Wednesday 1 July 2015

A Fermentation Experiment

I receive daily emails from Fresh Bites Daily and today they had what looked like a quick and easy project...Fermented Orange and Onion (in a vinegar base). As I mentioned in my last post I am trying to do something 'new' each week and had all the ingredients on hand so gave it a try.


It is just a matter of peeling and seeding a couple of oranges


 ...and thinly slicing half a red onion...


...which was made easy by using the mandolin.


Then you just have to cover with white wine vinegar. Now the recipe said to boil a rock and use it to push down the ingredients which is what I usually do when making sauerkraut but I use a large cabbage leaf. I normally ferment my veggies in moccona jars and take the inner plastic lid of a larger lid and stick it inside the bottle which presses down on the cabbage leaf...if you get my drift. 


However, I am normally using salt and not vinegar so I wondered whether to use the plastic lid this time as I wasn't sure what the reaction would be to the vinegar. So in the end, I used a 1/4 orange to do the job.



 Now the bottle is sitting in the dark for a couple of weeks till it ferments. What do all you fermenting experts think? Will it be okay with the orange sitting on top of the ingredients or should I just boil a jolly rock and push the ingredients down with that? The vinegar isn't touching the plastic inner lid by the way. It does look pretty though doesn't it? ;-) So much for learning curves.


I can't leave you without a photo of one of the few flowers in the garden. A number of bromeliads are flowering at the moment and they are usually quite stunning and colourful. A little something to brighten up the winter garden.



12 comments:

  1. Oh wow must try this one for myself. One question what to serve it with?

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  2. Deb, the site I saw it on says it is nice with tuna salad, put on top of a green salad or mixed into potato salad and the vinegar can be used in sauces and dressings. It's a great website which I think you would like.

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  3. What an unusual flavor combination, I will be interested in how it tastes when done. I would think the quarter orange would be fine, I have used rocks and plates and cabbage leaves and jars of water so I am obviously not a rock snob!! :) It really is pretty as well, if it doesn't taste so good it could be decorative!! Don't you wonder how people dream up these odd combos? There are people in the world who are much more creative and adventurous than me!

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    Replies
    1. I am happy to use a rock, Kathy. I was just too lazy to go outside and find one and then boil it. Hopefully the experiment will turn out alright.

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  4. Food art but im sure it will be lovely. I've never heard of boiling a rock! Well i never...

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    1. You learn something new every day, Lynda. ;-)

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  5. Haven't done much fermentation. Stop in from down to earth....Coffee is on

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  6. Hi, I haven't done a great deal apart from sauerkraut, fermented vegetables and water kefir drinks. I would really like to do more though.

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  7. hmm, fermenting is something I would like to explore far more, I hear it is excellent for the gut. I may have to resurrect my milk keifer this arvo. I wonder if the children might like some juicy water keifer also.

    I look forward to hearing how this turns out chel.

    xx

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    1. One of the young girls who comes to our simple living meetings and who has five little ones gives her children kombucha to drink. I quite like the water kefir though.

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  8. It is very eye catching, and I bet it smelled pretty good too. Boiling a rock learn something new everyday, you work with what you have that is the way things used to be done, people survived. I made a concoction of honey & garlic, not a fermentation like yours. It helps with immunity as both have powerful properties each of which helps with immunity and health properties.

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  9. Yes Faith, building up our immunity is so important especially at the moment with the Corona virus around.

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