Fermentation is amazing. 🌱 About 2-3 years ago when I realized how easy it was to make sauerkraut, we started making small batches to add to our meals. You can ferment virtually any vegetable.
Fresh organic cabbage is sliced thinly, crushed by hand and then put into a container with salt. There are natural lactic acid bacilli that live on the surface of the cabbage that thrives in the anaerobic saline environment (no oxygen). This mixture is placed under a weight which leads to a water seal. As the fermentation process produces gas, a small valve is needed to allow it to escape. I have tried most of the contraptions that fit on mason jars and ultimately settled on @masontops #picklepebbles as it is so easy (not a sponsored post). A glass weight and little silicone insert for the inner portion of the lid… and then the magic ingredient, the tincture of time.
A great place to learn about the basics for this is here: Basics
Eating fermented food provides a means for beneficial bacteria to enter our digestive tract and impact our microbiota, the diverse bacteria that live in our gut. We do not fully understand how diet affects the bacteria at this time and a recent study from Rinninella et al, 2019 found that “Although gut microbiota functions are highly preserved between individuals, everyone has their own combination of commensal bacteria and there are no such things as a single healthy gut microbiota composition since it varies from person to person.” I think this is so interesting to consider as we likely need to shape our diet *individually* to support healthy gut bacteria.
@nomaferments might have one of the best books on the science of fermentation. @ssandorkraut is a goldmine of information. And a fun page with many different ferment options is @culturedpickleshop.
This batch is white cabbage, freshly grated turmeric, coriander (fresh from the garden), cumin, and mustard seed. *Pasteurized sauerkraut will not have these same benefits…
Rinninella et al. Microorganisms. 2019; 7(1).
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