First, on August 24, is the Farm to Fermentation Festival, an annual event in Santa Rosa, California, 60 miles north of San Francisco. I believe it was at this festival a few years ago that Michael Pollan and Sandor Katz started talking about working together, which laid the groundwork for Pollan's book, "Cooked". Who knows what propitious meetings might occur this year?
I'd encourage SF Bay Area folks interested in pickles, cheese, or beer to come to this event. (Doesn't that cover just about everyone?) I can't wait for the "Cheese and Beverage Pairing" talk, myself. The whole event will be fun and educational. Here's the lineup of speakers. If you use the special discount code "pickle", you can save $5 off admission.
Next, on September 20, I will be speaking at the the Weston A. Price Foundation Massachusetts regional conference in Southbridge, 60 miles west of Boston. For anyone who has been to a WAPF conference, you know how awesome the conferences are. And for anyone who hasn't, you have something great to look forward to. And the food is the best conference food you will ever find.
Finally, on September 27 in Boston, I will be speaking at the Boston Fermentation Festival. Last year's Festival was a real coming-together of the Boston fermenting community, bringing in more than 1000 people over the course of the day. This year should be even more popular and awesome. Sandor Katz is headlining. I'm thrilled to be a part of it!
Please post in the comments section if you have any questions.
2 comments:
Hey, Alex, I have a question about making fermented cucumber pickles. I added whey as you suggested in your book (organic whole milk whey from yogurt) but it turned the brine cloudy. Should I just use it that way, though it looks awful, or is there some way to salvage it? I tried pouring the whey through cheesecloth, but it still made the brine cloudy. Maybe I should just start over with the brine?
Hi Heidi!
Yes, the whey will make the brine cloudy. If this bugs you, you might try pouring it through a coffee filter (unbleached!) or a clean dishtowel (also unbleached!).
Or you could make new brine, but then you'd lose many of the beneficial bacteria, and the pickles might not last as long.
Or you could learn to live with the cloudiness. I've seen cloudy pickle brine before--I don't think it's at all unheard of...
Hope this helps.
Most importantly, how are the pickles?
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