Caldwell Starter Culture for Fresh Vegetables

Questions on Caldwell Starter Culture for Fresh Vegetables

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• From Justin at 2/7/12 11:58 PM
  • What kind of sugar do you use? I don't want non-organic processed sugar in my ferments, nor do I want non-organic skim milk (which is a highly processed waste product, by the way.)
  • There is a very small amount of sugar and skim milk powder in the starter culture, basically to provide a carrier for the bacteria as it is stored in the packets. (Bacteria alone are too small to even be seen and could not be transported without a carrier.) Neither the sugar nor the skim milk is organic. We are not aware of a starter culture that uses organic products as carriers.
    
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• From Micah at 2/25/12 9:37 AM
  • This says it's veggie starter- but will it work for fruits, too, like for chutneys, etc?
  • This should work just fine for fruits. In fact, here is a recipe for fruit leather from our website: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/cultured-fermented-fruit-leather-recipe Enjoy!
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• From Shari at 3/23/12 7:51 PM
  • How long will this starter store for in the fridge and still be okay? How about 6 mos? a year? Would it store even better in the freezer? Why or why not?
  • The starter will keep for about 12 months in the refrigerator or freezer.
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• From rmnc at 7/23/12 11:05 AM
  • how long do the organisms live in the refrigerator ( average life span ?
  • The vegetable starter is good for about 12 months in the refrigerator. Cultured vegetables should be good in the refrigerator for about a month.
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• From John Hauser at 7/30/12 11:44 PM
  • Some people recommend using Caldwell vegetable starter for vegies and Body Ecology starter for dairy. What do you think?
  • They are both very similar. One uses dairy as a carrier; the other uses sugar. In either case, the amount is negligible and really doesn't have anything to do with how the culture works.
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• From Jane at 9/3/12 4:47 PM
  • Can I use the freeze-dried kefir starter instead of the vegetable starter. Is there any difference?
  • We have a great article on our website that discusses the different choices for culturing vegetables. Check it out! http://www.culturesforhealth.com/compare-salt-whey-starter-culture-ferment-vegetables-fruits-condiments
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• From David at 12/3/12 12:59 PM
  • What temperature is required during fermentation for this starter culture?
  • According to the enclosed instructions: The ideal temperature for fermenting vegetables is a constant 70ºF (20ºC).
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• From Amy at 12/6/12 3:15 PM
  • How long will Caldwell's vegetable starter culture keep in the refrigerator after receipt? Thank you!
  • Caldwell's Starter Culture will keep in the refrigerator or freezer for 12 months.
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• From kristy at 2/11/13 8:51 PM
  • Can you tell me how much culture is in each packet? 1/4 tsp. etc.? This would make it easier for measuring out for small batches.
  • Each box contains six 5-gram packets, so you can make six batches of vegetables. Each batch could be anywhere from a pint upward. The primary purpose of the starter culture is just what its name implies: it "starts" the culturing process faster, and inoculates the vegetables with probiotic bacteria as they ferment.
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