Update: Letting go of strict temperature control for my ferments

I assumed fermentation needed a warm spot to go well. After my pickles sat in a cool basement, they were still good. Now I let my ferments sit anywhere in my house. My last kimchi was by a window and it had a nice taste. I even tried a quick ferment in a cooler room and it was fine. This has helped my fermentation feel less hard. The tiny things that do the fermenting seem okay with different temps.

3 comments

3 Comments

charlie9776d ago

Man, we really overthink this stuff sometimes. I had a jar of sauerkraut sitting in my cool basement for a month and it turned out fantastic. Now I'm just chucking my ferments on whatever shelf has space, window sill or not. Feels like we're trying to engineer a rocket ship when we're really just making tasty pickles.

oscarroberts9d ago

Cool update. Different temps can help different tiny bugs grow, so each batch tastes its own way. My last ferment near the heater had a weird good taste compared to the one on the counter.

the_claire9d ago

Temperature changes which tiny bugs grow, so it's not just about working. A cooler spot can make a crisper pickle than a warm one.