Ferment Four Different Things (One Gallon) - food.straw.fermentfour PEP BB

Oct 19, 2020 08:54:30

This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum. Completing this BB is part of getting the straw badge in Food Prep and Preservation

For this badge bit, you will ferment four different types of things!

Here are Some Related Books:
- Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz
- The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz
- Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Here are some related articles"
- Making Sauerkraut
- Fermented Apple Cranberry Chutney
- Step by Step Sourdough Recipe Guide
- Milk Kefir Master Recipe
- Home Brewing Kombucha

Here are some related videos:

Sauerkraut

Fermented Apple Chutney

Making Apple Cider Vinegar

Making Sourdough

Making Milk Kefir

The minimum requirements for this BB are as follows:
- Ferment four different types of things - At least one gallon per type of fermented food - possible examples are listed for each type:
- Vegetable (minimum of 1 required)
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Fruit (minimum of 1 required)
- Apples
- Pickles
- Ketchup
- Vinegar (do exactly 1)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Wine vinegar
- Sourdough
- Dairy
- Yoghurt
- Cheese
- Sour cream
- Buttermilk
- Kefir
- Drinks
- Cider
- Wine
- Beer
- Water kefir
- Kombucha

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 mins):
- starting materials for each of the four different fermented things
- preparing the fermented things before they go into their fermentation vessels
- putting the fermented things inside their fermentation vessels
- fermented things fermenting
- one gallon of four different fermented things with appropriate labels

Oct 27, 2020 04:22:23

Would Miso or natto qualify? Or Korean doenjang? Or tempeh? a ginger bug for making fermented drinks? Or only the specific ones listed?

Oct 28, 2020 20:55:18

The list is of "possible examples" so you can do anything you want as long as it fits into one of those categories. Eg dairy, drink, etc

Nov 12, 2020 04:09:51

one gallon of four different fermented things with appropriate labels

Am I correct that this means the four different items together total one gallon? For example, one quart each. Not one gallon of each item. (She asks hopefully, 'cuz a gallon of sourdough starter is an awful lot of starter!)

NEXT DAY EDIT: okay, now seeing where it reads

At least one gallon per type of fermented food

Got it! (But think I'll skip the sourdough starter, lol for this, at least).

Jul 04, 2021 08:45:17

I wonder if the "1 gallon" requirement is a stumbling block for others here. It's just the two of us on our little 1/4-acre suburban homestead, so when we make sauerkraut, we make maybe 3 jars of 1 pint each at a time, but we'd need 8 of those to get just 1/4th of this BB. One BB for 4 gallons of food seems like a lot. And as pointed out above, it's a little unclear how this applies to sourdough. A "gallon" of bread/pizza dough from a pint of starter? I want to earn this badge... I'm just not sure how to get the volume needed, and I'm questioning why volume is important when you're trying to demonstrate a skill.

Jul 05, 2021 12:53:27

The Sand level badges are easier while these Straw level ones are intended to be a bit more significant. You don't have to make the gallon in one shot.

As for sourdough, it's a tricky one. The starter is the "ferment" part so you'd have to show how you enabled a gallon of starter to grow over the course of many baking events.

Oct 18, 2021 14:58:42

Hello,
While I understand that to qualify it must be 1 gallon for each category, I'm not certain whether the gallon can comprise different batches of different things. For the fruit ferment, would I be able to do up to a gallon of say ketchup and apples or would I be restricted to multiple batches of the same recipe?
Thanks

Oct 18, 2021 18:26:00

I'm not positive but I think it means for you to do a gallon of a particular fruit. So you could do a gallon of ketchup in 4 identical batches, or a gallon made up of four different types of ketchup as long as they had the same fruit in them.

Oct 18, 2021 23:52:16

Mike Haasl wrote:I'm not positive but I think it means for you to do a gallon of a particular fruit. So you could do a gallon of ketchup in 4 identical batches, or a gallon made up of four different types of ketchup as long as they had the same fruit in them.

Okay, thank you. I'll have to hold off on planning the fruit one I think then. That's far too much ketchup for a family of 3 or to share with those in my network that would be interested, and the apple glut has now passed.
Thanks

Oct 19, 2021 07:15:08

Apples, pickles and ketchup are just possible examples. Anything that's a "fruit" would count for that category...

Oct 19, 2021 12:45:53

Mike Haasl wrote:Apples, pickles and ketchup are just possible examples. Anything that's a "fruit" would count for that category...

Thank you for the clarification. Figuring out what I would make in large quantities or use so frequently to require regular batches in the fruit category will definitely be my challenge to ponder!

gir bot · Oct 20, 2021 19:29:46

I think I finally have all the requirements for this BB! It took awhile because I only made small batches of apple cider vinegar. But at last, I have a gallon's worth.

Fermented thing #1 - fruit: apples, raisins, and cranberries.
Recipe - https://homesteadingfamily.com/easy-homemade-fermented-cranberry-sauce-recipe/

Left to right: ingredients, chopping ingredients, mixing them in their jar, fermenting, in labeled gallon jar

Fermented thing #2 - vegetable: kimchi
Recipe - https://www.5acresandadream.com/2018/11/experimenting-with-daikons.html

Left to right: ingredients, chopping ingredients, putting them in their jar, fermenting, in labeled gallon jar

Fermented thing #3 - Drinks: naturally fermented elderberry wine
Recipe - https://www.5acresandadream.com/2021/05/naturally-fermented-elderberry-wine.html

Lots of steps for this. Left to right: ingredients, preparing the elderberries, mixing the elderberries and sugar in a gallon jar

Left to right: fermenting, bottling after the 2nd ferment, five 750 ml bottles = 1 gallon. I used tags to label the bottles.

Fermented thing #4 - apple cider vinegar
Recipe - https://fermentools.com/diy-fermented-apple-cider-vinegar/

1st batch - Left to right: Ingredients and preparation, going into the first half-gallon jar, fermenting

Left to right: More batches. These are a little further along, good ferment going, all batches strained and contained in labeled gallon jar

gir bot · Nov 09, 2021 10:22:28

RTFM! I've made too many mistakes where I haven't read the instructions three times and fully complied. I fermented four different things but didn't make any vinegar - a requirement. So here are my original four + vinegar.

I saw and was inspired by Leigh Tate's BB - thank you Leigh!

1) Sauerkraut - Apple and ginger with red and green cabbage

- Vegetable (minimum of 1 required)
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi

Left to right: Assembled Ingredients - I didn't use the mustard seeds. Chopped ingredients with red cabbage. Bashing.
Chopped ingredients with green cabbage. More bashing. Finished labeled jars, approximately 1.25 US Gallons

I used a recipe in "Eat Right" by Nick Bernard. I chopped up the ingredients and added a couple of tablespoons of salt before bashing with kraut masher. I then filled five quart jars and topped up with a weak brine solution. This brew was very active. Even though I burped twice a day, one lid bowed. The result was amazing and the best kraut I've ever made.

2) Cranberry chutney: apples, raisins, and cranberries

- Fruit (minimum of 1 required)
- Apples
- Pickles
- Ketchup

Left to right: Assembled ingredients, chopping, mixing, in eight 600ml labeled jars totalling 1.27 US gallons

Recipe - https://homesteadingfamily.com/easy-homemade-fermented-cranberry-sauce-recipe/

3) Apple Cider Vinegar

- Vinegar (do exactly 1)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Wine vinegar

Left to right: Assembled ingredients. Apples for blending. Ready for first ferment.
Strained two weeks later. Bottled for second ferment. Approximately 1.25 US Gallons (Half gallon milk bottles)

I used a recipe in "Eat Right" by Nick Bernard. 6 apples, 300g raw honey.

4) Blueberry Kvass

Left to right: Blueberries. Into jars. Mashing.
Honey. Bottled and labeled. Eight 16oz jars - 1 US Gallon

I followed the method on Edible Acres

5) Ginger and fennel pickled beetroot

Left to right: Beetroots. Chopping ginger. Chopped beetroot.
Ingredients ready for mixing. Filling 2 litre kraut pot. Pot full.
20% whey solution. 2l + two quart jars = 1.03 US Gallons. Other ingredients.

I used a recipe in "Eat Right" by Nick Bernard. Beetroot, ginger and fennel to taste. Two tablespoons of salt. 20% whey to water.

Jan 22, 2022 23:16:21

So working up to this one. 1st gal was 4 consecutive quart batches of apple cranberry relish. Reused same jar so last batch with fresh cranberries fermenting culture has apples dialed in. 3rd batch forgot to put in cranberries & nuts is fruit leather "lace". Second batch dried as slices. 1st batch fruit leather"chips".
2nd gal is yogurt I have 2 mesophilic cultures villi & filmyolk they ferment at room temperature. I make 1 qt batches on different days each week to try and keep them from cross-contamination.

Jan 23, 2022 08:05:00

Hi Aurora, for these bigger BBs, it's much easier on the certifiers if you just do one complete post when you're all done. Thanks for doing PEP!

Jul 19, 2022 17:19:19

Aurora House wrote:So working up to this one. 1st gal was 4 consecutive quart batches of apple cranberry relish. Reused same jar so last batch with fresh cranberries fermenting culture has apples dialed in. 3rd batch forgot to put in cranberries & nuts is fruit leather "lace". Second batch dried as slices. 1st batch fruit leather"chips".
2nd gal is yogurt I have 2 mesophilic cultures villi & filmyolk they ferment at room temperature. I make 1 qt batches on different days each week to try and keep them from cross-contamination.

3rd fermentation sourdough
Each picture is labeled with how much starter till I reach a gallon. 17 1/2c is more than a gallon.
4th ginger carrots https://permies.com/wiki/105851/pep-food-prep-preservation/Pickle-vinegar-brine-PEP-BB

Sep 05, 2022 20:28:35

Please note that ALL food prep BBs strictly prohibit plastic, teflon or aluminum touching the food during the cooking or storage process.

This includes food that came in plastic containers from the store, ziplock bags, plastic cooking utensils like spoons, spatulas, teflon pans, etc.

The end goal is to move toward cooking from own-grown ingredients and similar sources and using PEP principles (for example sustainable and non-toxic materials) as much as possible.

Some BB submissions are being grandfathered in, but we are moving toward more strict enforcement of this policy.

Apr 09, 2023 18:37:40

PEP Food - Straw:4 fermented things, 1 gallon each

gir bot · Sep 23, 2024 15:03:15

I made 4 different ferments, one gallon each.
1. Crab Apple Cider Vinegar: In this recipe, halved crab apples and sugar and water mix to create a bubbly, tart and tangy supplement. It takes about 3 weeks for the first ferment. I usually make it in 5 gallon buckets. I made it in glass jar this time, and as I stirred it one day, it busted. Oh, I was so horrified to watch my ferment all slip away down the sides of the counter!! I transfered what I could into a crock. I'll never make it in jars again.
2. Sauerkraut: just shred cabbage and add salt. The juices from the cabbage are wet enough I didn't need water this time. Lovely garden fresh cabbage!
3. I pickled beets from mine and a friends' garden. I used salt and coriander and mustard and celery seed and water. One jar, I shredded to see if it makes a difference in taste.
4. I made ginger beer using a store bought starter culture and ginger and sugar. I fermented it a day, then put it in a second set of bottles to build up fizz.

Sep 24, 2024 12:58:39

Rebekah Harmon wrote:I made 4 different ferments, one gallon each.
1. Crab Apple Cider Vinegar: In this recipe, halved crab apples and sugar and water mix to create a bubbly, tart and tangy supplement. It takes about 3 weeks for the first ferment. I usually make it in 5 gallon buckets. I made it in glass jar this time, and as I stirred it one day, it busted. Oh, I was so horrified to watch my ferment all slip away down the sides of the counter!! I transfered what I could into a crock. I'll never make it in jars again.

Interesting, do you think there was something about the ACV process that made it crack? I see that you are still using jars for your other fermentations.

gir bot · Nov 30, 2024 20:14:25

Dave Burton wrote:
The minimum requirements for this BB are as follows:
- Ferment four different types of things - At least one gallon per type of fermented food - possible examples are listed for each type:
- Vegetable (minimum of 1 required)
- Sauerkraut
- Fruit (minimum of 1 required)
- Apples Spice
- Vinegar (do exactly 1)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Drinks
- Kombucha

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 mins):
- starting materials for each of the four different fermented things
- preparing the fermented things before they go into their fermentation vessels
- putting the fermented things inside their fermentation vessels
- fermented things fermenting
- one gallon of four different fermented things with appropriate labels

Sauerkraut recipe: https://homesteadandchill.com/super-simple-sauerkraut-recipe/
Apple Spice recipe: 6lbs apples, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup whey, 1 tbsp salt, orange zest, lemon zest, 2 cinnamon sticks, and apple cider.
Apple Cider Vinegar recipe: https://preserveandpickle.com/make-apple-cider-vinegar/
Kombucha recipe: https://www.everythingkombucha.com/post/how-to-make-the-best-black-tea-kombucha

gir bot · Dec 08, 2024 20:06:31

Dave Burton wrote:
The minimum requirements for this BB are as follows:
- Ferment four different types of things - At least one gallon per type of fermented food - possible examples are listed for each type:
- Vegetable (minimum of 1 required)
- Sauerkraut
- Fruit (minimum of 1 required)
- Apples Spice
- Vinegar (do exactly 1)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Drinks
- Kombucha

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 mins):
- starting materials for each of the four different fermented things
- preparing the fermented things before they go into their fermentation vessels
- putting the fermented things inside their fermentation vessels
- fermented things fermenting
- one gallon of four different fermented things with appropriate labels

Sauerkraut recipe: https://homesteadandchill.com/super-simple-sauerkraut-recipe/
Apple Spice recipe: 6lbs apples, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup whey, 1 tbsp salt, orange zest, lemon zest, 2 cinnamon sticks, and apple cider.
Apple Cider Vinegar recipe: https://preserveandpickle.com/make-apple-cider-vinegar/
Kombucha recipe: https://www.everythingkombucha.com/post/how-to-make-the-best-black-tea-kombucha

gir bot · Jun 13, 2025 11:31:09

The minimum requirements for this BB are as follows:
- Ferment four different types of things - At least one gallon per type of fermented food - possible examples are listed for each type:
- Vegetable (minimum of 1 required)
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Fruit (minimum of 1 required)
- Apples
- Pickles
- Ketchup
- Vinegar (do exactly 1)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Wine vinegar
- Drinks
- Cider
- Wine
- Beer
- Water kefir
- Kombucha

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 mins):
- starting materials for each of the four different fermented things
- preparing the fermented things before they go into their fermentation vessels
- putting the fermented things inside their fermentation vessels
- fermented things fermenting
- one gallon of four different fermented things with appropriate labels

I finally got this one done. I did a fruit (apples), a vegetable (nona rosa turnip), a drink (hard apple cider) and a vinegar (red wine vinegar).

gir bot · Nov 07, 2025 20:10:24

Ferment four different types of things - At least one gallon per type of fermented food
1. Vegetable (minimum of 1 required): Sauerkraut
2. Fruit (minimum of 1 required): Chutney
3. Vinegar (do exactly 1): Apple cider vinegar
4. Dairy: Yogurt

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide proof of the following as pictures or video (<2 mins):
- starting materials for each of the four different fermented things
- preparing the fermented things before they go into their fermentation vessels
- putting the fermented things inside their fermentation vessels
- fermented things fermenting
- one gallon of four different fermented things with appropriate labels

1. Vegetable: Sauerkraut
Ingredients: Green cabbage, Himalayan pink salt, filtered water
Result: 5 quarts of sauerkraut

2. Fruit: Chutney
Ingredients: Apple, pear, date, red onion, fermented cranberry sauce (cranberries, orange peel, cinnamon, whey), raisins, cinnamon, filtered water, whey
Result: 1 gallon of chutney

3. Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar
Ingredients: Apple, filtered water, a hint of apple cider vinegar
Result: 1 gallon of apple cider vinegar

4. Dairy: Yogurt
Ingredients: About 2 gallons of raw whole milk, a hint of Greek yogurt
Result: 2 batches of Greek yogurt a little over a gallon. First batch got dehydrated into yogurt cookies and second was kept as yogurt. All whey was turned into yummy berry whey soda. Sorry for the insane number of pictures for this one.

Batch 1

Batch 2

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