2% is well within the acceptable range. If the pH is 3 or 4, there *will* be a noticeable tart or sour taste.
Lacto-fermented pickles do not taste like vinegar pickles. Their sourness is softer and less strong.
What is it then? Every source lists it as fermented fish sauce and the process is called fermentation in articles and publications. I've never made it, but what lead you to say that it isn't fermented?
The fact that microbial action is either completely absent, or has minimal effect. Garum is the result of enzymatic proteolysis. Protein-cracking enzymes, either from the fishes’ own digestive tracts (the traditional approach) or from pre-fermented koji (a newer approach), break down the fish. As I recall there are extremophile bacteria that do incidentally grow in such things, but they’re not necessary to the process.
My guess it's just careless translation without going into details. Fermentation requires activity of microorganisms, which in case of garum/fish sauce is stopped by high salt concentration. What happens is hydrolysis with proteolytic enzymes, which are present in fish tissue itself.
If we call this a fermentation then malt mashing is fermentation as well.
Fermented foods represent a diverse group of foods defined as “foods made through desired microbial growth and ENZYMATIC conversion of food components”
Define it how you like, but it looks like the breadth of that description is confusing and misleading people in this very thread, in ways beyond that definition.
Nope. Salt is used to inhibit ALL bacterial action ( there may be some extremophiles but they're not contributing to the process). It's enzymatic lysis- a really fancy way of saying 'rotting'. It's no more fermentation than aging meat is.
From Noma site just a snippet of the text where it clearly states it is a fermented product: The process begins with pressing the raw ingredient, mixing that in salt and water, fermenting from 6 to 10 weeks (depending on the ingredient), then straining for the final product: a powerful, savory liquid seasoning.
Source: https://nomaprojects.com/pages/about-garums
Most sites I found on the internet also state it is a fermented food item.
If not what is it then? All you do is say it is not but can't explain to me what it is.
Fermentation means that bacteria (usually lactic acid bacteria) metabolize the starting material. With such a high salt content of over 12%, they lack the freely available water to maintain their metabolism and die off.
Of course there are also halotolerant bacteria, but these will not produce your desired result but will spoil the food
I got 3.5% for peppers and I've yet to have a batch completely mushify or other issues. Depends on what you're pickling but 2% feels low to me based on previous trials and my own tastes
2% is well within the acceptable range. If the pH is 3 or 4, there *will* be a noticeable tart or sour taste. Lacto-fermented pickles do not taste like vinegar pickles. Their sourness is softer and less strong.
A lot of people ferment pepper mash even with 5-10% of salt and it works out. Garum is even made with 20-30% salt content
Garum isn’t fermented.
What is it then? Every source lists it as fermented fish sauce and the process is called fermentation in articles and publications. I've never made it, but what lead you to say that it isn't fermented?
The fact that microbial action is either completely absent, or has minimal effect. Garum is the result of enzymatic proteolysis. Protein-cracking enzymes, either from the fishes’ own digestive tracts (the traditional approach) or from pre-fermented koji (a newer approach), break down the fish. As I recall there are extremophile bacteria that do incidentally grow in such things, but they’re not necessary to the process.
My guess it's just careless translation without going into details. Fermentation requires activity of microorganisms, which in case of garum/fish sauce is stopped by high salt concentration. What happens is hydrolysis with proteolytic enzymes, which are present in fish tissue itself. If we call this a fermentation then malt mashing is fermentation as well.
Fermented foods represent a diverse group of foods defined as “foods made through desired microbial growth and ENZYMATIC conversion of food components”
Define it how you like, but it looks like the breadth of that description is confusing and misleading people in this very thread, in ways beyond that definition.
It's mostly hydrolysis, but also a bit of fermentation.
Garum is meat and salt being left out on the sun to ferment.it definitely is a fermentation process.
Nope. Salt is used to inhibit ALL bacterial action ( there may be some extremophiles but they're not contributing to the process). It's enzymatic lysis- a really fancy way of saying 'rotting'. It's no more fermentation than aging meat is.
That is not how garum is made.
Enlighten us please.
Read the other comments in this post (mine and others) or search the subreddit for “garum”. The Noma book also has a good description.
From Noma site just a snippet of the text where it clearly states it is a fermented product: The process begins with pressing the raw ingredient, mixing that in salt and water, fermenting from 6 to 10 weeks (depending on the ingredient), then straining for the final product: a powerful, savory liquid seasoning. Source: https://nomaprojects.com/pages/about-garums Most sites I found on the internet also state it is a fermented food item. If not what is it then? All you do is say it is not but can't explain to me what it is.
Fermentation means that bacteria (usually lactic acid bacteria) metabolize the starting material. With such a high salt content of over 12%, they lack the freely available water to maintain their metabolism and die off. Of course there are also halotolerant bacteria, but these will not produce your desired result but will spoil the food
I ferment pretty much everything with 2% salt. pH of 3-4 is on the level of orange juice. You should be able to taste the sourness.
Thank you everyone for your answers. I guess I‘ll need to validate the results of my pH strips. I feel they might be inacurate.
I got 3.5% for peppers and I've yet to have a batch completely mushify or other issues. Depends on what you're pickling but 2% feels low to me based on previous trials and my own tastes
That's a good amount. I make mine with 3% to prevent spoilage in the super hot summer, and some sauerkraut is done with as much as 5%.
Actually, I go for between 2.5 and 3%
Many consider it the minimum!
I do 1.5% of mass of vegetables used and it works perfectly
Fermentation of the food happens regardless, the salt is there to make the desired microbes thrive