A Patric

Lactic acid bacteria strains in wild-fermented pickles create an acidic environment fairly quickly so that Botulism, among other things, is not an issue. However, the set up that Chris mentioned doesn't vacuum anything, it simply allows the carbon dioxide created by the bacteria to exit via the air lock without building up pressure. Actually, the carbon dioxide first blankets the brine because CO2 is more dense than oxygen, and it then forces the oxygen up and eventually out through the air lock. Why is this preferable to simply putting a plate or other object on the veggies to hold them under the brine? Because oxygen access to brine often leads to yeast and mold formation on the surface which can impart off flavors and bitterness to brine. CO2 blanketing of the brine does not allow these organisms to grow. Of course, as you mentioned, using jars with tops closed tightly will work, but they do build up pressure, and depending upon the volume, strength of container and how active the fermentation is, that could lead to cracked or exploding containers unless the pressure is released from time to time. This can be done manually, as I mentioned in my previous post, but air locks are a simple, hands-off solution. The system that Chris purchased is such a beast. One can make similar fermentation set ups for less, however. It really isn't complicated at all: jar, lid for jar, smaller inverted lid in the jar to hold veggies under brine, air lock in the lid (w/ grommet). Alan

Cheaper and just as good: http://store.therawdiet.com/pisaandkimch.html I use it for sauerkraut and kimchi. The great thing is that you can buy giant jars of pickles for less than this and install an airlock and have to pay no shipping. Also, for some pickles there is no need for an airlock. Cucumber pickles do quite well in quart or 1/2 gallon jars as long as you don't fill them all the way the the rim, and you release just a little pressure every other day or so. Best, Alan

More importantly, tortillas without baking powder are just better. I really suggest to people to try figuring out how to make them well without the baking powder. Yes, it will take practice, but you will absolutely not be sorry. And yes, I am repeating myself, but if only one person here makes the transition, and experiences what an amazing thing the powder-free tortillas can be, then it was worth it. The Bayless recipe is really just spot on as long as one adjusts water volume to balance the gluten content of the AP flour. Now I´ll shut my yapper.

I like both corn tortillas and wheat flour tortillas, and have made both from scratch many times, even going so far as to nixtamalize the corn and grind it into masa myself, but growing up with Mexican relatives from northern Mexico and Texas led to many more wheat flour tortilla experiences. I've tried many of them, and the best I've had are home made using a recipe from Rick Bayless's Authentic Mexican. There are only four ingredients: AP Flour (I use King Arthur) Hot Water (I use a little more than the Bayless recipe calls for--1 full cup) Lard/Shortening Salt Here is the recipe online. They are the best tasting and best textured tortillas I've ever had, hands down. Using bacon fat in place of the standard lard pushes them right over the edge into sublime. On the other hand, my mom always made tortillas with baking powder, but I really feel that the texture suffers for it. If you the proportion of ingredients just right and use a high heat to cook them, they'll puff up naturally just like some unleavened Indian flat breads do. Man are they good! [Edited to add ingredient specifics and recipe.] Best,

Just a note for those following the Momofuku recipe (I just got the book and made a batch a week ago), Chang calls for fish sauce and light soy sauce. The selection of these two products is somewhat important: 1) Fish sauce that I've seen at major grocery stores often has preservatives in it aside from salt. This isn't good for naturally fermented pickles, kimchi included. Be sure to check the ingredients list. When in doubt, try an Asian market, which should have several Thai brands that have no preservatives: Squid, Tra Chang, Three Crabs, etc. 2) Light soy sauce. The term "light" means different things for different soy sauce traditions. Light soy sauce from the Chinese tradition is not the same as the light soy sauce from the Japanese tradition, which is what Chang is requesting (usukuchi). Look for the Kikkoman Usukuchi as it is readily available, and has no added preservatives. Many of the light Chinese soy sauces that I've seen do have preservatives, including the one in my pantry. Another reason to use the usukuchi is that it is saltier than most soy sauce, and with a lighter and sweeter soy taste, so it will impact the balance of flavor in the final product. If you are trying to recreate Chang's recipe exactly, then this will be important. Hope that helps. Best, Alan

Another thought is that if you know it starts to break down after a certain point, then simply don't push it quite that far. Stop just short and then let the mixture sit a bit, as the cocoa butter should continue to crystallize with time and things should firm up a little. I haven't tried this myself, so this isn't based upon experience, but just on my understanding of cocoa butter crystallization. Maybe worth a try.

Wow indeed.

I'm looking forward to hearing back from you. Your mother's process sounds similar to what I did to make Miso, only there was a mold-based inoculation/temperature regulation prior to the liquid/salt fermentation. Best, Alan

Sorry to hear that. Well, I don't know. That is a long time with no refrigeration or fermentation. If it were me, I would probably throw it away and start over. On the bright side, I'm sure that this will never happen to you again now that you know the culprit. Best of luck, Alan

Just an update: KOAmart.com said that they don't carry Meju in any form. That was my last try with an online store. Any other thoughts for where to find it in the US?

There should be plenty of bacteria on the vegetables, and lactic acid producing bacteria absolutely love cabbage, so they should be pretty vigorous pretty quickly. All of that being the case, I suspect that you might have used a chili paste or fish sauce with preservatives in addition to salt, or far too much salt. Preservatives would be my first guess. If you see any odd sounding chemical names in the ingredients list of your paste or sauce, then I think that would be the culprit. If you don't find any preservatives, then I am perplexed.

Hi all, I really like making fermented foods from scratch, and I've experimented with home-cultured and fermented shoyu and miso already. Now I'm really getting into Korean cuisine and I would like to take things further and make my own doenjang (dwenjang). I have found descriptions of the process and even a full recipe online. It seems that there are two main phases. A nice pictorial. The first is the cooking of the soybeans to make blocks (meju) and the aging/drying during which some fermentation takes place and the second phase is mixing the aged/dried meju blocks with liquid and sometimes spices and other flavorings to make the finished doenjang paste, which seems to experience a secondary fermentation. I am forbidden by my wife to hang smelly blocks of meju in my house in an attempt to mimick phase one, but I am free to make the finished paste from pre-aged Meju Blocks, and it is my understanding that this second part is often what is done in Korean households. Here is the problem: I can't find Meju. I have read that it comes in blocks usually, but sometimes in powder form. I can't find either in my local Korean market, and I haven't had any luck finding it online either, even at the large online Korean ingredients stores. I am hoping to find something in the US--perhaps Los Angeles or NYC. Can anyone help?

Slightly off the subject of brownies: I press unsweetened chocolate liquor as part of my business and I can assure you that most of the flavor is _not_ in the fatty mass--the cocoa butter-- but rather is in the cocoa powder*. I don't use solvent extraction either. I do agree that using chocolate--without the fat extracted--makes for a richer mouth feel in hot chocolate, but in my opinion, to get the really robust chocolate flavor, it is still a good idea to add some cocoa powder too. *Edited to clarify a bit.

Thanks. Also looks like Union Standard has some different types of used table-top/lab machines. I don't know the pricing though.

Kerry, Would you say that this is the best deal that you have seen, or have you found other options that are less expensive, or perhaps have more capacity for the same or similar price?

I have the french unit that goes on the front of the kitchen aid that I bought through Beryls and have been experimenting with it recently. ← Hi Kerry, Do you have a link to that Kitchen Aid attachment. I couldn't find it on the Beryls site. Thanks!

Whether it means to pull the rack all the way out or not, I don't think heat loss from the oven is a huge deal in this case since the stone is already preheated, and he says to turn the broiler on to cook the top of the pizza after it is back in the oven. This reminds me in a certain sense of the Heston Blumenthal method, which is to put the pizza--already topped though--on the bottom of a preheated pan--cast iron for example--and then to throw it directly under the broiler. It works well and the pizza is done within 2 minutes with a nice browned/crisp bottom and top, while still being soft inside. I agree that it would be worth trying.

Will do. Thank you to everyone. Best, Alan

Thank you. Any thing more detailed? That one is quite basic. I am hoping that somewhere a Scottish distiller has an interesting blog touching on some of these issues.

I would clarify that it would have to be, according to the FDA regulations: "Chewy, chocolatey candy." The ingredients of a Tootsie Roll are: sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, condensed milk, cocoa, whey, soy lecithin, orange extract, and artificial and condensed flavors. They contain no chocolate and certainly are not chocolate themselves. They are therefore "chocolatey" or "chocolate-flavored," but certainly not "chocolate."

Hello, Are there any good websites devoted to, or at least that contain very good sections on the science behind Scotch? I'm interested in everything: Barley composition Water types Malting Fermentation Distillation (pot stills especially) Ageing and the reaction of the spirit to the various types of casks Thanks for any help. Best, Alan

The foil is not a problem. Your chocolate is more likely to pick up a "plastic" aroma from the plastic wrap. Plastic bags can be even worse.

Success. I bought a new candy thermometer and it turns out that my other thermometer was quite a bit off. Using the new one, the results were perfect, and I can tell that I overcooked it before. I also used Greweling's recipe and added the chocolate after the fudge was off the heat. It worked perfectly and gave me a rich, fruity chocolate fudge flavor instead of the cooked one-note chocolate flavor that I got yesterday with Wybauw's recipe. I still need to work on the texture a bit as there are some larger crystals that are noticable, but the flavor is perfect. I think that I cooled the mixture too slowly and some of it crystallized on the top while the rest was cooling--it was in the Kitchen Aid bowl. I just need to try throwing it on a marble slab like Greweling calls for and follow the directions to the letter. Anyway, thanks for all of the help. Best, Alan

Great to hear!

Thanks for the advice. I don't know why Wybauw says "5 minutes." I looked at Grewelings book and he definitely says cool until the mixture hits 120 F and then agitate. That is certainly much clearer. I'm going to try the Greweling method, only without the fondant. On inspecting more closely, he says that the fondant helps to form small crystals more quickly, but isn't necessary. I'll simply put the chocolate on top of the cooling fudge mixture and let it melt in the mean time as he recommends. Then, it will get incorporated as I agitate later. This seems like just the thing to keep the chocolate from losing too many volatiles. One last question before I try this: Can I pour the hot fudge mixture into a Kitchen Aid bowl and then agitate it with the mixing paddle after it has cooled sufficiently, or is it really necessary to use a marble slab? Thanks again, Alan