Yeah… the title of this entry into my life doesn’t seem to be such a good thing. People view failing rather poorly. I guess it is kind of how you look at it, how you see it. AND, I guess it is kind of the frame of mind you’re in when you do see it…
I got up this morning, made coffee, took my daily “you’re on call this week” morning handoff from Kuala Lumpur, fed the dogs and stirred my latest batches of vinegar.
The vinegar is where the failure comes in…
I have two jars of rice vinegar in my china cupboard, the curing remains of a few apple and pear jars, and I had (emphasis on HAD) two jars of pineapple vinegar going. I was so proud of the pineapple stuff. It had made it to smelling like alcohol, the bubbles had pretty much stopped, and I really thought I had turned the corner on getting it going.
I heard wonderful things about pineapple vinegar. I was really looking forward to trying it.
And then, this morning, on BOTH jars… mold. The smell went from fermenting to nasty like overnight.
Seriously? GHAAAA
So, I dumped the contents down the sink, down the grinder… and the jars will go through the super duper hot dishwasher in a bit… and I will start over.
I don’t have a pineapple to start over with, but I do have a bunch of apples I can cut up to start another batch or two of apple vinegar. And I have the mother I can put a chunk of into jump start that batch, so we are good there.
I’m disappointed, yes. But the pineapple came from flashfoods so it only cost about 30 cents and I can keep an eye out for more to use. I want to try this vinegar so badly that I will keep trying until I manage to not screw it up.
On the up side, the rice vinegar is fermenting nicely and I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Also… this morning I started reading on what a vanilla mother jar is and I’m going to start one of those as soon as I can get a little cheap vodka rounded up. I have the perfect place to store these marvelous concoctions to see how we do.
A vanilla mother jar?
This is the best explanation I’ve found for it and I’m very much looking forward to trying it. I have my half gallon jars and a couple of vanilla beans so all I have to do is scrounge up a bit of vodka or other booze and get a jar cooking in my china cupboard.
Did I fail?
yeah
Will I fail again?
yeah
but
This adventure is really so much fun, I’m learning as I go and I’m building on my treasures.
It’s all in the way you look at it.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison
AprilJoy
12/12/23
