February 06: Reflections on a Pickling Workshop

Hello All,

My sauerkraut is wonderful - it tastes great and is a beautiful pink color! It seems to be aging well - I actually like the flavor more now than about a week ago. The caraway seeds were a wonderful addition. Thanks Thea for such a great workshop! My favorite part was the hands-on opportunity to make our own kraut and then bring it home with us. I also loved all the tastings! It was wonderful to have it take place in the barn. The only thing I would change at all is that I am someone who tends to get cold very easily and I would have loved some way to warm up a bit during the workshop (I did warm up at lunch). Thanks Debra for the wonderful lunch at your home! I also loved all the creations (chai, cheese, etc.) made from Local Farm milk. Thanks as well for the contact list.

Hope to see you all at a future workshop!

Amy

I have been enjoying the kimchee I made at the workshop. While there, I glanced through Thea's "Wild Fermentation" book to find what more to add to the saurkraut to make it into kimchee. I then took my jar home and added some carrots, leeks, garlic, ginger and hot peppers (Thea also added some of her gingerale to my jar before I left the farm) . I mixed all this with what was in the jar, packed it all down again and took a gallon plastic zip lock bag partially filled with water and placed this in the jar, on top, to hold the veggies below the surface of the juice. I found that as the fermentation progressed into the second week, the smell of the garlic and leeks got pretty strong . (This too is true when I go to the jar in the fridge to take more from it.) The smell is not altogether unpleasant, but it is strong. The veggies are still crisp and the flavor is hot and spicey. This is definately saurkraut with an attitude and will likely put any faint-hearted relationship to the test. If you like garlic and don't mind it's strong smell, you might like to try this.

The workshop was inspiring and all of you new people were a delight to meet. I do hope that as you all progress down this new path of discovery, you will be generous and consider sharing some of your discoveries with the rest of us. I'll try and continue doing the same. Thanks again Thea and Debra. Blessings.
Ciao,
Dave Bean

I add my thanks to those of Dave. The sauerkraut is indeed a pungent addition to our menage. I added garlic, and more veggies to it. It is I guess close to kimshi, and certainly is a test of friendship!! Its looks so beautiful in its colored layers on the cool porch.
Thanks, Julia Scott

Was glad to see from Thea's recent note that we can add water to make the kraut less salty. The only real improvement from my end i think would be to arrive on time so not to miss half the workshop. I really valued the comraderie - especially since even though i've had experience
cooking with others, at the meditation center for example, i've seldom had the chance to work
with foods that are not so mainstream, and to be creative. Actually it used to be that one had
tons of freedom to do as one liked, which for me was often sea weed, for example, cooking at IMS but that has all changed in recent years. I like your approach very much.
cau,
Buzz