Ask Allie!
What is Ask Allie?
Ask Allie is our food-related advice column, where you can ask all your fermenting, cooking, baking, and pantry-related questions to get digestible answers! No question about food is off limits!
Most of you will receive an emailed reply prior to your question hitting the blog, since I frequently think you need a more immediate answer. You should anticipate 1-2 weeks between submitting your question and its appearance on blog. Although emailed replies normally take between 1-3 days, it can take up to a week.
To have your question answered in Ask Allie posts, please use the form on our website. If you prefer to be anonymous, just say so in the form and we’ll leave your name out when we answer it in the blog! Note that some submissions may be edited for clarity.
For troubleshooting active issues with a culture you’re working with, please check the FAQs or write us at support@positivelyprobiotic.com - you’ll get your answer faster that way! Please also take advantage of our Facebook group for troubleshooting, conversation, and getting to know more members of our community!
Hi, I'm on my 5th batch of long viili and it's not the least bit thick or slimy or ropey, no strings.
The flavour is nice but I'm disappointed. Any advice on the long viili would be helpful. Thank you.
— Tess
In my experience, long viili tends to get really upset if it’s monkeyed with. It’s very hermit-y and just wants to be left alone. Most people who have this happen to them have “bothered” the viili while it was culturing and broke the ropes as a result.
Just received my first tibetan mushroom grains (fresh). Thought I had bought Whole milk but found I got fat free by mistake. Is it still ok to use to acrtivate the culture?
— Carol
Yes. It will not gel as strongly, but it will still ferment.
With the contents of a sourdough starter package I stupidly put about 10 times too much water. When I realized that I added enough flour to make a consistency like very thin pancake . That was yesterday. Should I stir, feed, tend, hope for the best, or just throw it out now.
— Brenda
Continue the activation as normal. Sourdough is much more flexible than most people realize, so it should be fine.
