Making burong isda -- I need help!

Hi everyone. I have been making burong isda for several years now and with mixed results. About half the time, the process goes well and the fish and rice turn sour and goopy. I have let some batches ferment for months this way.

But other times, blue mold starts growing in the rice after just a week or so. 

Since my methods are fairly relaxed (I have used different types of rice and different species of fish, and I don't follow any strict salting proportions), it is difficult to determine why mold forms in some batches but not others. 

Can anyone who makes burong isda help me understand what is going wrong? Do I need to use more salt? How much exactly? And is the consistency of the rice important? Does it need to be really mushy? I can see how fluffy cooked rice might provide air pockets where the mold forms.

Thanks for any thoughts.
Alastair   

Probably because you’re not following any strict salting proportions. Mold is usually controlled by salt, acid, temperature, and or atmosphere. Fermentation isn’t hard to do but you should follow proper procedures, especially if you’re not very experienced.

which one is worse? the sour goopy or the moldy?

https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=52755.0

Here you go☺️
Mold is good☺️

https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=52755.0

Here you go☺️
Mold is good☺️

According to that thread, the best kind is made from Gourami. I have a few of those guys in my aquarium, in case you need some...

which one is worse? the sour goopy or the moldy?

It's supposed to be sour.

Probably because you’re not following any strict salting proportions. Mold is usually controlled by salt, acid, temperature, and or atmosphere. Fermentation isn’t hard to do but you should follow proper procedures, especially if you’re not very experienced.

I ferment lots of things, plant and animal. I'm pretty experienced. Also, according to the USDA, bread mold is rather salt tolerant. (See link below.) The challenge with burong isda is that specific instructions with ingredient quantities are hard to find online, and one person experienced in making burong isda even told me specifically that he never measures out the salt and just eyeballs it (like they do in the Philippines, he said).

Well, since you apparently know how to do this, could you please tell me how much salt to use?   

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a87cdc2c-6ddd-49f0-bd1f-393086742e68/Molds_on_Food.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=52755.0

Here you go☺️
Mold is good☺️

Thanks. Actually, I've seen this post. It was what got me making burong isda in the first place! But it leaves me with my problem of how much salt to use. 

If you have a minute, here are some specific questions:

1. How much salt is used in a one-gallon batch?
2. Do you salt the rice as well?
3. You mention that you press it down every few days. Is that to squeeze out the air pockets where mold might grow?
4. Does the rice get increasingly goopy as the Lactobacillus ferments it?
5. Last, do you ever have issues with blue "bread" mold? (FYI, that kind of mold is NOT good!)

Thanks a ton! I'm hoping to get this process down. My goal is to be able to preserve my fish without plastic bags.

I also want to learn to make narezushi -- fish and rice aged for YEARS and supposedly the original sushi. Anyone have experience in this?

Alastair

https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=52755.0

Here you go☺️
Mold is good☺️

Thanks. Actually, I've seen this post. It was what got me making burong isda in the first place! But it leaves me with my problem of how much salt to use. 

If you have a minute, here are some specific questions:

1. How much salt is used in a one-gallon batch?
2. Do you salt the rice as well?
3. You mention that you press it down every few days. Is that to squeeze out the air pockets where mold might grow?
4. Does the rice get increasingly goopy as the Lactobacillus ferments it?
5. Last, do you ever have issues with blue "bread" mold? (FYI, that kind of mold is NOT good!)

Thanks a ton! I'm hoping to get this process down. My goal is to be able to preserve my fish without plastic bags.

I also want to learn to make narezushi -- fish and rice aged for YEARS and supposedly the original sushi. Anyone have experience in this?

Alastair

I don't know any answers to your question, but I feel like the amount of salt is going to be a % of weight of the ingredients minus the salt. which hopefully helps you search? good luck.

I know nothing of this preservation technique but have considered learning to can fish to preserve it...

That’s the thing about Mom’s recipes, no % of this and that but a dash of this and that and done☺️
One thing I make sure of though is the fish I use is one I caught myself with no flies landing on it and cleaning and slicing it on my own sink.

Here (bowl with yellow buro)it is eaten with bitter mellon, dungees n of course Sinigang☺️

Here (bowl with yellow buro)it is eaten with bitter mellon, dungees n of course Sinigang☺️

That is da kine!  Be well... :smt006h

Probably because you’re not following any strict salting proportions. Mold is usually controlled by salt, acid, temperature, and or atmosphere. Fermentation isn’t hard to do but you should follow proper procedures, especially if you’re not very experienced.

I ferment lots of things, plant and animal. I'm pretty experienced. Also, according to the USDA, bread mold is rather salt tolerant. (See link below.) The challenge with burong isda is that specific instructions with ingredient quantities are hard to find online, and one person experienced in making burong isda even told me specifically that he never measures out the salt and just eyeballs it (like they do in the Philippines, he said).

Well, since you apparently know how to do this, could you please tell me how much salt to use?   

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a87cdc2c-6ddd-49f0-bd1f-393086742e68/Molds_on_Food.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Any success I’ve had with fermentation I attribute to following directions. Difficulties I’ve had I attribute to warm temperatures where I live. Like cooking, doing it just eyeballing it is a lot easier if you were taught how by someone or learned by trial and error and lots of repetition.

I hope this answers your questions. Maybe a search on YouTube will help.