The Fermentation Podcast » Podcast Feed pjbates3@gmail.com

Today I have on the show an interesting girl named Tara Whitsitt, whose mission it is to teach people across the country about fermentation and how she does that is she travels in a bus she’s called Fermentation on Wheels.
She has a mobile fermentation lab that drives across the country and gives workshops on how to ferment, make wine, sauerkraut, pickles and any other number of tasty treats that she comes across. She also hosts a culture swap and truly spreads the culture as she travels and meets people from place to place.
She recently had a great article in the New York Times about her calling her The Johnny Appleseed of Pickling.
I enjoyed hearing the highway “on the road” type of feel that was recorded in her background noise and hope you enjoy our conversation.
TOPICS INCLUDED IN TODAY’S FERMENTATION PODCAST:

Tara explains what the Fermentation on Wheels project is about and what she’s trying to accomplish with it
She talks about how she’s been traveling since 2013 and the many places her fermentation bus has visited and where she’s taught workshops at
How communities of people are similar to the communities on the microscale of bacteria and microorganisms that we work with in fermentation and our cultures
She goes into the challenges of traveling on the road with different ferments and how some don’t like the agitation like vinegary kombucha and others like wines and water kefir seem to enjoy it
After her recent publicity being in the New York Times and being called “The Johnny Appleseed of Pickling” she talks about some of the notoriety has been very positive and helpful in her goals and gives her a credibility that makes it much easier to find places to host her
Along with the notoriety comes more work which can be a balancing act with life
Tara talks about how she has such a passion and desire to learn and how it drives her to keep reaching out to people
She goes back in time to 2011 when she first got into fermenting and what some of her first ferments were that she made being sauerkraut and pickles
One of things she tells people is that with fermentation, one of the main things is that you just keep trying and keep experimenting with the raw ingredients that you love
She goes into what her workshops are like and how she makes a community out of the event and ties each workshop to the last and the next workshop and people get to taste the previous batches and make new batches for the upcoming community
Tara talks about the makings of how the Fermentation on Wheels bus came to be and how and opportunity presented itself for a change of life and how a couple travelers inspired her with their adventures in a converted bus
She talks about how a dream turned into reality and from then on created a mission and went school bus shopping which led her to a woman that was so interested in her dream she wanted to help get it off the ground
She goes over how residing in a bus over the long term, especially in colder climates requires modifications like a wood burner stove and some other interesting projects relating to fermentation like her 3-tier fermentation station
Another one of Tara’s fermentations early on was wine making and she goes into that with types of wine she’s made from fruit, the type of yeast she likes the best, and also some on different types of cyser she enjoys making which is an apple honey wine
Not only does she ferment but she visits farmers on the road where she can ferment a variety of different organic produce to make tasty ferments
From a picture of blueberries on her website, she describes a beer that she made into a blueberry mint lemon balm ale
Having a kegerator on the bus and making beer and wine proves to be nice barter items that she can trade for things on her travels
Since she’s travels all over while fermenting, she talks about how temperature can be a challenge while fermenting and how the bus[...]

I have today on the line Karen Ross, who is the creator of The Probiotic Jar, to talk about health in general and the process of anaerobic fermentation using an air-lock instead of the old-school mason jar method that I’ve been using.
I mention at the beginning of the show how there are things that circulate in the fermentation community about different methods of how to ferment pickles and other things and I think they all have their place.
On a scale of good, better, and best (with best being much farther down the scale than the other two), after using The Probiotic Jar, I think this method is just about the best you can get. If you’re like Karen, who I consider to be in the arena of a fermentation purist when it comes to the quality of a ferment and excluding oxygen and mold, and if you might be hypersensitive, then anaerobic fermentation using an airlock is by far the method you should be looking into.
The offerings out there are starting to be many whether that ends up being a ceramic crock with a water moat like from Mark Campbell Ceramics, the Kraut Source that’s stainless steel, or like we’ll be going over today, The Probiotic Jar, which is glass and also has a very handy glass bowl perfectly fitted to weigh down your ferment and have the ability to skim off oxidized brine as well as a guaranteed smooth hole in the top of the lid to make sure no oxygen gets in.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy today’s conversation and make sure to join the conversation below!
TOPICS INCLUDED IN TODAY’S FERMENTATION PODCAST:

A bit from me on the different fermentation jars and crocks and the power of anaerobic fermentation
Karen tells her story how she got into fermentation, coming across Sally Fallon Morrell’s book Nourishing Traditions, and how she couldn’t eat ferments created the general aerobic way that was taught due to her body not being able to process ferments because of the byproducts and chemicals that were created, so she looked for better fermentation vessels
How Karen met Lisa Herndon of Lisa’s Counter Culture and how they were looking for a better way to ferment which led them to the idea of a fermentation vessel that didn’t leak oxygen
Why they decided to use the Fido jar style jars over mason jars to create the system for anaerobic fermentation
The big considerations when creating The Probiotic Jar, the availability worldwide, and how far they’re reaching people now
Karen gives her thoughts on the difference between fermenting using other methods like the mason jar method vs an anaerobic fermentation of an air lock
Her health crisis ten years ago of living in a house filled with mold and the challenge of regaining her health
Karen’s theory (which I feel is correct and right along the lines of permaculture thinking of natural systems in composting) is that lactic acid bacteria clean up mold and if you give them a perfect environment, free of oxygen, they will multiply, dominate their environment, and clean it up, giving you the highest quality ferment possible
Three ways that spoilage is either reduced or cleaned up in a ferment – reduce or eliminate oxygen, lower the pH, or add large amounts of salt versus what you can do in The Probiotic Jar
Some great conversation on the compounds that mold forms and how it’s not just the mold spores and filaments that are bad for you, it’s the compounds that mold creates and how lactic acid bacteria and clean those up and deactivate them
A question on whether or not to add starters like whey to a ferment that’s just starting out and how you don’t need it in The Probiotic Jar
The strains of bacteria naturally occurring on vegetables vs the cultures required to make dairy ferments and how the process is different
Explaining the process of back slopping and using a previous brine from a ferment to start a new one and the health benefits you might be missing from aging a fe[...]

Today on the show I welcome Lisa Herndon of Lisa’s Counter Culture. She loves fermented foods and her goal is to get people healthy using food as the main driver in her holistic approach to health and well being.
Her tagline on her website is “Whole Food, Add a Twist of Probiotics, Gluten Gone”. She would describe herself as belonging somewhere in the paleo / primal diet arena but really her focus is on whole, real foods that promote health while trying to limit health robbing foods and you can see that with her tenet being “be mindful and eat real food.”
She says she can go on for hours on fermentation recipes, ideas, and topics and she teaches workshops to get people started in the San Francisco Bay area. I received a copy of her book “Lisa’s Counter Culture, 2nd Edition” and it doesn’t disappoint with a wide variety of recipes and techniques. I would describe her fermentation philosophy is as clean as possible with her use of The Probiotic Jar and while I venture out of that philosophy quite regularly, we could all learn a thing or two from Lisa.
I hope you enjoy today’s episode. Happy fermenting!
TOPICS INCLUDED IN TODAY’S FERMENTATION PODCAST:

How long has Lisa been fermenting
Lisa’s food philosophy being paleo and real, whole foods and what she leaves out that doesn’t seem to work well with her body being alcohol, gluten, and soy
Fermenting grains like rice and legumes like lentils together into a batter to make an Indian fermented dosa which is a thin crepe-like pancake that you can then stuff other sides inside
Lisa’s preferred methods to ferment things being The Probiotic Jar and the reasoning behind her choice including some people not tolerating ferments without an anaerobic fermenter and also the taste difference
Her thoughts on the differences between anaerobic fermentation jars vs. ceramic crocks and mold
How long she keeps her ferments around after fermenting and how long do ferments last when properly stored
What one of Lisa’s fermentation workshops covers such as making fermented dosas, chutneys, among several other things like kombucha and kefir, and what she tells people fermenting for the first time
She talks about some of the stranger or less common ferments that she’s made such as brussel sprout kimchi, celery cucumber apple kombucha, or any other interesting flavor combinations she can come up with like using golden beets rather than red beets for a unique flavor
The size of her ferments varies according to how much she wants rather than other people’s methods like when Sandor Katz will make a 50 gallon barrel of pickled radish
We go through Lisa’s book “Lisa’s Counter Culture, 2nd Edition”
She talks about her favorite fermented beverages and how she doesn’t stick to one single beverage and rotates through them seasonally and also at the same time likes to use fermented brines like sauerkraut brine as a drink
Some nice uses for pickle juice or fermented brine like making salad dressing and even making pickle juice popsicles!
When freezing ferments, how you might lose about 10% of the probiotics
Fermenting things in the winter having its own challenges and some of the tips and tricks to overcome that such as heat mats like seedling mats or hot water bottles in a cooler
The easiness of making mesophilic yogurt which is a “cold” yogurt that you can make at room temperature rather than having to keep a sustained heat of 105 to 110 degrees
One ferment that is a daily part of her family’s diet is dairy kefir and a bit about using raw milk
Lisa says fermenting roots and tubers like potatoes & sweet potatoes reduces or eliminates acrylamide which is normally created when frying starches or heating them to high temperatures
She goes into the process of heating starches, cooling them, and either heating them again or eating them cold to form [...]

Today is all about you, yes you! It’s the listener feedback show with comments, questions, and just feedback from you, the audience on several different topics in fermentation.
I enjoy getting emails and comments from all of you and I always reply one by one, but since this is a community, it’s nice to spread the knowledge and get feedback and combine ideas between everyone. I think you’ll enjoy today’s show.
TOPICS INCLUDED IN TODAY’S FERMENTATION PODCAST:

An update on my sourdough starter that Jane Campbell sent me of Fermenters Kitchen
What do you do with ferments once you’ve made them and what are some creative ways to incorporate these into other foods?
The idea of dehydrating ferments as a way to rescue them from going mushy
Does cooking kill the probiotic content and life of the ferments that we make?
What does “culture starter” mean when found in recipes?
Someone using fermented chicken feed & making sourdough starter
Chlorine in city water vs well water and what to do to get chlorine out of your tap water
Ideas for using pickle salt
A very kind compliment on the podcast and my thoughts on podcasting in general
A question about accessing the recipes on this site and whether I’ll be taking them down in the future
A reminder from the podcast I did on fermented sodas about making up an actual post and how to on making ginger bug and making ginger ale
How long should I leave my onions fermenting on the counter before putting it in the refrigerator?
A technical question about downloading the show and subscribing
One listener’s new start to fermenting pickles in a ceramic crock
Another listener starting to ferment garlic in honey and also some interesting comments on bone broth, a question of whether you can be vegan and have bone broth, and some history on Lewis & Clark and what that has to do with bone broth

RECIPES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S SHOW:

Fermented Pumpkin Butter Recipe – OhLardy
Fermented Dill Pickle Salt Recipe

LINKS FOR TODAY’S SHOW:

Subscribe to Email (to get updates on blogs & new shows)
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Stitcher Radio (Android, iPhone, etc.)
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow our boards on Pinterest
Jane Campbell’s Fermenters Kitchen FB Group
Video: Bone Broth and Health: A Look at the Science — Kaayla Daniel Ph.D., CCN

I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s show so be sure to comment below or if you have an idea for the show, email me at paul at fermentationpodcast.com or just click on the Contact button on top of this page and fill out the form. I look forward to hearing from you!

Today I go over how to make a sourdough starter, sourdough bread, sourdough recipes, and general tips and tricks in helping you along in your sourdough adventure.
At the beginning of the year I talked about some resolutions I’d like to go through this year and one was to get more into making sourdough bread. Little would you realize how sourdough starter leads you to making all kinds of other wonderful recipes that you might not have suspected to begin with like sourdough pancakes, biscuits, dumplings, even sourdough donuts, and many of the other tasty things that I go over in today’s show.
I hope you enjoy this episode as I have in putting it together.
TOPICS INCLUDED IN TODAY’S FERMENTATION PODCAST:

What is sourdough and why is it called that?
What is the science behind how sourdough works and which microorganisms are involved?
What’s the difference between sourdough and a commercial yeast?
How to make a sourdough starter from wild yeast using 3 different techniques
How to make a sourdough starter from a starter you either bought or got from a friend that’s dehydrated
Ratios of using your sourdough starter in bread recipes
Instead of getting rid of your “throw away” starter that you end up with so often I go over sourdough recipes including:

Sourdough bread & rolls
Sourdough biscuits
Sourdough cornbread
Sourdough dumplings including a childhood memory of my grandma
Sourdough pretzels
Sourdough tortillas
Sourdough crackers


And some amazing dessert ideas to use your sourdough starter including:

Cake
Cinnamon rolls
Muffins
Pie crust
Sourdough donuts!


Other uses for your sourdough starter
Finally some tips and techniques to help you along with your sour dough starter

RECIPES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S SHOW:

Grandma’s Sourdough Biscuits – Food.com
Sourdough Pretzels from King Arthur Flour
Sourdough Pretzels by Alton Brown
Sourdough Pancakes – The Nourished Kitchen
Sourdough Tortillas – The Elliot Homestead
Sourdough Crackers – Ragamuffin Diaries
Sourdough Pie Crust – Cultures for Health
Sourdough Donuts – Chef In Disguise
Sourdough Donuts (Vegan Version) – Practical Stewardship

LINKS FOR TODAY’S SHOW:

Subscribe to Email (to get updates on blogs & new shows)
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Stitcher Radio (Android, iPhone, etc.)
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow our boards on Pinterest
Jane Campbell’s Fermenters Kitchen Website
Jane Campbell’s Fermenters Kitchen FB Page
The Kitchn – Making a Sourdough Starter from Wild Yeast
The Fresh Loaf – Making a Sourdough Starter Using Pineapple or Orange Juice
The Nourished Kitchen – How to Make a Sourdough Starter from an Established Culture

I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s show so be sure to comment below or if you have an idea for the show, email me at paul at fermentationpodcast.com or just click on the Contact button on top of this page and fill out the form. I look forward to hearing from you!

Welcome to the New Year and thanks so much for joining me back again at The Fermentation Podcast!
We’re back in action and I have a feeling that this is going to be an amazing year, especially in the fermentation realm with fermented foods and beverages climbing the list of top food trends that are predicted to be hot this year.
I think it just means that people are actively regaining their health and connecting with their cultures of the past to find the knowledge that’s there that can help them into a healthy future.
Anyways, I’m back on the air and here to go over some of the things I’d like to get into in 2015 including several areas of fermentation that I’ve only recently started talking about.
I wish all of you the best of health and a great New Year!
TOPICS INCLUDED IN TODAY’S FERMENTATION PODCAST:

Going over a bit of the end of 2014, my talk with Jane Campbell of Fermenters Kitchen and the starter that she sent me in the mail that I’m excited about! (hint: sourdough – well, maybe more than a hint)
My plan for the new year of several different areas of fermentation including:

Kimchi, miso, yogurt, beer, and mead


Building more of a garden that I can use in fermentation
Getting even more interesting people on the show to keep up with some good fermentation talks in several different areas including

Homebrew beer
Cheese making
Making kombucha and maybe talks from people who run kombucheries
Fermentation businesses


Trying out new methods of fermentation including a very kind gift at my doorstep from The Probiotic Jar
A list of top fermented beverages and fermented foods to get you healthy into the New Year
A good list of healthy habits that will make your New Year the best it can be to recharge your body and your mind

RECIPES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S SHOW:

Healing Ferments from The Fermentation Podcast’s Pinterest
Tempeh from The Fermentation Podcast’s Pinterest

LINKS FOR TODAY’S SHOW:

Subscribe to Email (to get updates on blogs & new shows)
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Stitcher Radio (Android, iPhone, etc.)
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow our boards on Pinterest
Jane Campbell’s Fermenters Kitchen Website
Jane Campbell’s Fermenters Kitchen FB Page
The Probiotic Jar
Lisa’s Counter Culture
The Movie (on Hulu): Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s show so be sure to comment below or if you have an idea for the show, email me at paul at fermentationpodcast.com or just click on the Contact button on top of this page and fill out the form. I look forward to hearing from you!