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Post by Noriko on Aug 18, 2008 16:34:38 GMT -5
So, since I figured it could be an interesting project, I bought some nuka bran from the Japanese market and a nice big tupperware to put it in, after I mix it up with salt, water etc. as dictated by the recipe. I was wondering, however, if anyone had ever made nuka bran pickles and if they have any tips for doing so. Signs indicate that I should keep it out on the counter, not the fridge, but I'm worried in the heat, it may lead to some problems. Any suggestions?
(As long as it is covered, I know it will at least be left alone by the pets. Mold on the other hand...)
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Post by solveig on Aug 18, 2008 18:58:37 GMT -5
Noble Cousin!
Greetings from Solveig! As it happens, I have a book on nuka bran pickles. It is an illustrated how-to guide. It's ISBN number is 9784883400638. Please remember that pickling is a food preservation technique which is traditionally practiced sans refrigeration. Your primary temperature concern can be answered by considering which months of the year during which the pickles in question were being made.
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Post by Noriko on Aug 18, 2008 19:20:58 GMT -5
Well, the internet during the summer, one should mix it at least 3 times a day. So that would be before I leave for work, when I return and before bed. (; If anything, the summer heat should set up the bran a bit quicker. Also, is a plastic container suitable? It's the only material that I have as a container with a lid.
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Post by Imagawa Tadamori on Aug 18, 2008 20:00:20 GMT -5
Norie-hime,
I use Rubbermaid plastic containers for making tsukemono all the time, and they work fine. I've found that the general rule with pickling tends to be A) keep the container out of direct sunlight, and B) keep it in a cool place.
Solveig-sensei,
Thank you for the book info!
- Imagawa
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Post by Noriko on Aug 18, 2008 21:18:35 GMT -5
Well, the only cool place I have is the fridge. I could try the trick I use to keep the rat cage cool and put a wet towel on the container. Yeeeeah, I probably picked the wrong time of the year to try this but I needed a little project. I'll poke around the place, see if I can find a cool spot.
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Post by Water_Tengu on Aug 18, 2008 23:21:19 GMT -5
what about a cupboard or closet of some kind. if you have a large closet you could have a small fan blowing on it to keep it cool.
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Post by Imagawa Tadamori on Aug 19, 2008 11:48:04 GMT -5
Well, the only cool place I have is the fridge. I could try the trick I use to keep the rat cage cool and put a wet towel on the container. Yeeeeah, I probably picked the wrong time of the year to try this but I needed a little project. I'll poke around the place, see if I can find a cool spot. Not the fridge. It's too cold. Stash it in a cupboard or something. I put mine on the corner of my work bench in the basement - it's cool but not cold, and it's out of the sunlight. And it is easily accessible for maintenance. Just remember - Japan has hot, humid summers (from what I've read on here) - so you're working in conditions similar to theirs. You'll be fine. - Imagawa
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Post by inume on Aug 19, 2008 14:17:19 GMT -5
If you live in a 2nd or higher floor apartment with no AC, the bathroom might be a good place too. Weird I know, but in apartments, that tends to be one of the coolest rooms.
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Post by Noriko on Aug 19, 2008 17:37:35 GMT -5
If you live in a 2nd or higher floor apartment with no AC, the bathroom might be a good place too. Weird I know, but in apartments, that tends to be one of the coolest rooms. Actually, at my place, the bathroom is the *warmest*. ;D This is most likely to the door being closed almost all the time to keep curious pets out of the wastebin. The rest of the place is relatively cool, since I'm in the shadow of another building for most of the day and keep the windows open. I found the spot on top of the fridge is a good spot, since it's out of the sun but still in sight. If something goes in a cabinet, I tend to forget it is there. Well, sometimes. Edit: Also, does one have to stir the mix with their hands or can you use a paddle? I've been using a paddle/spoon but I hear it is best to use your hands as to introduce the lactobaccili. Couldn't I just do this with a drop of sour yogurt?
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Post by Noriko on Aug 25, 2008 21:37:32 GMT -5
Nuka Nuka Update!
Well, it's been a week; one down, one to go until the bran is ready, according to most sources. The bran hasn't gone bad or molded so I must be doing something right. I've been turning it over with my hands, a paddle sometimes and if I'm feeling particularly lazy, I just shake the container it is in.
I also tried another pickle method to see what the results would be. I chopped up some daikon and threw it in an empty jar with a screwtop lid with rice vinegar, a bit of soy sauce and sugar and some regular white vinegar to top it off. The results so far have resulted in very close to the package daikon, though it's more acidy and astringent than the ones at a restaurant. I might need to add more sugar or soy sauce to balance the flavor out. The other half of the daikon is hanging from my kitchen window on a string to be dried out and then plopped in the nuka bran when done.
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Post by Noriko on Sept 15, 2008 19:14:25 GMT -5
Update:
And fail. I fished out my daikon pieces, rinsed them off and they had a very rough texture. And tasted like biting off a piece of foul salt. Oh well....
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Post by Imagawa Tadamori on Sept 16, 2008 11:58:20 GMT -5
Do you think it was an issue with using daikon, or an issue with the bran itself?
Are you planning another batch (in case the bad first batch was just a fluke)?
- Imagawa
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Post by Noriko on Sept 16, 2008 16:44:02 GMT -5
Probably a little bit of both- I also got kind of lazy about mixing it. Since the bran was in a tupperware container, I just picked it up and shook it. The daikon seemed fine but you never know. The bran was probably off- I had to do a lot of math and conversion to find the right proportion for the amount of bran I had. The main problem I've had in my pickle adventures is getting in that subtle sweetness. The daikon that comes on the side when I go to a Japanese restaurant is actually pretty sweet- the stuff I make myself tastes very vinegary, though I'm working on it. I have a batch that have been sitting in a vinegar/sugar/soy sauce mix in the fridge for a while, though I can't seem to get the flavor to penetrate. Weird. Taukan is really a strange sort of pickle in that you can't really eat it out of the package, unlike cucumber pickles, olives, sauerkraut etc. Unfortunately, the pickle presses at the local Japanese market are like 25 bucks which is a lot for a side project. There is a pickle book on amazon for like 7 dollars so maybe that's worth investing in.
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Saionji Shonagon
New Member
One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Sept 16, 2008 17:43:22 GMT -5
I'll give bovil a nudge to have a look at this - I remember him picking up a couple of books on pickles when we were at Obon and he can give you an idea what they're like.
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Post by Noriko on Sept 16, 2008 18:54:50 GMT -5
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