Short notes that sit beside the Harlan Ferments videos. What went into the jar, what changed, and what to try next time.
Browse the archive for older posts.
I sliced the apples and kept every piece under a light salt brine, with a splash of starter from a jar that was already going. Wild yeast and bacteria turn the sugars tangy. After several days the fruit is lightly fizzy, still apple, but sharper.
I packed a gallon jar with shredded cabbage and salt, then left it on the counter where I could hear it working. This note sits beside the video: what went into the jar, and what I would change.
A folded outer leaf kept the shreds under the brine. By the end of the week it smelled bright and sour, which is the whole goal.
A ginger bug is ginger, sugar, and water, fed until it turns fizzy. I keep a small jar going so a weekend soda can start with a spoonful of something already alive.
This month the bug went quiet when I missed two feedings. It woke back up the evening after I fed it again.
Kirby cucumbers, salt brine, garlic, and dill, left out only long enough to turn half-sour. They were still bright when I pulled them for the lunch in the video.
A full sour can wait. These were about the snap, and about not forgetting the jar for a week.
