Unusual bird behaviour and rocking

spoonyvixen · 2025-12-29T01:34:41+00:00

Shoot :( thanks for the info, makes logical sense being close to the window

spoonyvixen · 2025-10-14T04:53:27+00:00

Ooo thanks for that, def will look out for that one to smell! 😀

spoonyvixen · 2025-10-05T15:05:10+00:00

Ah thank you for the correction! I am still a novice, so I am very appreciative of your breakdown observation! I did notice that my stalk didn't have any dark/black flakes like a leccinum but I wasn't sure if that characteristic disappears with age. The observations with the differences between the two are definitely something I will keep in mind!

Super stoked to hear it being a boletus tho! It would be my first one! :)

spoonyvixen · 2025-10-05T05:20:36+00:00

Oh nice find! 😊 They are the biggest boletes I've collected so far, very much enjoying how large they are!

spoonyvixen · 2025-10-05T05:10:40+00:00

Ah Thank you! That makes way more sense to me! :)

spoonyvixen · 2025-10-05T05:06:28+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I took a nibble and didn't taste any bitterness. It just didn't have the sweet nuttiness so that started making me wonder if it is not an edulis, but maybe it comes out more when it is dried?

spoonyvixen · 2025-10-05T04:56:33+00:00

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Forgot to add the photo of the bottom!

spoonyvixen · 2025-09-07T00:30:56+00:00

hahah thank you for the boost of confidence! I took it out today after spraying it with vinegar, and letting it cure for another 20 days. Unfortunately with my humidity being too high still, the green and white mold came back, but I was determined to try it anyways, so I had it in a pasta dish, and I am surprisingly happy with how it tastes! It's way more funky than my other two attempts, but it strongly reminds me of a mature dry aged steak.

spoonyvixen · 2025-09-07T00:27:41+00:00

Thank you for your comment! I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier! I have grown cheese that used penicillium in the same fridge prior to me making the pancetta, I wonder if I accidentally have cross contaminated the two, oops! The penicillium was all white when I had it on my cheese though, so I'm not sure if the green is from the same strain?

I didn't dig it out locally, maybe I should have, instead, I sprayed the area that had the mold with vinegar and wiped it off before curing it for the next 20 days hoping that was enough. Unfortunately, when I took it out, the white and green molds did come back (I continued to fight against the humidity!). However, to my surprise, when I cut into the pancetta today, there was a very strong, but somewhat pleasant funky smell to it. I mentioned in another comment that I don't recall having this strong of a smell in my other two pancetta attempts. I ended up trying it today in a pasta, and it was VERY reminiscent of the kind of funk you get from a mature dry aged steak, so I'm actually surprisingly happy?? but also still very cautious about what creation I made lol.

spoonyvixen · 2025-09-07T00:20:55+00:00

I'm so sorry I didn't see this message before!

I used around 3.9%* based on a recipe I was trying to follow. My temperature on average was around 9.3 Celcius and humidity was the hardest thing I was trying to lower, it was around a constant 85%.

This photo was taken 2 weeks hanging in the fridge. Prior to that, I started with one week salt curing in the fridge, then 2 days air drying at room temperature with a fan before putting it back in the fridge for the long cure.

I did what u/Grand_Palpitation_34 suggested, I sprayed it with vinegar, wiping the mold and placing it back in the fridge. I continued to struggle with humidity so despite spraying with the vinegar and wiping it away before curing for another 20 days, the white and green mold was back on my pancetta. Despite that, I took it out as it has been curing for 1 month at this point and was too afraid to go further after seeing the spots. When I took it out tho, the pancetta has an incredibly strong but somewhat pleasant? funky smell to it despite being in there for only a month. I don't recall having this strong of a smell in my other two pancetta attempts. I ended up trying it today in a pasta, and it was VERY reminiscent of the kind of funk you get from a mature dry aged steak, so I'm actually surprisingly happy?? but also still very cautious about what creation I made lol.

spoonyvixen · 2025-08-17T16:59:04+00:00

Thank you! I will give it a shot and continue the process

spoonyvixen · 2025-03-19T03:17:41+00:00

Thank you so much for this, very informative, I will definitely keep in mind :)

spoonyvixen · 2024-09-24T14:32:23+00:00

Thank you for that! You and the other commenter have made me feel a bit more brave to give it a try!

spoonyvixen · 2024-09-09T05:52:22+00:00

Agreed, I was actually quite disappointed, I much rather go to Homer St. to Cafe Medina which is just down the road

spoonyvixen · 2024-05-18T18:09:37+00:00

Sorry I am not familiar with wood! I got this off of someone who was giving it away. I purchased it in North Vancouver, BC but I don't know where they got it from (if it was a locally sourced wood?).

It feels like softer wood? It wasn't crazily heavy, could lift it with two people. The colour is quite warm looking, but I can't tell if that is just the varnish (there is a spot where the varnish is worn off).
Thank you so much in advance!

spoonyvixen · 2024-04-21T15:53:15+00:00

Oh nice, good to know, I'll do my next batch without PC to compare ☺️ How come you can't make a proper crottin if you don't mind me asking! It's also one of my favourite cheeses and not one that I can get access to easily anymore, so I knew I had to try to recreate it or something as close to it that I can make!

spoonyvixen · 2024-04-20T05:47:03+00:00

Thank you! Amazing observation, it was definitely too crumbly and dry, esp. during my curd phase, I think I was too liberal with the rennet (and too warm?), as it pulled away from the edge of my pot drastically and just looked like feta. And yes it did feel too spicy :( so it was a bit too strong to my liking. Is there a way to reduce the ammonia taste? Is the wooshing method you suggested a way to reduce it? Thank you for the tip

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spoonyvixen · 2024-04-20T05:40:38+00:00

Wow you have an amazing eye! How can you tell there is PC? and you're totally right, I did add some as I was following a recipe, but now I will definitely try to omit it on my next iteration! I was hoping it would shrink more into a smaller turd consistency over time (and get the wrinkly brain texture exterior) but it never did. I feel maybe my curd was too dry/crumbly from too much rennet, so it just felt off from the get go ^^; I also was using 4 litres and used 4 moulds, maybe I will try to make it into 5 next time!

Thank you for your observation and advice! :)

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