Fermented foods on the road

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Over the last few years I have been experimenting with fermented foods. I brew hard cider and mead, I make sauerkraut and kimchi, I have a natural captured yeast baking starter, recently I started a kambucha SCOBY.

Do any of you ferment foods on the road?

It seems to me that while boondocking for a 10-14 days you could do some quick simple ferments, sauerkraut, quick pickles, maybe even beer.

Any thoughts on fermenting while on the road?

 

[firebob]

From what i read a lot of it needs a somewhat stable temp. I love kambucha, but no for me to make it in my van and the stuff in the stores is to watered down.

 

[LeeRevell]

Mother Earth News online has a very good article on the difference between pickling and fermented, NOT the same thing. A certain type of pickle is made through fermentation, but anything pickled using vinegar is not fermented. It uses acid, with no live ingredient. Fermentation uses particular bacteria, making it a "live food".
Fermented foods are claimed to have many health benefits, which pickled foods don't have.
Just clearing up the terminology.

 

[towhee]

I am interested in experimenting. I do think that temperature stability will be key. Perhaps a cooler which is closed and opened to maintain around 65 degrees.

Experimentation and tolerance for loss will be key I think.

I make pickled cabbage as a staple when in stick house. I like it with tacos.

I also make a vinegar pickle with chopped carrots, radish and pepper. Bring a mixture of half vinegar and half water to a boil and pour it over the jar. This will keep a long time without refrigeration. It's also delicious on tacos, with beans, etc. it adds spicy heat and crunch and tartness which counters the bland salty beans well. It's a staple for me. I always have some on hand.

 

[towhee]

Perhaps some experimentation at RTR could be possible.

That's enough time. I start eating pickled cabbage as early as 4 days.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I make sauerkraut all the time the temperature does not seem to affect it. I start it in the bottom of a cupboard in a mason jar, start eating it after a few days, ideally after 6 weeks but if I run out I often start eating it right away, after 6 weeks I keep it in the fridge, using red cabbage is better for you then green. I no longer drink kambucha as I read some negative health benefits about this.

 

[LeeRevell]

When I first saw this subject I thought it might have some new road kill recipes.

Guy

That would be "Grilled Food".

 

[mudbunny]

That would be "Grilled Food".

It's a bumper crop.[SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND COLD SWEAT]

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

I am interested in experimenting. I do think that temperature stability will be key. Perhaps a cooler which is closed and opened to maintain around 65 degrees.

Experimentation and tolerance for loss will be key I think.

I make pickled cabbage as a staple when in stick house. I like it with tacos.

I also make a vinegar pickle with chopped carrots, radish and pepper. Bring a mixture of half vinegar and half water to a boil and pour it over the jar. This will keep a long time without refrigeration. It's also delicious on tacos, with beans, etc. it adds spicy heat and crunch and tartness which counters the bland salty beans well. It's a staple for me.  I always have some on hand.

I would think that planning on a 2 week stay one could fire off several ferments with the intention that they pretty much finish before moving. Sauerkraut,  kambucha, even hard cider or beer could be bottled for a secondary ferment in two weeks easily. I am bit afraid of transporting beer or kambucha in a second ferment bouncing down some BLM road. I think a rubbermade may need to be set aside just for this.

I sometimes make simple house cheese like mozzarella or paneer which could also be made simply enough.

Yogurt is one that I've always wanted to try but haven't gotten around to yet.

Sour dough starter is something that I am certainly planning to travel with. I can easily bake flat breads, pancakes, quick breads and corn bread. I use a steel shot glass full of denatured alcohol and a small steel jello mold from the 1960's. Flat breads I can do in my little cast iron skillet.

 

[joeyib]

i would love to know how this works! we currently make like 2 gallons of kambucha a week and have scobys overflowing everywhere. we have been trying to figure out how to continue our addiction while on the road but they are light and temp sensitive