Huh.
I had never seen it spelled like that. After doing some digging I found a few really old references in English that did use that or similar spellings. I’ve always spelled it kumis but it looks like that’s the more modern or standard spelling based on " кумыс" and coumiss or koumiss is an older variant. Older still is “cosmos” which is what some English bloke in the 13th century called it.
Welp, of the somethings new, that’s the one I learned today.
I’ve seen a variety of spellings, which is typical for a term adopted from a foreign language. My daughter-in-law is Turkish; they say kimiz. Mongols call it something entirely different.
I don’t have any actual mare’s milk. I make a faux mare’s milk from cow’s milk by adding lactose.
Ah, that makes sense. I think in Bashkir and Kazakh it’s very similar to Turkish.
The only time I had it it was from mare’s milk. Also the only time I’ve ever had mare’s milk. It was interesting. Definitely prefer kefir though.
My wife tried it without heat because that’s what the recipe said. I look forward to trying with heat.
Right, I’m not going to sterilize the 'chokes, but I may try to get 1-2 bacterial species to dominate. My AI says, “Some LAB strains, particularly those belonging to the genus Lactobacillus (e.g., Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum), have been shown to metabolize inulin. They break down inulin into simpler sugars (fructose) that can be further fermented into lactic acid and other metabolites.” I’ve got commercial products prepared for fermentation of lactic acid in milk (e.g., for koumiss, cheese) that include the named strains.
In my own attempts, taste is great – but I like sour. I never tasted what I’d consider perceptible ethanol though there is probably 1-2%.
The biggest challenge is texture. As I’ve learned, the coagulation of milk depends on pH. Peak coagulation comes in the mid 4’s, below the more neutral pH of milk but above the acidic pH of the final product. As the product ferments – milk becomes koumiss – there’s progressively more lactic acid so pH drops. To get a smooth texture, it seems that I need the fermentation to proceed quickly so that the pH drops rapidly through the zone where coagulation is fastest. It seems that if the fermentation is fast, then the curd is very smooth, it tends to resist quick separation from the whey, so the product is drinkable.
It seems we’re having a miscommunication. For fermentation you don’t use heat. I referenced two different processing methods. Acid + heat is the fast, ready in thirty minutes method. Fermentation is the ready in a couple weeks method.
I plead guilty. My 1st sentence was about the (quick) heat + acid treatment. The next paragraph was meant to be responsive to your comment about the (slow) fermentation process. Sorry for the confusion.
7b ish mid Atlantic growers- when do these bloom for you? I’m growing first time this year and while they shot up huge, no signs of blooms yet.
I’m supposedly in 7b outside of Philly (can’t tell from one year to the next!) and they bloom by early Fall. Mine are just headed for the sky too at this point, but after they get about 15 feet tall they will bloom.
Great to hear. I was worried it should’ve been a july-ish thing. Thanks for the confidence boost.
Yeah still only about 5-6 feet tall here in z6a and no blooms
Mine get to ~8’ tall but don’t bloom until very late, like late Sept / Oct as I recall. As far as I can see, blooming its basically unrelated to formation of tubers.
It depends on the cultivar. I’m in a northern 8a that feels more like 7b and some cultivars can’t really properly bloom here due to how late in the season they initiate their buds. For reliable bloom, I like ‘Nora’ since it puts on a show in summer.
in the 6 years ive had mine they only have bloomed 2xs. they are about 7ft. i have a white and red one from cultivariable.
Is anyone growing Maximilian sunflower and tried the rhizomes likes Jerusalem artichoke?
Maximilian sunflower has very skinny rhizomes by comparison.
@Itmaybejj
I love the in-ground containment and the dehydration use!! I love my dehydrator and making a flour of it… sounds like a good addition to oatmeal! You have me excited now!
I tried my luck at planting some choice ones in a cardboard box I made into a one- season planter in hopes it would contain them until harvest and ease the effort. (Also trialing with potatoes and yacon.)
An observation: the ja I’m growing in a plastic container is healthier than those in 15g grow bag. It seems really sensitive to the soil drying out and that happens much faster in the bag. And, I’m talking about half a day drying out or at worst one day dry given that it has rained near daily here since they were planted.
