Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Edit History

Duvel

Duvel

5 hours ago, eugenep said:

I saw in this interview by Fox news years ago where they interviewed this small immigrant family business in San Franscisco. 

 

They asked this immigrant herbalist and demanded answers for why this chop shop was selling medicines with MSG like characteristics that were harmful to people. 

 

She answered that this was helpful to people and that humans can actually take a little bit of poison and be ok. 

 

I always thought about this weird statement but the FDA itself permits poison and all sorts of harmful substances in our air, water, meat and so on as long as they fall under a certain percentage. 

 

So poison is actually ok as long as the amount is minimal. 

 

I don't know the exact MINIMUM ratio of salt needed to block pathogenic bacteria during fermentation. Do you? (this would be helpful) 

 

 I tried to follow the famous Noma guide but the salt content is so crazy high in the book that there's no way the NOma restaurant is using it or else it would taste like sh-- 

 

I found this recipe for fermented hot sauce where you dice chilis and add salt. It was too high so I added like a teaspoon to the attached post and submerged under water. It's like I don't know if it's enough salt but I'm going to wait for the ferment and just use the taste and smell taste and follow the principle that a little poison is okay (even if the salt might not be high enough). 

 

I'm going to finish with lots of vinegar after the ferment so I think it will be ok. Does what I'm doing sound like a rational (maybe not the bestest) idea? I think it's the best given the above - i.e., that high salt ratios will make it taste like crap. small salt levels risk danger but a little poison is ok (and safe). 

WIN_20230611_20_15_49_Pro (2).jpg

 

TL;DR: 

 

You are venturing into fermentation. You are concerned about salt being "poisoneous" if used in excess amounts, so you use a little and justifiy this by citing some TV documentary you saw, probably unrelated to fermentation. You discard two recipe sources (NOMA's guide to fermentation, some recipe for making fermented hot sauce), because their salt content will produce an inedible result (even though you haven't tried it, and you have zero reference to any own sucessful fermentations).  Instead you are eyeballing it, and hope for the best. So, please go ahead and support Darwin's "survival of the fittest" (or smartest).

 

 

Duvel

Duvel

5 hours ago, eugenep said:

I saw in this interview by Fox news years ago where they interviewed this small immigrant family business in San Franscisco. 

 

They asked this immigrant herbalist and demanded answers for why this chop shop was selling medicines with MSG like characteristics that were harmful to people. 

 

She answered that this was helpful to people and that humans can actually take a little bit of poison and be ok. 

 

I always thought about this weird statement but the FDA itself permits poison and all sorts of harmful substances in our air, water, meat and so on as long as they fall under a certain percentage. 

 

So poison is actually ok as long as the amount is minimal. 

 

I don't know the exact MINIMUM ratio of salt needed to block pathogenic bacteria during fermentation. Do you? (this would be helpful) 

 

 I tried to follow the famous Noma guide but the salt content is so crazy high in the book that there's no way the NOma restaurant is using it or else it would taste like sh-- 

 

I found this recipe for fermented hot sauce where you dice chilis and add salt. It was too high so I added like a teaspoon to the attached post and submerged under water. It's like I don't know if it's enough salt but I'm going to wait for the ferment and just use the taste and smell taste and follow the principle that a little poison is okay (even if the salt might not be high enough). 

 

I'm going to finish with lots of vinegar after the ferment so I think it will be ok. Does what I'm doing sound like a rational (maybe not the bestest) idea? I think it's the best given the above - i.e., that high salt ratios will make it taste like crap. small salt levels risk danger but a little poison is ok (and safe). 

WIN_20230611_20_15_49_Pro (2).jpg

 

TL;DR: 

 

You are venturing into fermentation. You are concerned about salt being "poisoneous" if used in excess amounts, so you use a little and justifiy this by citing some TV documentary you saw, probably unrelated to fermentation. You discard two recipe sources (NOMA's guide to fermentation, some recipe for making fermented hot sauce", because their salt content will produce an inedible result (even though you haven't tried it, and you have zero reference to any own sucessful fermentations).  Instead you are eyeballing it, and hope for the best. So, please go ahead and support Darwin's "survival of the fittest" (or smartest).

×
×
  • Create New...