Day 150

Quite the productive day, today. I have gotten so much done, actually, yesterday, and, today. Here goes.

Second batch of flour tortillas, using lard. They are so soft, not to mention half the thickness of the first batch. Yummy. Time. They have to rest, poor things.
Big batch of frijoles en la olla. Instant Pot, actually. Done in forty five minutes.
Opened the first bottle of buch that started its second fermentation only three days ago. Up North, it took at least a week to get to this stage, but, here, only three to four days. Tomorrow they all go into the fridge.

When I opened the bottle of kombucha, not much happened, at first. The mango, and blueberries all floated up into the neck of the bottle, with a small amount of fizz. Wow! Just what I was hoping. Just as it should be on day three.

I say floated, when, what I really mean is that they were jammed up into the neck with quite a force behind them. That “small amount of fizz”, was just the beginning of what was building up behind it, as well.

Fortunately, I looked into the middle of the bottle and saw how fast things were moving. I got the swing cap back on the bottle top just shortly after the geyser started to erupt.

I reached the sink, with just a slight spray to the face, inverted the bottle, (that sent everything that could move to the other end of the bottle, temporarily), grabbed a large glass out of the dish drainer, (another excellent reason not to rush to put your dishes away ;), opened the bottle into the glass, and, let it pour. Effervescence everywhere. Bliss.

Unfortunately, I could not take a photo while all of that was happening, and, in truth, it took less than a minute from open to pour. You cannot see any of the carbonization in the glass as the mango bits are floating all around. Trust me, though, they are there. My kombucha lives!!! Score.

I nestled the sourdough starter right up tight, with the kombucha, in hopes that they will help each other during their struggles to remain alive in this oxygen-depleted environment. It is the only thing I can think of to do for them both. If anyone has any ideas about fermentation at almost eight thousand feet above sea level, I am anxious to know what it is. It is absolutely nothing like doing this from whence we came. That sort of worked all by itself. Not so here.

Until I can get these cultures happy, and healthy, you do that for each other, will you? Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, protect your loved ones. Until next time.