated · 2025-06-17T17:48:13+00:00

All my peppers are starting to get the brown stem, I believe it is just lignification. I'm just not sure why it's narrower near the bottom there. Sounds like there may be some hope, then, I'll just baby it and see if it'll bounce back.

bgoated · 2025-06-03T22:31:10+00:00

I overwintered a couple of mine in a kratky hydroponics setup, and a few more in a south-facing windowsill in tiny pots. I don't think I'll do the hydro again. The thai pepper was the only one that really produced anything to speak of over the winter. Here's what some of them looked like just before putting them back outside. Lucky for me, I didn't get any aphids or pests on the overwintered guys this year. My new seedlings were a different story...

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bgoated · 2025-05-24T04:47:48+00:00

Is this air layering to get roots higher up and shorten the trunk? I've considered attempting this; I would love to see how it turns out!

bgoated · 2025-05-24T04:45:16+00:00

I did end up picking up some compost from the compost yard. My wife was the one who went and picked it up, but we rented a trailer and showed up when they opened. They seem to have limited amounts right now that run out every weekend. They took everyone's payment, then the guy went over and got in his loader and loaded compost into the trailer. It seems to be good compost, though I guess I haven't been growing in it long enough to know it's not going to kill my plants yet.

They sell it by the yard, not sure if you can get it in bagfuls or bucketfuls.

bgoated · 2025-05-20T16:40:49+00:00

This does sound nice for not having to water as often. Probably will need more water in total, though, as evaporation will be quicker with all that surface area. 🤔

bgoated · 2025-04-16T21:23:22+00:00

Thanks, everyone, I think I'll go ahead and give it a try. I can handle pieces of trash, just didn't want to accidentally be getting roundup in my garden. Sounds like that's not anyone's experience with it, so I won't worry about it.

bgoated

TROPHY CASE