[Sca-cooks] "Spontaneous" fermentation

Terry Decker t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net
Wed Aug 27 09:36:03 PDT 2008


If you bake a lot, the yeast levels in the kitchen tend to be higher than 
usual.  If this is the case, opening the jar might cause a problem.  In a 
related note, you might also check the sodium content of the salsa.  Higher 
salinity usually means less chance of fermentation.

There is also the possibility that the manufacturer is not thoroughly 
pasteurizing during canning.  Yeast would likely go dormant after using up 
any air in the jar and start reviving after the jar has been opened and the 
contents stirred.  If this is the case, then I would change salsa to avoid 
the possibility of botulism.

Bear

> I've been having a run of weirdness in my refrigerator of late.
>
> I generally buy a big jug of salsa and it lasts me a couple months in the 
> refrigerator as I consume it on lots of different things. But the last 
> three bottles I have bought I have been unable to finish. Not because I 
> can't eat it, but because it starts fermenting within a couple of weeks of 
> my opening a new one.
>
> It bubbles quite vigorously and smells yeasty and alcoholic, so it has 
> definitely been contaminated with yeast. Now what baffles me about all of 
> this is how it is getting contaminated with yeast. I am careful to keep 
> the neck of the bottle clean and I never put anything but a clean spoon in 
> it to remove any from the jar. My refrigerator temperature is fine, I have 
> a thermometer in there and check it regularly to be sure. Though to be 
> honest, even the recommended refrigerator temperatures are not an 
> impediment to yeast doing their thing slowly.
>
> Since it has happened with the same brand three times, I am beginning to 
> suspect that it isn't something I am doing. I am going to contact the 
> manufacturer about this issue and will be buying a different brand next 
> time I go to buy some.
>
> I'm not going to mention what the brand is just yet, not until I talk to 
> them about it. But I will say it is a nationally distributed one. But if 
> anyone has seen the same thing recently, I would be interested in hearing 
> about it.
>
> Dragon
>
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> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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