Judy,

I have never gotten sick from my homemade sauerkraut. I did throw out one batch once that seemed wonky, but just like food in the refrigerator, I could tell it was bad because it smelled bad so I use that as a rule of thumb. As long as it smells all right I figure it is all right. Sandor Katz says to taste the kraut every couple of days (or even every day) and when it tastes right to you then to refrigerate it.

Jean

Jean, thank you for your response. Tasting it daily is one thing that confuses me because I have read that by opening it and getting some out incorporates oxygen into the sauerkraut and that is how bacteria (bad)/mold starts growing.

I've never had a problem checking daily. Maybe we just live in a germ phobic culture. I still go by the smell test. If it smells ok than it is ok but I'm no expert. Sandor Katz says that if mold forms on the top that's ok, just remove it, but I've never needed to.

Jean

Judy, thanks for the well wishes. The ankle is fine now, but I am very sore and achey all over today.
As long as your kraut is below the brine it is oxygen free. Tasting it is fine. A bad ferment is so very bad that you will know it immediately, as cotonpal said. I've read that people new to fermenting are sometimes worried about botulism; is that one of your concerns? Because botulism can't form its toxin in an acidic environment, which is what a ferment is. Botulism is a concern when canning, but not when fermenting.

ETA: Sandor Katz' "Wild Fermentation", as has already been mentioned, is a great resource for fermenters. He does a good job at laying one's fears to rest, and explaining the process.

No, not really anything in specific, such as botulism, just in general. I guess MAYBE more mold than anything. I have read where mold can be present, but you can't see it. They were saying mold is forming before the eye can see it.

I just want to do this right and not cause a sickness of any kind.

Judy, here is an interview with Sandor Katz. In it he states:


Read More at http://www.deliciousobsessions.com/...th-sandor-katz/ © Delicious Obsessions

I'm so excited! I tried my milk kefir in a blueberry smoothie and it is something I liked.

I only used 1/2 C milk kefir, 1 T blueberries and a few drops of liquid stevia. I would like more but I have read you need take milk kefir slow and build up. I drank 1/4 C yesterday and did fine.

Since I am experimenting, I put a vanilla bean (split open) in one of my jars of milk kefir. I used the vanilla kefir in my blueberry smoothie. The taste by itself wasn't bad much better with the blueberries and stevia.

Thank you!

More info about the safety of fermentation from Sandor Katz's book "The Art of Fermentation"

"Food preservation cannot be separated from food safety. For a preservation technique to be effective, it must preserve food reliably and safely. Indeed, acidification by fermentation is also a brilliant strategy for food safety. Rapid proliferation of acidifying bacteria make it difficult, perhaps impossible, for pathogenic organisms to establish themselves, even if they are present. In addition to lactic and acetic acids, the acidifying bacteria produce other "inhibitory substances' including hydrogen peroxide, bacteriocins and other antibacterial compounds.

Given recent large disease outbreaks traced to bacterial contamination of raw vegetables (typically fecal runoff of factory farms), it might be fair to say that fermented foods are safer than raw foods. In ferment, even in the case of contamination of the raw ingredients, the contaminating bacteria would have to struggle for survival in the presence of a stable community of acidifying bacteria specially adapted to the specific rich nutritive environment, and secreting acids and other protective compounds" (pg 19).

Jean

I really appreciate you taking the time to find and post this information. Thank you!

The above information does make me feel better about experimenting with fermenting.

A new half hour interview about:

AUTISM - The FUNDAMENTAL Role of Gut Bacteria.

http://www.drperlmutter.com/autism-...e-gut-bacteria/

I have some kefir grains in my fridge that I ordered from Amazon. I used them to make kefir water. But, being unsure of the carb count, since you use brown sugar or other sweetner to feed them, I stoped making it. My question. Do you think I could use the same grains to make the milk kefir?

I am probably not the best person to answer because I am very new to kefir. What I have read is that milk and water kefir grains are two separate organisms and need different things to grow and/or ferment.

I only make milk kefir so I don't have any answers regarding a sweetener to feed the water kefir grains.

I can't find anything that states you can convert water kefir into milk kefir. I did a quick Google search and can't find anything. The only thing I could find is converting milk kefir grains into water kefir grains.

Hopefully someone will have the answers you are looking for.


Converting Milk Kefir Grains to Water Kefir Grains


There is a process by which active milk kefir grains can be transitioned from culturing milk to culturing sugar water, effectively turning them into water kefir grains. Keep in mind that once the grains have been converted, they cannot be changed back.

How to Convert Milk Kefir Grains:
1.Dissolve ¼ cup sugar in 1 quart of water. Add ⅛ teaspoon unrefined sea salt. If using white or refined sugar, optionally add ½ teaspoon molasses, as well.
2.Add active milk kefir grains to the sugar-water solution.
3.Ferment for 4-5 days at room temperature.
4.Separate the grains from the sugar water and add them to a fresh batch of sugar water. Ferment at room temperature for 12-24 hours less than the previous batch.
5.Repeat step 4, shortening the brew time by 12-24 hours each batch, until the culturing period is 48 hours or less.
6.At this point, the grains have been converted into water kefir grains. Continue culturing for 24-48 hours per batch.

Prozac in the Yogurt Aisle from NPR blog:

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...ia-chill-us-out