It's summer and there's a whole lot of culturing going on here. Here's a list:
1. Kombucha! Kombucha is so fun. Waaaaaay more fun than sourdough or yogurt cultures. Way. Because when you make kombucha, a new culture grows right on the top of your jar full of sweetened tea. Into a thick rubbery pad that you can't believe is made of living bacteria and yeast. And when it really gets going, you can see bubbles forming under the culture, trying to find their way out, until two weeks later you have a fabulous carbonated beverage. Sometimes when I'm upstairs getting something from the closet I'm distracted by the glimmering jar of kombucha-in-the-making, and have to lie on the floor for 5 minutes watching it. I think maybe I need to get out more.
2. Buttermilk. On the counter in a quart jar, culturing a quart (duh) of unpasteurized whole milk. I'll let it sit until it starts to curdle and then put it in a towel-lined colander to catch the whey for upcoming dill pickle projects. The stuff in the towel becomes a soft cheese with a definite kick.
3. Beet kvass. Fishbowl Farm's beets were so beautiful that I had to get some at Wednesday's market. They're now peeled and quartered in quart jars, and mixed with water, whey, and sea salt. They'll sit on the counter until little bubbles rise to the top, and then into the fridge they'll go to sit for drinking as a tonic.