Fermentation And Pickling Practice Exam

Question 1 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical quick pickle (refrigerator pickle)?

Best material for most ferments; non-reactive. Months in fridge for vegetable ferments. Vinegar, salt, sugar, spices; refrigerate; ready in 24 hours. Increases moisture and flavor in lean meat.

Question 2 Fermentation And Pickling

Who popularized wild fermentation?

Italian aged grape must vinegar; can age decades. Made from fruit, wine, or cider by allowing acetobacter to grow. South African dried, cured beef. Sandor Katz with "Wild Fermentation" and "The Art of Fermentation."

Question 3 Fermentation And Pickling

What is dry-cured meat?

Salted and dried over time (prosciutto, jamón, salami). Fresh has no aging; aged develops flavor over weeks to years. Months to years. Taste regularly and refrigerate when you like the flavor.

Question 4 Fermentation And Pickling

What is gravlax?

Dry uses salt only; wet uses salt water. Folded leaf weighing down the ferment, traditional and edible. Bread leavened by wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Salt and sugar cured salmon, often with dill.

Question 5 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical miso fermentation time?

Mild vinegar made from fermented rice; common in Asia. 1 cup salt per gallon water (6% by weight, varies). Months to years. Sample regularly to know when done.

Question 6 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the white film on ferments?

Dry uses salt only; wet uses salt water. Kahm yeast; harmless but a sign of off-flavors. Each batch produces a new SCOBY layer; thin out periodically. Converts starches to fermentable sugars in sake, miso, soy sauce.

Question 7 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the rule "no iodized salt"?

Older rule; modern view says iodized salt is fine in small percentages. Korean fermented vegetables, often napa cabbage with gochugaru. L. bulgaricus + S. thermophilus are traditional; many strains add flavor or probiotic value. Provides food for the SCOBY; sweet → tart.

Question 8 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical salt percentage for vegetable ferments?

Napa cabbage kimchi, the most familiar type. If it looks, smells, and tastes good, it's safe. 2-3% by weight. Fermented soybean paste using koji.

Question 9 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical serving of fermented foods?

A jar of SCOBYs in starter liquid; backup cultures. Most commercial dills are vinegar-pickled; true fermented are rare and tangier. 2-3 servings per day to influence the microbiome. Months in fridge for vegetable ferments.

Question 10 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of salt in fermentation?

Inhibits unwanted microbes while allowing LAB to thrive. Adding known microbes for consistency (yogurt, sourdough, tempeh). Helps with explosive carbonation; spurts otherwise. Acid corrodes metal; avoid aluminum and reactive metals.

Question 11 Fermentation And Pickling

What is drying as preservation?

Removes water needed for microbial growth. Vinegar, salt, sugar, spices; refrigerate; ready in 24 hours. Provides food for the SCOBY; sweet → tart. Adding known microbes for consistency (yogurt, sourdough, tempeh).

Question 12 Fermentation And Pickling

What is miso?

Combines drying with antimicrobial compounds. Many ferments are intensely flavored; use sparingly. Fermented soybean paste using koji. Ales use top-fermenting yeast at warmer temps; lagers bottom-ferment at cool temps.

Question 13 Fermentation And Pickling

What is dry salting?

Kahm yeast; harmless but a sign of off-flavors. Salting vegetables directly until they release liquid (sauerkraut). 1 cup salt per gallon water (6% by weight, varies). 1-4 weeks at room temperature.

Question 14 Fermentation And Pickling

What is sourdough?

Bread leavened by wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Releasing pressure from sealed jars to prevent explosion. Pepper mash with salt → ferment → blend → strain (or not). Salting vegetables directly until they release liquid (sauerkraut).

Question 15 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the fermentation time for kimchi?

Pepper mash with salt → ferment → blend → strain (or not). 1-5 days at room temp; then refrigerate to slow. Open crocks need weights; airlock crocks are sealed. Dry uses salt only; wet uses salt water.

Question 16 Fermentation And Pickling

What is fish sauce?

Made from a packet of freeze-dried culture each time. Conversion of alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar making). Typically below 4.6, often 3.5-4.0. Fermented fish with salt; key in Southeast Asian cuisines.

Question 17 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of glass jars?

Fresh has no aging; aged develops flavor over weeks to years. Fermented and air-dried sausage. Chinese fermented broad bean and chili paste. Best material for most ferments; non-reactive.

Question 18 Fermentation And Pickling

What is "the Stanford study"?

Working with microbes, transforming food, deepening flavor, connecting to tradition. Found a high-fermented-food diet increased microbiome diversity and reduced inflammation. British vinegar from fermented barley. Adding previous brine accelerates fermentation.

Question 19 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the difference between fermentation crocks?

Fermented has probiotics; quick lacks live cultures. Keeps vegetables under brine; air exposure invites mold. Heat in vinegar, jar, water bath. Open crocks need weights; airlock crocks are sealed.

Question 20 Fermentation And Pickling

What is fermented hot sauce process?

Keeps vegetables under brine. A brand name for granular calcium chloride. Typically below 4.6, often 3.5-4.0. Pepper mash with salt → ferment → blend → strain (or not).

Question 21 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the difference between jerky and biltong?

Preserving with salt and often nitrites/nitrates. Notes track recipes, conditions, and results. Biltong uses vinegar marinade and air drying; jerky usually heat-dried. Made from a packet of freeze-dried culture each time.

Question 22 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of an airlock for hot sauce?

Mix thoroughly to ensure even fermentation. 2-3% by weight of meat for safety and flavor. Typically below 4.6, often 3.5-4.0. Helps with explosive carbonation; spurts otherwise.

Question 23 Fermentation And Pickling

What is jerky?

A salt-water solution for fermenting or pickling. A culture that can be perpetually re-cultured from previous batches. Marinated and dried meat; often North American style. Cellulose film containing acetic acid bacteria.

Question 24 Fermentation And Pickling

What is wild vinegar?

Made from fruit, wine, or cider by allowing acetobacter to grow. Time is the active ingredient; rushing causes problems. Keeps vegetables under brine; air exposure invites mold. Add depth, umami, complexity.

Question 25 Fermentation And Pickling

What is reusing SCOBY?

Cooler = slower, milder; warmer = faster, more complex. Napa cabbage kimchi, the most familiar type. Heat-sealing food in jars for shelf-stable preservation. Each batch produces a new SCOBY layer; thin out periodically.

Question 26 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical vinegar production time?

Daily during active fermentation for sealed jars. 2-12 weeks depending on conditions. If it looks, smells, and tastes good, it's safe. A device allowing CO₂ to escape without letting air in.

Question 27 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of aged kimchi (mukeun-ji)?

Sandor Katz with "Wild Fermentation" and "The Art of Fermentation." Pickled is one form of preservation; others include canning, freezing, drying. Cooked dishes use over-fermented kimchi for depth. Daily during active fermentation for sealed jars.

Question 28 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the difference between dry brine and wet brine?

1-5 days at room temp; then refrigerate to slow. Initially expressing brine from cabbage; squeeze hard. Dry uses salt only; wet uses salt water. Fermented fish with salt; key in Southeast Asian cuisines.

Question 29 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of fiber + fermented foods?

Cooler = slower, milder; warmer = faster, more complex. Chinese fermented broad bean and chili paste. Together support a healthy microbiome. A symbiotic colony of yeasts and bacteria forming gelatinous clusters.

Question 30 Fermentation And Pickling

What is fish ferment / fish pickle?

Korean chili pepper flakes. Spanish aged wine vinegar. Various traditions of salt-cured or fermented fish. SCOBYs, sourdough, kefir grains are shared by community.

Question 31 Fermentation And Pickling

What is "Prague powder"?

Cubed radish kimchi. Aspergillus oryzae mold used in Japanese fermentation. Pink salt with sodium nitrite for short cures. Together support a healthy microbiome.

Question 32 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical fermentation temperature?

Ancient Roman fish sauce; similar process. Garlic, ginger, scallion, fish sauce, salted shrimp, gochugaru. Taste regularly and refrigerate when you like the flavor. 60-75°F (15-24°C); cooler is slower but cleaner.

Question 33 Fermentation And Pickling

What is "alum"?

Ancient Roman fish sauce; similar process. Vinegar, salt, sugar, spices; refrigerate; ready in 24 hours. Traditional crispness aid for pickles; less recommended now. 14-60 days for beef.

Question 34 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the mother of vinegar?

Cellulose film containing acetic acid bacteria. Japanese fermented soybeans with Bacillus subtilis; sticky and pungent. Sweetened fruit vinegar used in drinks and cocktails. Releasing pressure from sealed jars to prevent explosion.

Question 35 Fermentation And Pickling

What is canning?

2-3 servings per day to influence the microbiome. Boosts umami in many dishes without "fishy" taste. Heat-sealing food in jars for shelf-stable preservation. Cubed radish kimchi.

Question 36 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of weight/submerging?

Salted, fermented black soybeans used in cooking. Slows fermentation dramatically once desired flavor is reached. A symbiotic colony of yeasts and bacteria forming gelatinous clusters. Keeps vegetables under brine; air exposure invites mold.

Question 37 Fermentation And Pickling

What is acetic acid fermentation?

Conversion of alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar making). For high-acid foods (jams, pickles). Marinated and dried meat; often North American style. 1-2 weeks primary; conditioning can take weeks more.

Question 38 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical hot sauce fermentation time?

Discard if fuzzy mold appears, especially black or pink. Dry uses salt only; wet uses salt water. Filipino fermented seafood paste. 1-4 weeks at room temperature.

Question 39 Fermentation And Pickling

What is shoyu/soy sauce?

Japanese rice wine via koji-driven fermentation. Acid corrodes metal; avoid aluminum and reactive metals. Fermented soybeans and wheat using koji and salt brine. Beer fermented with wild yeasts and bacteria.

Question 40 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of unpasteurized vinegar?

Open crocks need weights; airlock crocks are sealed. Retains live cultures; less common commercially. Diversity supports immunity, digestion, mood. Clean equipment but no need to sterilize; LAB outcompete contaminants.

Question 41 Fermentation And Pickling

What is direct-set yogurt?

Made from a packet of freeze-dried culture each time. Typically below 4.6, often 3.5-4.0. Mix thoroughly to ensure even fermentation. Reduce fermentation time and check more frequently.

Question 42 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical beer fermentation time?

1-2 weeks primary; conditioning can take weeks more. Includes sodium nitrate for long cures (months to years). 1-3 days at warm temperature, then weeks of drying. A culture that can be perpetually re-cultured from previous batches.

Question 43 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the role of pressing?

Initially expressing brine from cabbage; squeeze hard. Heat in vinegar, jar, water bath. If it looks, smells, and tastes good, it's safe. Working with microbes, transforming food, deepening flavor, connecting to tradition.

Question 44 Fermentation And Pickling

What is mold on ferments?

Anaerobic bacterium producing deadly neurotoxin; lacto-ferments are safe due to acidity. Together support a healthy microbiome. Discard if fuzzy mold appears, especially black or pink. Reduce fermentation time and check more frequently.

Question 45 Fermentation And Pickling

What is a fermentation lid?

Heat in vinegar, jar, water bath. Fermentation uses microbes to acidify; quick pickling uses vinegar directly. An airlock lid for mason jars. Bacteria acidify milk; molds and bacteria develop flavors during aging.

Question 46 Fermentation And Pickling

What is rennet?

A culture that can be perpetually re-cultured from previous batches. An enzyme coagulating milk for cheese. Keeps vegetables under brine; air exposure invites mold. Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.

Question 47 Fermentation And Pickling

What is bloomy rind?

White mold (Penicillium camemberti) coating soft cheeses. Typically below 4.6, often 3.5-4.0. A symbiotic colony of yeasts and bacteria forming gelatinous clusters. Japanese rice wine via koji-driven fermentation.

Question 48 Fermentation And Pickling

Why is low pH safe?

Inhibits pathogens like botulism and most spoilage organisms. 6-24 months. Drops pH for safety and develops flavor. Garlic, ginger, scallion, fish sauce, salted shrimp, gochugaru.

Question 49 Fermentation And Pickling

What is malt vinegar?

L. bulgaricus + S. thermophilus are traditional; many strains add flavor or probiotic value. 2-3 servings per day to influence the microbiome. British vinegar from fermented barley. Aspergillus oryzae mold used in Japanese fermentation.

Question 50 Fermentation And Pickling

What is the typical dry-aging time?

Salting vegetables directly until they release liquid (sauerkraut). 14-60 days for beef. Yeast converts wort sugars to alcohol and CO₂. Cellulose film containing acetic acid bacteria.