Add Cultured Whey to DIY Condiments to Make Them Last Longer in Your Fridge

We've showed you how to make homemade versions of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and Sriracha, all of which are awesome but normally only last for a few days up to a couple of weeks in the fridge before becoming unsafe. Lengthen that timeline by adding cultured whey.

Culinary weblog Eating Rules notes that making DIY condiments is great, but it's frustrating that they have such a limited shelf life; who wants to make a batch of mayo every time you have a sandwich? Instead they hope to reintroduce readers to the art of culturing foods aka fermentation. You basically introduce naturally occurring bacterias, such as those found in yogurt, to a food and those bacterias convert sugars in the food to lactic acid or alcohol. A simple way to culture most DIY condiments is to add a bit of whey from plain yogurt. You know when you open a cup of yogurt that's been sitting in your fridge for a while and it has a clear yellow-ish liquid on top? That's whey. Any organic non-Greek yogurt will have all the positive bacteria you need to culture your condiments.

Line a colander with a dish towel, place that over a bowl, and pour the jar of yogurt on the dish towel to sit for eight hours. The whey will strain through the towel into the bowl and the leftover yogurt will have a consistency more like Greek yogurt. You can store this whey in a glass jar with a towel cover for months in your fridge. When you make a condiment and want it to last longer add four tablespoons of whey to the condiment, mix, and place in a glass jar. Let it sit on your counter at room temperature for two to four days which will allow time for the bacteria to do its work. When done, place the condiment back in your fridge and use as needed for up to three months. Best of all, this process adds nutritional value to your food?the bacteria helps with digestion and increases some vitamin and enzyme levels.

The Superfood Secret to Making Homemade Condiments Last for Weeks | Eating Rules

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/db0nF-N3wQA/add-cultured-why-to-diy-condiments-to-make-them-last-longer-in-your-fridge

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