Title: Fermentation And Pickling — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What is fermentation?
A: The metabolic process where microorganisms convert sugars into acids, gases, or alcohol.

Q: What are common ferment categories?
A: Vegetable (kimchi, sauerkraut), dairy (yogurt, cheese), grain (bread, beer), legume (miso, tempeh), drink (kombucha, kvass).

Q: What is the difference between fermentation and pickling?
A: Fermentation uses microbes to acidify; quick pickling uses vinegar directly.

Q: What is lacto-fermentation?
A: Fermentation by lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

Q: What is lactic acid bacteria?
A: Microbes that convert sugars to lactic acid (e.g., Lactobacillus).

Q: What is the pH of finished lacto-ferments?
A: Typically below 4.6, often 3.5-4.0.

Q: Why is low pH safe?
A: Inhibits pathogens like botulism and most spoilage organisms.

Q: What is the role of salt in fermentation?
A: Inhibits unwanted microbes while allowing LAB to thrive.

Q: What is the typical salt percentage for vegetable ferments?
A: 2-3% by weight.

Q: What is brine?
A: A salt-water solution for fermenting or pickling.

Q: What is dry salting?
A: Salting vegetables directly until they release liquid (sauerkraut).

Q: What is the wild fermentation?
A: Using microbes naturally present on food and in air.

Q: Who popularized wild fermentation?
A: Sandor Katz with "Wild Fermentation" and "The Art of Fermentation."

Q: What is the role of starter cultures?
A: Adding known microbes for consistency (yogurt, sourdough, tempeh).

Q: What is sauerkraut?
A: Fermented cabbage; classic European preparation.

Q: What is the simplest sauerkraut recipe?
A: Cabbage + 2-3% salt, packed tight until submerged in own brine.

Q: What is kimchi?
A: Korean fermented vegetables, often napa cabbage with gochugaru.

Q: What is gochugaru?
A: Korean chili pepper flakes.

Q: What is the typical kimchi seasonings?
A: Garlic, ginger, scallion, fish sauce, salted shrimp, gochugaru.

Q: What is baechu kimchi?
A: Napa cabbage kimchi, the most familiar type.

Q: What is kkakdugi?
A: Cubed radish kimchi.

Q: What is the fermentation time for kimchi?
A: 1-5 days at room temp; then refrigerate to slow.

Q: What is the texture goal for vegetable ferments?
A: Crunchy but tangy; loss of crunch indicates over-fermentation.

Q: What is the brine ratio for cucumber pickles?
A: Usually 2-3% by weight for fermented; varies for quick pickles.

Q: What is the difference between dill pickles and fermented?
A: Most commercial dills are vinegar-pickled; true fermented are rare and tangier.

Q: What is the white film on ferments?
A: Kahm yeast; harmless but a sign of off-flavors.

Q: What is mold on ferments?
A: Discard if fuzzy mold appears, especially black or pink.

Q: What is the role of weight/submerging?
A: Keeps vegetables under brine; air exposure invites mold.

Q: What is a fermentation weight?
A: Glass or ceramic weight pressing vegetables down.

Q: What is an airlock?
A: A device allowing CO₂ to escape without letting air in.

Q: What is the role of an airlock?
A: Reduces oxygen-related spoilage; not essential but helpful.

Q: What is the typical container?
A: Glass jars, ceramic crocks, food-grade plastic.

Q: What is the danger of reactive metals?
A: Acid corrodes metal; avoid aluminum and reactive metals.

Q: What is the typical fermentation temperature?
A: 60-75°F (15-24°C); cooler is slower but cleaner.

Q: What is the role of temperature on flavor?
A: Cooler = slower, milder; warmer = faster, more complex.

Q: What is yogurt?
A: Fermented milk by Lactobacillus and Streptococcus.

Q: What is the typical yogurt temperature?
A: 110°F (43°C) for 4-12 hours.

Q: What is Greek yogurt?
A: Strained yogurt with whey removed; thicker and higher protein.

Q: What is the difference between yogurt cultures?
A: L. bulgaricus + S. thermophilus are traditional; many strains add flavor or probiotic value.

Q: What is heirloom yogurt?
A: A culture that can be perpetually re-cultured from previous batches.

Q: What is direct-set yogurt?
A: Made from a packet of freeze-dried culture each time.

Q: What is kefir?
A: Fermented milk with kefir grains; tangier and effervescent.

Q: What are kefir grains?
A: A symbiotic colony of yeasts and bacteria forming gelatinous clusters.

Q: What is water kefir?
A: Fermented sugar-water using water kefir grains.

Q: What is kombucha?
A: Fermented sweet tea by a SCOBY.

Q: What is SCOBY?
A: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast.

Q: What is the typical kombucha fermentation time?
A: 7-14 days for primary fermentation.

Q: What is second fermentation (kombucha)?
A: Bottling with flavors for carbonation and flavor development.

Q: What is the typical alcohol in kombucha?
A: Usually 0.5-2% by volume.

Q: What is jun?
A: A green tea kombucha variant using honey.

Q: What is the role of sweet tea in kombucha?
A: Provides food for the SCOBY; sweet → tart.

Q: What is "vinegar mother"?
A: Acetic acid bacteria forming a film during vinegar making.

Q: What is acetic acid fermentation?
A: Conversion of alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar making).

Q: What is the difference between fermentation and oxidation?
A: Fermentation is anaerobic; acetic acid fermentation requires oxygen.

Q: What is wild vinegar?
A: Made from fruit, wine, or cider by allowing acetobacter to grow.

Q: What is the typical vinegar production time?
A: 2-12 weeks depending on conditions.

Q: What is shrub (drinking vinegar)?
A: Sweetened fruit vinegar used in drinks and cocktails.

Q: What is the role of fermentation in cheese?
A: Bacteria acidify milk; molds and bacteria develop flavors during aging.

Q: What is rennet?
A: An enzyme coagulating milk for cheese.

Q: What is the difference between fresh and aged cheese?
A: Fresh has no aging; aged develops flavor over weeks to years.

Q: What is bloomy rind?
A: White mold (Penicillium camemberti) coating soft cheeses.

Q: What is washed rind?
A: Cheeses washed in brine or alcohol; pungent flavor.

Q: What is blue cheese mold?
A: Penicillium roqueforti or glaucum; develops in cheese veins.

Q: What is sourdough?
A: Bread leavened by wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

Q: What is the role of fermentation in beer?
A: Yeast converts wort sugars to alcohol and CO₂.

Q: What is the typical beer fermentation time?
A: 1-2 weeks primary; conditioning can take weeks more.

Q: What is the difference between ale and lager?
A: Ales use top-fermenting yeast at warmer temps; lagers bottom-ferment at cool temps.

Q: What is wild ale (lambic style)?
A: Beer fermented with wild yeasts and bacteria.

Q: What is sake?
A: Japanese rice wine via koji-driven fermentation.

Q: What is koji?
A: Aspergillus oryzae mold used in Japanese fermentation.

Q: What is the role of koji?
A: Converts starches to fermentable sugars in sake, miso, soy sauce.

Q: What is miso?
A: Fermented soybean paste using koji.

Q: What is the typical miso fermentation time?
A: Months to years.

Q: What is shoyu/soy sauce?
A: Fermented soybeans and wheat using koji and salt brine.

Q: What is tempeh?
A: Fermented soybeans bound by Rhizopus mold into a firm cake.

Q: What is the typical tempeh incubation?
A: 24-48 hours at ~88°F (31°C).

Q: What is natto?
A: Japanese fermented soybeans with Bacillus subtilis; sticky and pungent.

Q: What is fish sauce?
A: Fermented fish with salt; key in Southeast Asian cuisines.

Q: What is the typical fish sauce production time?
A: 6-24 months.

Q: What is garum?
A: Ancient Roman fish sauce; similar process.

Q: What is bagoong?
A: Filipino fermented seafood paste.

Q: What is doenjang?
A: Korean fermented soybean paste.

Q: What is gochujang?
A: Korean fermented chili paste with rice and soybeans.

Q: What is doubanjiang?
A: Chinese fermented broad bean and chili paste.

Q: What is chinese fermented black beans?
A: Salted, fermented black soybeans used in cooking.

Q: What is fermented hot sauce?
A: Chilies fermented in salt brine before blending.

Q: What is the typical hot sauce fermentation time?
A: 1-4 weeks at room temperature.

Q: What is the role of an airlock for hot sauce?
A: Helps with explosive carbonation; spurts otherwise.

Q: What is brining?
A: Submerging food in salt water for preservation or flavor.

Q: What is the difference between dry brine and wet brine?
A: Dry uses salt only; wet uses salt water.

Q: What is the purpose of brining poultry?
A: Increases moisture and flavor in lean meat.

Q: What is the typical poultry brine ratio?
A: 1 cup salt per gallon water (6% by weight, varies).

Q: What is curing meat?
A: Preserving with salt and often nitrites/nitrates.

Q: What is dry-cured meat?
A: Salted and dried over time (prosciutto, jamón, salami).

Q: What is the role of salt percentage in curing?
A: 2-3% by weight of meat for safety and flavor.

Q: What is the role of nitrites in cured meat?
A: Prevents botulism and gives the pink color.

Q: What is "Prague powder"?
A: Pink salt with sodium nitrite for short cures.

Q: What is "Prague powder #2"?
A: Includes sodium nitrate for long cures (months to years).

Q: What is bresaola?
A: Italian air-dried beef.

Q: What is biltong?
A: South African dried, cured beef.

Q: What is jerky?
A: Marinated and dried meat; often North American style.

Q: What is the difference between jerky and biltong?
A: Biltong uses vinegar marinade and air drying; jerky usually heat-dried.

Q: What is salami?
A: Fermented and air-dried sausage.

Q: What is the typical salami fermentation?
A: 1-3 days at warm temperature, then weeks of drying.

Q: What is salt percentage for salami?
A: 2.5-3% of total meat weight.

Q: What is the role of fermentation in salami?
A: Drops pH for safety and develops flavor.

Q: What is the role of dry-aging beef?
A: Surface drying and enzymatic action concentrate flavor.

Q: What is the typical dry-aging time?
A: 14-60 days for beef.

Q: What is fish ferment / fish pickle?
A: Various traditions of salt-cured or fermented fish.

Q: What is gravlax?
A: Salt and sugar cured salmon, often with dill.

Q: What is the typical gravlax cure time?
A: 24-72 hours.

Q: What is sauerkraut texture as it ages?
A: Becomes softer over months; refrigerate to slow.

Q: What is the shelf life of refrigerated ferments?
A: Months in fridge for vegetable ferments.

Q: What is bubbling during fermentation?
A: CO₂ from active fermentation; sign of life.

Q: What is the role of burping?
A: Releasing pressure from sealed jars to prevent explosion.

Q: What is "burp" frequency?
A: Daily during active fermentation for sealed jars.

Q: What is the typical timeline for sauerkraut?
A: 1-4 weeks at room temperature.

Q: What is "ferment to taste"?
A: Taste regularly and refrigerate when you like the flavor.

Q: What is "transfer to fridge"?
A: Slows fermentation dramatically once desired flavor is reached.

Q: What is the difference between fermentation crocks?
A: Open crocks need weights; airlock crocks are sealed.

Q: What is Harsch crock?
A: A German water-sealed fermentation crock.

Q: What is a fermentation lid?
A: An airlock lid for mason jars.

Q: What is the role of glass weights?
A: Keeps vegetables under brine.

Q: What is the role of cabbage leaf cap?
A: Folded leaf weighing down the ferment, traditional and edible.

Q: What is the issue of softening?
A: Some ferments soften over time; calcium chloride can keep crunch.

Q: What is calcium chloride (Pickle Crisp)?
A: A firming agent for pickles.

Q: What is "Pickle Crisp"?
A: A brand name for granular calcium chloride.

Q: What is "alum"?
A: Traditional crispness aid for pickles; less recommended now.

Q: What is the role of grape leaves or tea?
A: Tannins help maintain crunch in cucumber pickles.

Q: What is the role of horseradish leaves?
A: Also adds tannins for crispness.

Q: What is the typical quick pickle (refrigerator pickle)?
A: Vinegar, salt, sugar, spices; refrigerate; ready in 24 hours.

Q: What is the difference between fermented and quick pickle nutrition?
A: Fermented has probiotics; quick lacks live cultures.

Q: What is the role of probiotics?
A: Live microbes that may benefit gut health.

Q: What is the difference between probiotic and prebiotic?
A: Probiotics are live microbes; prebiotics are fibers feeding them.

Q: What is fermented hot sauce process?
A: Pepper mash with salt → ferment → blend → strain (or not).

Q: What is the typical age of Tabasco?
A: 3 years in oak barrels.

Q: What is rice vinegar?
A: Mild vinegar made from fermented rice; common in Asia.

Q: What is balsamic vinegar?
A: Italian aged grape must vinegar; can age decades.

Q: What is sherry vinegar?
A: Spanish aged wine vinegar.

Q: What is malt vinegar?
A: British vinegar from fermented barley.

Q: What is apple cider vinegar?
A: Vinegar from fermented apple cider.

Q: What is the mother of vinegar?
A: Cellulose film containing acetic acid bacteria.

Q: What is the role of unpasteurized vinegar?
A: Retains live cultures; less common commercially.

Q: What is the role of beneficial bacteria in gut health?
A: Diversity supports immunity, digestion, mood.

Q: What is the gut-brain axis?
A: Communication between gut microbiome and brain.

Q: What is "fermented foods for health"?
A: A growing body of research on probiotic dietary benefits.

Q: What is "the Stanford study"?
A: Found a high-fermented-food diet increased microbiome diversity and reduced inflammation.

Q: What is the role of variety in fermented foods?
A: Different ferments host different microbe strains.

Q: What is the role of fiber + fermented foods?
A: Together support a healthy microbiome.

Q: What is the typical serving of fermented foods?
A: 2-3 servings per day to influence the microbiome.

Q: What is the food safety record of home fermentation?
A: Excellent; properly done has very few documented illnesses.

Q: What is the importance of cleanliness?
A: Clean equipment but no need to sterilize; LAB outcompete contaminants.

Q: What is the role of starter brine?
A: Adding previous brine accelerates fermentation.

Q: What is the role of fresh produce?
A: Local, in-season produce often yields best ferments.

Q: What is the role of organic produce?
A: Has more natural microbes; preferred by some.

Q: What is the role of unrefined salt?
A: Some prefer for trace minerals; iodized salt can inhibit some ferments.

Q: What is the rule "no iodized salt"?
A: Older rule; modern view says iodized salt is fine in small percentages.

Q: What is "the smell test"?
A: Sour and tangy is good; rotten or moldy is bad.

Q: What is "the taste test"?
A: Sample regularly to know when done.

Q: What is the trust-your-senses principle?
A: If it looks, smells, and tastes good, it's safe.

Q: What is the danger of botulism?
A: Anaerobic bacterium producing deadly neurotoxin; lacto-ferments are safe due to acidity.

Q: What is the role of acidity in safety?
A: pH below 4.6 prevents botulism growth.

Q: What is the difference between canning and fermenting?
A: Canning kills microbes; fermenting cultivates them.

Q: What is canning?
A: Heat-sealing food in jars for shelf-stable preservation.

Q: What is the boiling water bath canning?
A: For high-acid foods (jams, pickles).

Q: What is pressure canning?
A: Required for low-acid foods like meat and most vegetables.

Q: What is the typical pickle canning process?
A: Heat in vinegar, jar, water bath.

Q: What is the difference between pickled and preserved?
A: Pickled is one form of preservation; others include canning, freezing, drying.

Q: What is freezing as preservation?
A: Halts microbial activity; doesn't kill them.

Q: What is drying as preservation?
A: Removes water needed for microbial growth.

Q: What is smoking as preservation?
A: Combines drying with antimicrobial compounds.

Q: What is curing as preservation?
A: Salt + drying ± nitrites for long-term storage.

Q: What is the role of refrigeration in fermenting?
A: Slows or stops fermentation; preserves desired flavor.

Q: What is the temperature for cold storage?
A: 35-40°F (1-4°C) for refrigerated ferments.

Q: What is the typical kimchi shelf life refrigerated?
A: Months; can ferment slowly even when cold.

Q: What is the role of aged kimchi (mukeun-ji)?
A: Cooked dishes use over-fermented kimchi for depth.

Q: What is the role of fermented ingredients in cooking?
A: Add depth, umami, complexity.

Q: What is the role of fish sauce in cooking?
A: Boosts umami in many dishes without "fishy" taste.

Q: What is the rule of "small amounts go far"?
A: Many ferments are intensely flavored; use sparingly.

Q: What is the role of fermentation in food history?
A: Pre-refrigeration preservation; foundational to most cuisines.

Q: What is the cultural diversity of ferments?
A: Almost every culture has signature ferments.

Q: What is the spiritual aspect of fermentation?
A: Transformation of food; connection to invisible life forms.

Q: What is the role of patience in fermentation?
A: Time is the active ingredient; rushing causes problems.

Q: What is the role of starter sharing?
A: SCOBYs, sourdough, kefir grains are shared by community.

Q: What is the joy of fermentation?
A: Working with microbes, transforming food, deepening flavor, connecting to tradition.

Q: What is the typical kombucha SCOBY thickness?
A: 1/4 to 1 inch; thicker over time.

Q: What is SCOBY hotel?
A: A jar of SCOBYs in starter liquid; backup cultures.

Q: What is reusing SCOBY?
A: Each batch produces a new SCOBY layer; thin out periodically.

Q: What is the role of glass jars?
A: Best material for most ferments; non-reactive.

Q: What is the typical jar size?
A: Quart (1 L) jars for small batches; half-gallon and gallons for larger.

Q: What is the role of weights for fermentation jars?
A: Critical for keeping veggies submerged; many designs available.

Q: What is the role of pressing?
A: Initially expressing brine from cabbage; squeeze hard.

Q: What is the salt distribution?
A: Mix thoroughly to ensure even fermentation.

Q: What is the impact of climate on fermentation?
A: Warmer climates ferment faster; humidity affects sausage curing.

Q: What is the rule for hot weather?
A: Reduce fermentation time and check more frequently.

Q: What is the rule for cold weather?
A: Allow more time; ferment in warmer kitchen spots.

Q: What is the role of fermentation cabinets?
A: Temperature-controlled chambers for charcuterie or long ferments.

Q: What is the importance of records?
A: Notes track recipes, conditions, and results.

Q: What is the takeaway of fermentation?
A: A time-tested craft transforming simple ingredients with patience and microbes.

Q: What is "Noma fermentation lab"?
A: Renowned Copenhagen kitchen pioneering fermentation in fine dining.

Q: What is "the Noma guide to fermentation"?
A: A comprehensive modern book on culinary ferments.