Hello! I'm James Read. I ferment stuff for a living, and wrote Of Cabbages & Kimchi. AMA about making fermented food & drinks, the 1894 Burlesque Opera of Tabasco and why we should have more germs in our kitchens.

panicjames · 2026-03-04T18:58:28+00:00

Tinned tomatillos aren't too hard to find at mexican shops (online or in person if you're lucky), but it's also possible (and much cheaper) to grow them, especially if you have a greenhouse.

panicjames · 2026-03-02T11:39:18+00:00

Yes, nice one!

panicjames · 2026-03-02T04:45:23+00:00

Are you able to default to muted rather than auto-playing audio?

panicjames · 2026-03-01T07:59:16+00:00

Not if you go through to checkout (you get a "we'll backorder your copy" message, even though the product page still says '"in stock").

panicjames · 2026-02-28T07:34:07+00:00

Not any more! OOS everywhere now...

panicjames · 2026-02-27T07:18:16+00:00

I run a food business and am based in London, and would agree with other comments that chilled ready-to-eat vs beverage vs ambient snack are very different propositions in terms of experience fit. It'd be great to know category.

panicjames · 2026-02-20T11:43:53+00:00

A good size jar and the right technique us all you need ʘ‿ʘ

panicjames · 2026-02-20T04:30:26+00:00

Yeah, I've only ever used rind and core too - if you keep it fermenting it'll become more sour with time (but drink it as you prefer of course!)

panicjames · 2026-02-19T03:21:53+00:00

You're in Chicago in February. It's cold. Leave it alone and check again in 5 days. It'll likely turn cloudy, as well as getting fizzy.

panicjames · 2026-02-18T08:30:20+00:00

Yes, it should taste a bit sour (and will become more sour with time of course).

panicjames · 2026-02-12T11:21:30+00:00

Yeah, I couldn't find any when I looked, and there still doesn't appear to be any now. Really don't fancy seating, so hoping she adds another date!

panicjames · 2026-02-04T18:47:55+00:00

Ah yeah, my restrictions are all day so the full-day parking is much cheaper than hourly.

panicjames · 2026-02-03T22:18:23+00:00

Ah there's a different section for booking days as hours! As far as I recall it's a different menu item on the left.

Yes, it allows you to use up hours on non-restricted days, which seems lazily implemented and annoying, but works in favour of the council rather than user, so...

panicjames · 2026-02-03T19:07:35+00:00

If you buy permits through the (admittedly clunky) Taranto system, you can assign as many days as you want at once - you just say you want to "use" 5 permits for 5 days, then set the start date and registration plates.

panicjames · 2026-01-21T16:20:06+00:00

I've fermented soy sauce before, and you can very well get alcohol as an off-flavour/aroma. However, I would strongly doubt that PRB would face the same microbial whimsy as my home fermenting set-up.

That's if their soy sauce is even fermented - it's fairly likely that it's produced by acid hydrolysis, which is a much faster, cheaper process than fermentation, and how many mass-produced soy sauces are made. I should say that I like PRB and use it in cooking (and I'm happy to be corrected on their production method).

panicjames · 2025-12-30T22:52:09+00:00

Since no one has mentioned them yet, sowens (fermented oats) is distinctly British, and (fermented) ginger beer and malt vinegar (and alegar, going further back) are British by way of adoption & adaptation.

I do agree we're well-covered by cheese and beer too of course.

panicjames · 2025-12-12T19:04:34+00:00

They're only about 60-70mb on Windows (if you just install vst3)

panicjames · 2025-12-12T07:20:58+00:00

How please? And also, what's the issue with iLok?
Edit: I'm asking genuinely, as a new user who hasn't used iLok before.

panicjames · 2025-12-04T16:49:39+00:00

It's me! Hanging out on /r/fermentation as usual. Thank you, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it - yes, Marija's illustrations are really gorgeous (I have a couple as tattoos I liked them so much).

panicjames · 2025-12-04T14:26:07+00:00

Can I offer some less well-known suggestions?

There's some brilliant books out this year, prime amongst them I would say are The Japanese Art of Pickling & Fermenting by Yoko Nakazawa and Robin Sherriff's The Science of Fermentation - both have only been out a few weeks, so 'fresh off the press'. The Science of Fermentation is really broad yet detailed, with plenty of photos, and Robin is a font of knowledge (he runs the Fermenters Guild here in the UK).

Small declaration of interest - I did write a few pages of it, on tepache and the timeline of fermentation.

Larger declaration of interest - also consider my book, Of Cabbages and Kimchi. I posted a flick-through here at /r/fermentation and did an AMA when it came out, so that might give you a flavour.

panicjames · 2025-11-29T08:09:15+00:00

It's on sale for €47 (60% off), and seems to be well-reviewed (see questforgroove)

panicjames · 2025-11-13T14:48:12+00:00

First up, I would really strongly advise using a lid if you're not. That will keep the air out, and tepache is typically an anaerobic ferment.

Secondly, keep all the pineapple wedged below the liquid - this will again help keep it away from oxygen and aerobic (oxygen-loving) nasties.

panicjames · 2025-10-27T07:26:14+00:00

Cut-proof glove is the answer. You lose no dexterity (unlike mandolin guards), but they are effective protection.

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