White things growing on my carrot ferment?
I'm a newcomer to the world of lacto-fermentation.
I've previously made my own sauerkraut with great success, and thought to dip into the unknown and try lacto-fermenting onions, carrots, and beans.
I did so by cleaning the jar with boiling water, wash the vegetables, adding water, salt, and some brine left over from the sauerkraut ferment.
It's has been 2 to 3 weeks when I check my carrot ferment today. There are quite some white growth on top. It has a faint alcohol-like smell. Does this mean it has gone off and unsafe to continue?
EDIT: Browsing the internet, seems to be either mould or yeast. I don't want to chance it so I am disposing it.
Best Answer
Throw it away and start again. How much of that liquid was bribe? Something went wrong. It looks like you added too much liquid. You only need enough to cover your vegetables. I would use 5% by weight of salt for this type of pickling. For example, if you use 100 pounds of carrots, then add 5 pounds of salt.
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Quick Answer about "White things growing on my carrot ferment?"
When fermenting vegetables, it is common to notice a white layer forming on top of the liquid after a few days. Often this white film is mistaken for mold, and the entire ferment is discarded. However, the white film is usually a type of yeast known as kahm yeast.Is KAHM yeast safe to eat?
Kahm yeast is actually safe to eat as long as there are no molds present and the ferment tests at a pH of 4 or lower. Kahm yeast however can cause a disagreeable flavor or aroma. If your ferment does not smell pleasing to you it will most likely not get eaten so disposing of it in the compost might be the best bet.How can you tell if fermented carrots have gone bad?
Slimy, discolored vegetables. While bright color changes frequently occur during fermentation, very brown or slimy vegetables are a sign of spoilage.What is the white stuff on my fermented carrots?
The white milky substance that commonly appears on the surface of fermented vegetables is kahm yeast. It's a type of wild yeast and it's not harmful. It's not very attractive and it can cause a bad odor if left alone. If you see this appear, skim the kahm yeast off the surface.What is the white stuff on the bottom of my fermented pickles?
A cloudy appearance or a white sediment may indicate the use of table salt rather than canning or pickling salt. Yeast develops and settles to the bottom of the jar. It may be a normal reaction during fermentation caused by bacteria. If the pickles are soft, they are spoiled from the yeast fermentation.Fermentation Pro Tips. Clarity, Effervescence, Yeast and Mold
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Answer 2
If it was me I would start over. When in doubt throw it out. For vegetables, I weigh the vegetables, do my math percentage for the salt then weigh the salt and put in the jar first with a bit of filtered water. Then, I add the veg, then fill it up with the filtered water. This way I know that my salt is 100% correct. I used to do it by tablespoon and quart. I decided that if I didn't use all the water, then I also wasn't actually using the right amount of salt. that is why I switched to adding that salt in the jar first with a bit of water. I do two percent on my sauerkraut and Three percent on my vegetables. I do not make a brine for sauerkraut, I let it make the brine. I always know my salt is right based on the weight. If you don't have one get you a kitchen scale that you can tare and weigh your vegetables and your salt. Do some reading and research decide on your salt percentages.
Answer 3
tdewtx's comment "when in doubt throw it out" is a good rule of thumb. If you're not sure, it's always better to start over.
Most likely explanation
But...there's a good chance that this is a harmless yeast colony. It's hard to tell from the small pictures, but this kind of thing is extremely common in fermentation and is referred to as "kahm."
You can read a description here. Sandor Katz, a lacto-fermentation guru, has a great 2-ish minute explainer (with a minor promotional comment at the end). And there are lots of "delightful" kahm pictures here.
Why this is likely
There are two reasons to think this is just kahm.
- In my experience, carrots are more likely to develop kahm than most other ferments. I assume this is due to their high sugar content.
- You mentioned a faint alcohol smell. Often when people say this, they mean beer or wine, i.e., yeast.
What to do next time
To address this if it happens in the future, never let a ferment run 2-3 weeks before checking it. Especially for the first couple of weeks, I check every day or two. That way I can scrape off anything unpleasant before it becomes widespread.
When kahm is widespread, I throw out the ferment—not for safety reasons, but because it tends to impart a yeasty flavor to the vegetables. But when there's just a little at a time, as long as it's not actually in contact with the submerged vegetables, and if I'm confident it's yeast, I scrape it off and continue.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Anthony, Sarah Chai, Anthony, Alexey Chudin