Fermented tomatoes

[DirtTherapy]

I've now seen two different YouTube videos on fermenting tomatoes. Both the guy Mark at Self Sufficient Me (Australia) ( and Mary's Nest
( videos.

Looks like they ferment them simply with pure salt, filtered water, and basil, possibly with added garlic.

Looks great but I'm wondering whether anyone here has done this and likes the taste?

Best,

Ann

[Rockoe10]

I have, and they are a hit with my kids!
I've only done it with cherry tomatoes, uncut and dropped right into a jar of salt brine for a week (3 days on TOP of my fridge, the 4 in the fridge).

They had a bubbly-nes to them. Like a carbonated drink. My girls really liked it, and thought they were fun as well as tasty

PS
I've been fermenting peppers every week, all this month, to make hot sauce. My coworkers love it

[ddsack]

I'm looking forward to trying this next year, my season is over now. I tried cherry tomatoes pickled with vinegar, and did not like them, only a strong vinegar taste was left. I hope this is as good as fermented pickles!

[wykvlvr]

I did the cherry and basil recipe you showed above... it was simple enough and was a way to use up some of those tomatoes I got from my micros but then after I set the jars up to ferment I forgot about them and they ended up spoiled...
IF you do them make sure the tomatoes are firm, remember when you set them aside in the dark to start fermenting and move to the fridge when the recipe says. AND yep put them on a plate or in a bowl as the liquid will overflow as the tomatoes start floating...
I really do want to try it again.

[Rockoe10]

I'll just add by saying, you don't want the tomatoes to float. Or anything you lacto ferment. That's how it spoils. I would still use a dish under the jar, but only for possible overflow from frothing and bubbles.

I've done apples in mason jars. They are still a perfect color with zero spoilage down in my basement. I did a zero refrigeration method, to see how it would work. It did, except I have a 'Nail Poilish' smell from the formation of ester ethyl acetate. Its not harmful, but tastes terrible. They are also several months old at this point. Our ancestors had a darn good method of preserving food.

[wykvlvr]

Thank you this was my first attempt so was not sure what I was looking at. I have ordered some weights for next year as I really want to get this method down and not just for tomatoes...

Thankfully my sourdough experiments have done much better. Shopping list for next paycheck starts with flour-unbleached, flour- bread, flour- rye.... and I am starting to play with feeding times, amounts, etc to get the tang I want in some things while keeping the mother starter true to its 150 year old history.

[DirtTherapy]

I did the cherry and basil recipe you showed above... it was simple enough and was a way to use up some of those tomatoes I got from my micros but then after I set the jars up to ferment I forgot about them and they ended up spoiled...
IF you do them make sure the tomatoes are firm, remember when you set them aside in the dark to start fermenting and move to the fridge when the recipe says. AND yep put them on a plate or in a bowl as the liquid will overflow as the tomatoes start floating...
I really do want to try it again.

Oh, that would be me if I don't set myself some reminders! Thankfully, I've gotten used to reminding myself to do things with my cell phone. Since I live in Florida and our house will remain about 76 degrees F, I may have to shorten the time outside the fridge. I do feel we wasted some cherry tomatoes last year and would love to save them up. We dried some, which honestly I have yet to use.

[DirtTherapy]

I'll just add by saying, you don't want the tomatoes to float. Or anything you lacto ferment. That's how it spoils. I would still use a dish under the jar, but only for possible overflow from frothing and bubbles.

I've done apples in mason jars. They are still a perfect color with zero spoilage down in my basement. I did a zero refrigeration method, to see how it would work. It did, except I have a 'Nail Poilish' smell from the formation of ester ethyl acetate. Its not harmful, but tastes terrible. They are also several months old at this point. Our ancestors had a darn good method of preserving food.

Did you use those special lids that allow the jar to release some gas, or just wing it? I was surprised to click on a link for some silicone "Masontops" lid things and they were rather pricy. Of course, I imagine there are knockoffs.

[Rockoe10]

[mention]DirtTherapy[/mention]
I suppose you can say i winged it , but I did have some plan.

So I do all my ferments in glass containers. That's important I feel, acid can have corrosive effects on metal and plastic.

I'll use mason jars and old pickle jars. I've even done it in an A1 sauce bottle! I wouldn't do that again, but it worked!

To keep the veggies below the brine, I use parts of the veggies to trap it all down. In other words, pack it tight. You most definitely can use weights, and I hope to receive some glass weights for Christmas. I get yelled at when I buy things, because its so hard to shop for gifts for people .

As for venting, I just leave the lid loose. That's all it takes honesty. Once I move it to the fridge, the fermentation slows down so much, that I'll tighten the lid and check it once a week until I feel its peeked.

That's about it really. I'm no pro at it, and it's such a basic thing that you can customize it as much as you want. As simple or complex as you desire.

PS
Oh, one more thing. I strongly recommend getting an electronic pH tester. That's The one thing i will insist you spend some money to have. Not that it has to be a top of the line brand, but make sure it works. You want to test that your ferment has a pH below 4.6. mine will always get well below that (~3.5) in a week. This is IMPORTANT. You don't wanna get sick.

[DirtTherapy]

Oh, one more thing. I strongly recommend getting an electronic pH tester. That's The one thing i will insist you spend some money to have. Not that it has to be a top of the line brand, but make sure it works. You want to test that your ferment has a pH below 4.6. mine will always get well below that (~3.5) in a week. This is IMPORTANT. You don't wanna get sick.

And that's a pH tester I can use for soil testing as well? I mean, at least soil dissolved in distilled water maybe?

[Rockoe10]

Hmmm. Not that you couldn't, but i wouldn't. I bought a food grade pH tester.

Its up to you whether you use your food tester in your soil "mud water". Though i have been tempted

[Whwoz]

Oh, one more thing. I strongly recommend getting an electronic pH tester. That's The one thing i will insist you spend some money to have. Not that it has to be a top of the line brand, but make sure it works. You want to test that your ferment has a pH below 4.6. mine will always get well below that (~3.5) in a week. This is IMPORTANT. You don't wanna get sick.

And that's a pH tester I can use for soil testing as well? I mean, at least soil dissolved in distilled water maybe?

Actually, looking at this from a microbiological perspective, I would not. The main bacterium of concern, and why you need to get the pH below 4.6 ASAP is the soil borne sporeformer, Clostridium botulinum. There would be no way to 100% guarantee that you have not contaminated your pH meter with spores of this microbe nor those of some of its close cousins which are still pretty nasty.

[worth1]

I ferment all the time and dont use a tester as my family has done for years.
The beauty of fermenting is you will know it is bad.
Now if you process it in hot water bath you kill the good bacteria and dont kill the bot spores.
That is when you get into trouble fermenting and it not being acidic enough.
But if it is a good ferment you will know.
The salt keeps it from spoiling and the bad stuff cant live in it till the good bacteria colonizes.
I have left habanero peppers on the counter in mason jars for untold months before I made hot sauce out of them.
The longer they stay the better they get.

[karstopography]

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Trying out a vacuum bag lacto-ferment for 370 grams of A’Grappoli D’Inverno and 350 grams of Creamsicle Grape.

3% sea salt by weight.

[Shule]

Never tried that. I have fermented a bunch of basil, though. It was decent, but I didn't have enough stuff I knew how to use it in.

[karstopography]

IMG_4385.jpeg

IMG_4386.jpeg

IMG_4387.jpeg

I decided the fermented cherry tomatoes were ready.

The red ones, A’Grappoli D’Inverno
have a whiff of a yeast producing ethanol fermentation in addition to the lacto-bacillus fermentation. They seem to be sparkling like champagne. The Creamsicle Grape are more sour with nothing yeasty going on.

I ate a couple of each and should that not kill me, I will make something with these. Maybe add some to a salsa. I’m going to see if my wife will try a couple and get her take. She’s a super taster and can detect most any toxin or noxious substance in food.

I like them both. She’s about to go out of town so I can feed on them while she’s gone unless she likes them then I’ll share.

She often hates funky/weird foods, though, such as Goat cheese (like eating dank, dirty, sweaty fur to her) or foie gras (instant spit out omg what the heck), mead (reminds her of vomit), lamb (tastes rotten) whitetail venison (rotten) etc.

[worth1]

My fermented tomatoes had a tingling sensation.
Really weird.