Blue mould on ginger and tumeric while making OHN
Top answer
From the KNF library
Drake was asked about blue-green mould on ginger during OHN. He said to pour vodka on it to neutralize it. (Office Hours Ep. 26, 7:00)
He also said ginger needs only 3-5 days to ferment. (Office Hours Ep. 26, 7:00) The student manual says wait 5-7 days, then fill the jar with vodka nearly to the top. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 25) The two sources disagree on timing, so watch the jar and add the alcohol early if mould shows.
Your ratio matches the manual. It says to add equal weight of brown sugar to ginger. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 25)
For plain FPJ that will not go into OHN, Drake said white wispy mould is fine and usually yeast. He said to avoid red or black mould, and to pour off the liquid, not the top layer. (Office Hours Ep. 132, 42:16)
The library does not cover Penicillium expansum, blue mould on plain FPJ, spraying mouldy FPJ on plants, or whether more sugar prevents mould.
Sources
- 7:00 Office Hours Ep. 26 (Apr 2022) — IMO Animal Feed, Calcium Fixes, JADAM Pasture Revival · “Yes, pour vodka on it to neutralize it; ginger only needs 3-5 days to ferment.”
- 42:16 Office Hours Ep. 132 (Jul 2024) — Chicken Egg Lay Rates, Well Water E. Coli, Blossom End Rot Calcium · “White wispy mold is fine and usually yeast; avoid red or black mold and pour off the liquid, not the top layer.”
- p. 25 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “wait for 5-7 days (mark your calendar) Fill all 6 jars with vodka (or other alcohol), nearly to the top”
