Mold on a single floating chilli seed in lacto-fermentation. Is this a problem?
I made my first attempt at lacto-fermentation and decided to ferment some chillis. I used a 3% salt water solution and currently 8 days into my first fermentation. I have encountered an issue and wanted to verify whether I should be concerned or these can be disregarded. The fermentation generally seems to be going well. However, there are very small white patches on one or two chillis (almost unnoticeable). Also there are two very insignificant instances of mold: One, on a single chilli seed that is floating on the surface, and another on a very small piece of freezer bag that is left outside the brine that I used to keep everything from floating. Are any of these issues? The two mold instances are each maybe 2 millimeters in diameter and are limited to the areas that have been left outside the brine.
Thanks in advance.
Pictures about "Mold on a single floating chilli seed in lacto-fermentation. Is this a problem?"
Is mold normal when fermenting?
IS IT MOLD? The film present on the surface of vegetable ferments is often not mold but yeast, specifically kahm yeast. If the film is white and fairly flat, it is most likely yeast which is a common occurrence.Is white mold OK when fermenting?
Kahm yeast is a harmless surface yeast that grows on ferments that haven't reached a high enough acidity. It's usually white in color and is almost like a film on the surface. Kahm yeast isn't dangerous, but it can give your ferment an off flavor so you should remove it to make sure your ferment tastes its freshest.Does mold ruin a ferment?
The main difference is that yeast is a single-celled organism and mold is multi-cellular filaments. The yeasts found in ferments are not usually very harmful but can make a fermented food taste a little off. Mold ruins ferments, and must be thrown out.How can you tell if fermentation is moldy?
Mold can be round and fuzzy, blue, black or pink and can appear on the surface of your ferment. It can form when the ferment is exposed to air, if the salt ratio is wrong, if the vegetables and tools aren't clean, if you use chlorinated water, and other things.Identifying Yeast \u0026 Mold in Fermentation
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Skyler Ewing, Kelly L, Skyler Ewing, Nita