Some of my fermentation fervor originates with a doomsday prep impulse. I want to have good food when zombies make grocery shopping inconvenient.
4 days later
2 days later
8 days, strained
Scrap Vinegar
I read about scrap vinegar some weeks ago and decided to give it a try. Vinegar is such an essential ingredient, useful for cleaning too! The idea that I can make it myself is really appealing. It’ll be a lifesaver someday when zombies make trips to the grocery store inconvenient.
For mine I collected apple/pear cores and overripe peaches/strawberries in a bag in the freezer until I had a pound or so. I’ll stir it every day as part of my morning routine and swirl it around when I think of it.
Results: Meh. The brew never seemed to take off. It smelled about the same for several weeks, with no smell of vinegar emerging. Eventually it got moldy on top so I threw it out. I’ll probably try again sometime, but I’ll see about inoculating it with a vinegar scobe if that’s a thing.
Cured Eggs
Continuing my egg obsession, my pickle buddy Danny has been raving about cured egg yolk. He grated it into pasta and salad and described it as a rich, deep flavor.
I used brown sugar on a whim and skipped putting it in a blender. Also I broke the yolk when separating it. Looks like it worked out just fine in spite of my ham handedness.
Mix 1 part salt, one part sugar
Bury an egg yolk in it
Cover and put it in the fridge for a week.
I haven’t tasted it yet but just as a thing it’s quite beautiful.
Results: Interesting! So strange to see an egg transform into something like a medium hard cheese. I found the flavor to be pleasant and mild. I added it to pasta and salad and it was yummy but not game changing for me. My tastes tend toward the bold end of the spectrum, so maybe it’s just too subtle to register.
Cold Brew
Cold brew tastes better, has more caffeine, takes less time, and uses less energy. A nexus of goodness! It is literally the easiest thing to DIY.
Grind coffee
Put it in a jar
Fill jar with water
Wait 2 days
Strain with french press
It’ll keep in a glass jar in the fridge for a week. It’s stronger than brewed coffee so we use about 2/3 cold brew to 1/3 water or ice. Usually I heat up a mug full in the microwave.
I read about scrap vinegar some weeks ago and decided to give it a try. Vinegar is such an essential ingredient, useful for cleaning too! The idea that I can make it myself is really appealing. It’ll be a lifesaver someday when zombies make trips to the grocery store inconvenient.
