Amazing introduction to fermented pickling (video)

Wow - I covet her ferments. Thanks for posting that!

I thought somebody would like that!

That's great, thanks!
I love "some people pickle w/out salt, I call it composting"
lol

Cool!

"nothing lasts forever, that isn't full of a lot of crap." LOVE IT.

Excellent video, thanks for posting!

I revisited this video but one thing that caught my eye was a book she pulled that looked top notch. I found it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Easy-Tsukemono-Japanese-Pickling/dp/488996181X/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp

Excellent video--thanks for sharing!

Does anybody know where her shop is? I'm thinking California, but I'm not sure. . .

Cultured Pickle Shop - Berkeley, Ca http://www.culturedpickleshop.com/ I was wondering if there was one in NYC.

Thanks for that link - had to check it out. I am confused on one of her products and that is the broader definition of Kombucha which is traditionally and strictly a term for fermented tea.

http://www.culturedpickleshop.com/products.html

The problem I have in understanding is how fermented beet juice or any other juice with that respect is considered a Kombucha? From other sources I have been left with the impression that Kombucha can only be made with green or black teas.

Hi, She states a "twist on Kombucha. I'm a new to fermentation. I've started reading Sandor Katz's books and making Kimchi.... I'm hooked, luv it!

A continuation of this video I just found by accident.

Thanks for that. She really seems to have found her calling. I wish her all sorts of success. We need a place like hers in every city, so people can have good living food!

Genevieve Higgs,
Your post was moved to a new topic.

I just tried my first fermented pickle... Awesome!

Our 2 1/2 year old said the pickle was rotten. Ever the critic

Amedean Messan wrote:I revisited this video but one thing that caught my eye was a book she pulled that looked top notch. I found it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Easy-Tsukemono-Japanese-Pickling/dp/488996181X/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp

As the wife is Japanese and a long-time Macrobiotic practitioner, we have tsukemono every day. There are some of the longer fermented stuff like Takuan (pickled daikon) and Umeboshi, but there are also the the fresh pickles - 即席漬け- sokuseki zuke - literally 'impromptu pickles'. Copy and past the kanji characters and do an image search to get some visuals.

I call them 'quickles', which are typically made from cabbage, turnip, daikon, daikon leaves, mustard greens, etc. pressed with salt & maybe ginger, shiso, citrus zest, maybe nama shoyu... super quick easy, but only very lightly fermented.

How does she get the pickle super crunchy as is typical of tsukemono?

Nick Kitchener wrote:How does she get the pickle super crunchy as is typical of tsukemono?

If they are sokuseki zuke, they haven't fermented long enough to turn to mush... Starting with fresh crispy veggies (daikon is great, celery makes a nice crispy pickle)

We don't usually do cucumber pickles around here, wife doesn't like 'em.

For longer ferments, I've read adding a grape leaf to a jar of ferment will keep them crisper, but haven't tried it myself. Tannins.

yukkuri kame wrote:For longer ferments, I've read adding a grape leaf to a jar of ferment will keep them crisper, but haven't tried it myself. Tannins.

I heard this, too. Grape leaf or an oak leaf - both have tannins that are supposed to keep the pickles crisp.

I love this video. The pickle lady has a great sassy New York style about her. She clearly loves what she's doing and is knowledgeable about it.

Grape leaves are vegetables. Great to hear that it can add an element to fermentation. In my earlier experiments, I found that if I wanted to eat the grape leaves afterwards, they are better if sliced into say 1/4 inch pieces, or they get too fibrous. I'm sure most people don't eat them, but remember, we need to eat more veggies,and less of almost everything else. If you're already growing and therefore pruning grapes heavily, they are probably free abundant organic green leafies for you.
John S
PDX OR