tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27325802790922237092024-10-02T02:22:50.825-05:00Good food, good friends, good times! A semi-weekly gathering, aimed at healthier bodies and putting economies of scale to work.EconGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716158054185187549noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-30270075980851480092014-10-29T22:59:00.003-05:002015-04-11T23:34:19.610-05:00

There are three ceramic crocks within a standing dive of me right now. One's got hats in it (cracked inside but still usable for fermenting), one used to have a potted plant in it (8 gallon!), and one is sitting there all shiny, ready to go. Counting in my head, there are seven different sizes of Ball/Mason jars in the next room. There's a cider kit socked away somewhere but down that path lies

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-52048230424706388872014-10-26T01:02:00.000-05:002014-10-26T01:06:16.295-05:00

Salt AND salinity are both important! And short cuts can be dangerous (I'm still kicking myself a little over this one). Our latest pickle is alive and well, pay no mind to my initial noises of frustration. You see, as I was shopping for all the ingredients for our latest pickle, I took a shortcut with the salt, as we were out of our usual. And not anywhere near ready to make another wholesale

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-7567058695818391292013-12-01T20:54:00.001-06:002013-12-01T20:54:31.514-06:00

We've been blessed with our first genuine, non-mechanically produced cool breezes around here and farmers are bringing in their summer produce. It's finally Fall!! We're off to a great start on this pickling season. To everyone who turned out to play with our food, much thanks and good job!  As always, the pickle parties are a good excuse to host fun folks to drink and converse with. Much

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-74156643780076116542013-05-25T01:20:00.003-05:002013-05-25T01:20:45.776-05:00

Pickleers, today, inside Whole Paycheck, I was made to, by internal command of provenance unknown, reach out and grab a bag of the store-brand Tater Pops (read: tater tots). Normally, I don't eat many potato products (or hot dogs, or eggs, or anything else that likes the stuff). But these things are a really fun way to enjoy our ketchup! For the rest of y'all, we ferment together tomato paste,

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-65743714334792692212012-12-17T23:06:00.002-06:002013-03-31T00:12:51.909-05:00

[edited for details] Hola, Pickleers!  PEB n me just finished decanting the crock we set a'fermentin' last Monday. The kitchen smells heavenly, with a nice crispy earthy celery flavor added to the usual aromas (every time I stuck my nose in the crock tonight, I got that pleasing addition to the usual flavor profile of garlic, peppers, onions, and happy lil' buggies). Before we get started

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-78781384687162470462012-12-13T00:08:00.003-06:002012-12-13T00:08:51.420-06:00

The Good Mr. Bertolino, ask him for a limerick! Thanks to our beloved Ferment Fellows, we've enjoyed another great Pickle Party! We got together on Patrick's behalf, he's been itching for this specific batch for a while. We fine-tuned the recipe tonight, as well as our techniques. We're still learning to use the mandolin, though the addition of a kevlar glove to the kit surely adds a warm

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-4658094288024051962012-12-10T23:45:00.001-06:002012-12-10T23:45:25.143-06:00

So, the last Power Mix came out too hot (and still a bit bitter, still trying to puzzle that one out). So we came back a week later and fermented a couple pounds of just sweet red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. Then we cut those into the Power Mix, at varying ratios. This really chilled things out. I use a 2:1 mix of Power Mix to Sweet Bell Mix in my tapenades, whereas a 1:2 mix of Power to

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-7497899448157598812012-10-30T22:40:00.001-05:002012-11-12T01:08:06.533-06:00

We use the Power Mix as the backbone of all our sauces, condiments, and many side dishes. It's a living condiment, so, while the spices will carry through in cooking, it's more powerful to enjoy the living enzymes and bacteria, in symbiosis with your intestinal flora & fauna, by avoiding adding it to anything that's still steaming (transition point of water to vapor phase, 118

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-10834520637763117722012-10-25T19:35:00.002-05:002012-10-25T19:35:26.001-05:00

Orxata, now commonly spelled "horchata" (say "or-chata") is a traditional sweetened ricemilk from Mexico. Here in Houston, we've been buying it at some of the kiosk shops in Fiesta stores. Lots of Mexican restaurants sell it, too. My old favorite taqueria, Tepatitlan 2000 on N. Main, sells it but don't buy it there- their version is without a doubt the worst we've ever tasted; it had the

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-17027236630508653382012-10-25T19:24:00.001-05:002012-11-12T01:16:43.223-06:00

House Lewis has finally fermented our first batch of pickles in our own kitchen! We can now host, not just instigate pickle parties, with a dedicated curing cabinet in a temperature controlled environment and a nice, big workspace. And just as cool, since it's our own space, we can do this whenever we want! Ahh, central A/C and culinary freedom! Everyone's store of fermented goodies has been

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-34192179766874787472012-05-19T17:08:00.001-05:002012-05-19T17:09:16.225-05:00

Stop! Look! Listen! http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=12-P13-00020&segmentID=6 Action shot from the Living On Earth site. A great interview about the history of fermented vegetables on  Living On Earth. Thanks KUHF! I loved how they took on bacteria's bad reputation head-on (minute 3:12). Also well spoken call to action for fermentation as a way to move away from

EconGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716158054185187549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-7685743353848334492012-04-28T23:07:00.001-05:002012-04-28T23:07:48.750-05:00

The Fabled and Storied Peanutbutter Cabbage Mix RECIPE Pickleers, we've recently uncovered the notes we took when assembling the famed Peanutbutter kraut mix. This particular batch outshone all other cabbage mixes by many long ways, it was truly spectacular. Subsequent attempts at reproducing such a gastronomic delight fell flat, and woefully so. Such as the pickle party we threw at Brooke's

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-67803543364313095502012-02-04T18:44:00.000-06:002012-02-04T18:44:33.986-06:00

Fermented garlic can turn blue!  And it's perfectly fine, not an indicator of a ferment gone wrong.  We were pretty surprised the first time this happened, to say the least!  We first saw this happen in a batch of carrot escabeche.  We set up the batch to pickle just as we always have, nothing out of the ordinary or out of protocol.  When we were examining the finished

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-81628573686247721662011-11-27T23:14:00.005-06:002012-02-04T17:46:11.328-06:00

Pickleers, we set up a batch of garlic potpourri to bring the holiday cheer to Sigrid and Brak's house this week. Three folks went to work at the counter with $20 worth of garlic and quickly worked out an efficient process. The three stations were: rough peeling and separation; cutting the ends off; and fine peeling, using a silicone rolling sleeve that looks a lot like a yellow rubber

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-82045362331540207952011-05-10T23:58:00.003-05:002011-05-11T01:08:21.925-05:00

Oh, heavenly spell, let me crack that lid open again to sniff that perfume, and again... this is a special but silly moment, even broaching the subject of trying to convey to you digitally what's happening for me olfactorily right now.-sniff-This is the last indulgent few slices of ginger we pickled in vinegar (a change for us at the time) in Spring '09. We've had ginger keep mellowing and last

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-7087871702623977602011-05-10T23:42:00.003-05:002011-05-11T01:11:57.003-05:00

Anyone got a kitchen cabinet they don't need?I'm working on plans for an insulated curing cabinet with active heating/cooling, so we can pickle all year long and still maintain control over temperature. Keeping it local and frugal, I'm looking for a free-cycled kitchen cabinet, the under-the-counter kind but free standing, with one or two doors. I'm going to insulate it and make spaces above

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-2274831715297749862011-05-10T22:33:00.003-05:002011-05-10T23:49:11.322-05:00

Happy Spring! We've had a busy and delicious fermenting season!We've settled on using the plastic bag as an anaerobic barrier in place of the oil. A full water bottle on top acts as the weight, holding down floaters and keeping the bag in place. Inside the jar, the water line goes all the way to the top. As soon as the batch starts fermenting, the burping water creates positive pressure,

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-56774994472638943022010-11-15T16:19:00.002-06:002010-11-29T19:23:30.969-06:00

Oh my goodness! Have you ever made kimchi? It's the Korean version of cultured vegetables, very distintive, very spicy. I have to admit it wasn't in my 'to-try next' list at all. Korean food is still so foreign to me. Does anyone know if Houston has a class like this ? The blog e*starLA chronicles a class in LA AND manages to make KimChi accessible to me via ChiliMango comparisions. Click

EconGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716158054185187549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-18333334089630568472010-11-02T11:36:00.000-05:002010-11-02T11:36:45.991-05:00

Oh my goodness! I am absolutely making this cake in honor of some slow-it-on-down holiday time I have planned later this month. I think I will use dried apricots & black raisins. I had no idea that for most of western civilization people used soured milk to ferment their grain into rising. It makes sense, but is still a bit of a revelation to me. Thanks Nournished Kitchen for once again

EconGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716158054185187549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-64730335698853638972010-09-10T08:45:00.000-05:002010-09-10T08:45:40.915-05:00

This long hot summer is almost over! We've had our first pickle in months at a friend's house on Monday. We made ketchup from Nourishing Traditions but we spiced it up. We doubled the garlic and tripled the cayenne; Cajuns and Texas boys prefer strongly flavored condiments. The ketchup will be featured in the Ft. Bend County Fair at the end of the month, BUT the judging is apparently all

EconGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716158054185187549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-4201915574454448232010-06-29T17:07:00.005-05:002010-06-29T19:07:08.062-05:00

We learn as we go, on good days, here's the latest batch of pickling points:- Salt; Many pickling guides and recipes state that pickling salt (pure NaCl) is what you're supposed to use. It offers a greater degree of control over the processes at work in the jars we're pickling. Iodized salt is not good to use in pickling, the extra stuff works against our aims, so it's easy to avoid. We've

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-71723069511090790632010-06-29T17:01:00.007-05:002010-06-29T19:25:16.759-05:00

The latest pickle was another success! Thanks and welcome to our newest host, Seth, and the new pickleers who stayed all night, Rebecca, Sorcha, and Carol! I've been invited to sell some pickles in a few different venues lately, so we've been working on ramping up production. This latest pickle party aimed to prototype a commercial Escabiche recipe in our smaller crock while teaching a new

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-6040428824720753942010-06-20T21:58:00.002-05:002010-06-20T22:06:10.524-05:00

Prepping for a big session tomorrow. Looking for the answer to the age old question: to pre-brine, not to pre-brine our veggies? Tonight the answer was 'yes'. We'll see in 8 days, won't we?Anyway, during the search for that, found this gem:Lacto-fermentation is an artisanal craft that does not lend itself to industrialization. Results are not always predictable. For this reason, when the

Slingshotjohnnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08760078869129649388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-39034955394485759652010-06-18T10:30:00.001-05:002010-06-18T10:30:00.985-05:00

As is "oh what a relief it is". As reported by our good friend sailor and sometimes pirate, TJ. What she specifically said was that nothing had ever helped her celiac-like 'wheat bellyache' as quickly AND effectively as the cultured ginger she had at our house last week. This particular batch has aged over a year, so the flavor was such that we were just snacking on the slices on their own.

EconGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716158054185187549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732580279092223709.post-37473539045013759962010-05-05T18:44:00.000-05:002010-05-05T18:44:45.930-05:00

Oh man! We had nearly run out of everything pickled, so have been back in culturing party mode for the last few weeks. 2 words: gingered carrots. Just delightful. We did carrot spears and carrot slaw in 1/2 gallon jars with about 2 Tablespoons of ginger finely diced in each. I can't wait for our peppers to complete their ferment, so we can get back to mixing hot sauces. Hopefully Brooke

EconGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716158054185187549noreply@blogger.com1