New to the fermentation

[Ferm_Umami]

Hey everyone,

I have just starting to get into fermentation, I am a culinary student at The Culinary Institute of America. I really got interested in fermentation when I was living in Japan and with so many different ways to ferment and preserve food I figured this would be a great way to reduce food waste. So my first attempt at fermenting was making kimchi I let it stay in a cool dark place for 4-5 days before refrigerating. In the first few days, I tasted the cabbage and it had a slightly sour flavor with a bit of heat and brine after the 4th day the flavor became really sour and spices began to become too spicy. After some research, I realized that it stayed out for too long it is still good but not for eating as a side dish I will be using it for stews. Some next projects I will attempt are Japanese pickles and plum wine. I want to explore fermentation with beverages as well. Does anyone have a website that they recommend for their fermentation needs?

[Christopher Weeks]

Welcome to Wild Fermentation.

Feel free to post questions in the other boards now.

Just as a quick response: I ferment my kimchi for several weeks at room temp before I start eating it and sometimes up to six months. It's good in the first few days, but not what I'd call a fermented food -- more like a spicy slaw with potential. :-)