{"id":32729,"date":"2013-03-18T00:09:10","date_gmt":"2013-03-18T07:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/?p=32729"},"modified":"2013-03-18T00:09:10","modified_gmt":"2013-03-18T07:09:10","slug":"cold-weather-cures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/32729","title":{"rendered":"Cold Weather Cures"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\tCalling all fans of fermented and cultured\u00a0food! I received an email recently from our 2009 Farmgirl of the Year, Carrie Williams, telling me that her first attempt to create Kombucha was a huge success. That got me to thinking …<\/p>\n

Do you savor sauerkraut<\/a>,<\/p>\n

crave kombucha<\/a>,<\/p>\n

yearn for yogurt<\/a>,<\/p>\n

hanker for\u00a0true sourdough bread<\/a>?<\/p>\n

If so, you’ve probably considered creating your own cultured cuisine.<\/p>\n

Maybe you’ve already given it a whirl.<\/p>\n

Whether you’ve just begun a foray into fermentation or are itching to try it, lingering March cold weather can prove challenging to the unseasoned culturist.<\/p>\n

\"gift_gab-krout1\"<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fermented foods thrive in warm temperatures. Warmth makes all of those good little yeasts and bacteria happy and helps them grow, creating the healthy and delicious effervescence that delights our digestive systems.<\/p>\n

Cold temps, however, keep cultures from “doing their thing.” When kept too cool, yogurt and kefir can end up thin and bitter. Kombucha can take an extra week to ferment or may fall flat. Veggies can end up moldy instead of flavorful and fermented.<\/p>\n

But don’t get discouraged\u2014March is a fine time to ferment; you just need to know how to work around winter’s lingering chill.<\/p>\n

Clever Ways to Keep Your Cultures Warm<\/strong><\/p>\n