Re: Brine Curing, How does that work?

Damon 9/7/2012, 10:57 pm

Cool. Brine curing? How does that work?

Nonna.PapaVino 9/7/2012, 11:32 pm

Brine curing is adding a certain ratio of salt and water to vegetables, then letting them sit until the natural yeasts on them form lactic acid, which creates the sourness we like. Think sauerkraut, and the barrel-fermented pickles our fore-fathers/-mothers put up for winter meals. Here's a website with information on brine curing cucumbers. http://pickyourown.org/pickles_oldfashionedbarrel.htm (scroll down to the natural fermented dill pickle recipe)
You might also enjoy the Wild Fermentation site--it's the one I used to make a crock of sauerkraut this fall: http://www.wildfermentation.com/
Personally, I prefer not to hot water can my brine cured pickles, believing the compounds in naturally fermented vegetables aids digestion with healthy probiotics, like yogurt, etc. Does this help?

**camprn** 9/7/2012, 11:44 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qIwad8Labk&feature=g-all-u

Larry is not correct when he says lactose fermenting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactobacillus

Nonna.PapaVino 9/7/2012, 11:48 pm

Your source may have meant lactic acid, which occurs when in brine curing fermentation takes place.

**camprn** 9/7/2012, 11:51 pm

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Your source may have meant lactic acid, which occurs when in brine curing fermentation takes place.

I know it, LOL, it's a common misconception. A lot of folks what to know why there's no milk or whey in the solution...........

sometimes that cracks me up darn funny

landarch 9/9/2012, 1:11 am

at the restaurant Ted's Montana Grill they serve an appetizer called "half-sours"...a great tasting brined cucumber slices. It's difficult to find the real recipe. I think the cucumbers sit in a brine solution whith herbs and spices at room temperature for several days.

I actually tried some overnight in the fridge and they tasted pretty good.

Damon 9/13/2012, 7:57 am

Ah, thanks for putting this here. I was trying to find where I had asked about this topic. Cool!

The thing about brine curing is this is basically what I do to preserve bait fish for fishing later on. It's cool that a similar process can be done quickly with veggies.

Thanks, guys!

Nonna.PapaVino 9/13/2012, 8:39 pm

Which is also, through fermentation and time on the lees, that that wonderful buttery, viscous quality in a fine chardonnay makes its appearance. A credit to malo-lactic acids. Nonna, who has a third 1/2 gallon jar of brine cured cucumber pickles working on the counter.

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