Same thing happened to me back in 2019 with a freezer full of shrimp and it was a nightmare. Having an alarm thermometer now is just smart, the silent digital stuff gives you zero warning until it's way too late. Dropping that much money on spoiled food stings bad but it beats finding out at midnight when everything's already gone.

Ever answer one you thought was too dumb to bother with? Did it turn out weirdly helpful?

What you found is part of a pattern I keep seeing, which is that the best stuff grows in the worst places. Moss on a crack, weeds in a gutter, a tomato plant popping up in a drain. Those spots are actually perfect for it, because water collects there and nothing else wants to live there. People spend money on fancy terrarium kits and miss the fact that the sidewalk is already handing out free plants. Your buttermilk trick works because the acid and fat feed the moss while keeping mold down, so you got lucky and also did it right. It makes me wonder what else we walk past every day that just needs a jar and a little patience.