Originally published Jan 20, 2017. Updated May 22, 2022. We can thank microbes for the tangy flavor and the effervescent creamy texture of kefir. If you’re new to kefir, it’s similar to yogurt. Both are made by fermenting milk. To my taste buds, kefir is like an intensified form of yogurt, effervescent and wonderfully tart…
Last year, I made 26 batches of homemade yogurt and ate probably over 350 yogurt and granola breakfasts (or some variation of that). Since I left the world of laboratory bench work, the kitchen has become my lab, a place to create edible experiments to satisfy my microbial curiosities. From sourdough to kefir to kombucha…
Every two weeks, I grow a new batch of yogurt, pouring warm milk into my “incubator” and 10 hours later, scooping out the thickened concoction that becomes my yogurt and granola breakfast. In the fridge, sits a small jar of sourdough starter, lying dormant until I revive it again with some flour and water. As…
Brie. Goat cheese. Parmesan. Each so very different from one another, and yet, all so tasty. If you’re a cheese lover like me, you’re in the right place. Today’s blog article is all about cheese and the microbes behind it. Here’s the breakdown: Steps of Cheesemaking Microbes Involved in Making Cheese Why Study Cheese Microbiology…
The vineyard becomes the lab in investigations of Botrytis cinerea. It’s a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” type of fungus because it causes two very different types of infections. It produces sweet wine grapes during noble rot but causes the plant’s demise in grey mold.