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i haven't gotten as far as to ferment my foods yet.
i was wondering about quality products that may be available to us..... we make our own yogurt
we can buy some good quality kefir....(can i just use this to make more as i can in yogurt?)
i am questioning the healthfulness of store bought sauerkraut, so i found some kimchi- fermented nappa cabbage and spices
any other suggestions as to supporting our health in this very important way??
i was wondering about quality products that may be available to us..... we make our own yogurt
we can buy some good quality kefir....(can i just use this to make more as i can in yogurt?)
i am questioning the healthfulness of store bought sauerkraut, so i found some kimchi- fermented nappa cabbage and spices
any other suggestions as to supporting our health in this very important way??
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Maryland
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Tue, November 10, 2009 - 2:36 PMi think it's really empowering to learn how to ferment whatever veggies and fruits you have around because there's no special culture or equipment needed. that simplicity is key for me. you just chop your veggies roughly, add salt, squish out the juices to cover the mix in a jar, taste daily until you like it, and there you are. or some people add a brine, which makes things even faster and easier. when i see the colorful jar on the counter, veggies become like candy to me- i can't resist.
my favorite is veggies and herbs with seaweed and apples, all in the same ferment. it's gorgeous- i try to use as many colors as I can- like beets, purple cabbage, carrots, kale, etc...- so fun to feast on in the middle of winter when color is scarce. the apples tone down the sourness (i like to make huge batches, so it keeps maturing in the fridge), and i like to add olive oil to the mix and eat it like a salad sometimes, or we throw it on cooked food at the end and mix it in. if you don't want it too sour, you just eat in when it tastes best to you.
i learned by watching my korean friend make kim chi for years, and after making it her way a few times and then reading wild fermentation by sandor katz, felt inspired to adapt it to reflect my own food culture and more random cooking style. i love how you can throw almost anything in, and it works!
i'm sure linda wil have a lot more to say about this- the fermentation queen. ;-) -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Tue, November 10, 2009 - 9:17 PMAh, yes one of my favorite activities is fermenting food. One amazing thing is you really can ferment anything. And yes I do believe that making your own ferments creates more diversity and increased health benefits. The health of your gut and the diversity of bacteria in your stomach strengethens the immune system, so is an important part of good health.
While there are items I occasionally purchase when I am traveling, I prefer to make my own. I also love to add herbs to the mix, which increases the nutrient density and healing power ie dandelion and seaweed in saurkraut, burdock shredded with ginger and carrots, nettle can be added in the spring, so it is available fresh for months to come, fermented roseship spread is quite good as are fermented herbal beverages and pickled purslane is a treat. My partner and I made an elecampane beer this year in a class that we taught and it is quite potent. We keep speculating that if we get sick we will drink the beer. It has our own hops in it as well. I am sure I will have more to say later and I suspect others will have input too.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Tue, November 10, 2009 - 9:35 PMThe Romainian people here told me that buttermilk and kefir are much the same for probiotics?
They make their own buttermilk..goat feta..wine..traditional Romainian desserts,venison salami,and of course wood fired bread and pizza... -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Wed, November 11, 2009 - 7:51 AMI do believe that homemade buttermilk would have the same benefit as kefir. But the buttermilk that is sold in the stores (at least here in the states) is a monoculture, made with pasteurized 1-2% milk and a mesophillic culture added to it. Do you have any idea how they prepare their meat? I have only dabbled a bit in fermenting and curing meat, but would like to do more of this.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Wed, November 11, 2009 - 7:52 AMOne thing I did want to mention, if you are going to start fermenting food, Sandor Katz's book Wild Fermentation is a must have. It is very clear in directions and he covers many type of ferments, plus it is a really good read.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Thu, November 12, 2009 - 12:04 PMIt does say pasteurised on the bottle even tho they make it..?
Thanks Linda I have had that book out afew times now,the only thing I have ever made is kim chi...but am keen to do more.. -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Sat, November 14, 2009 - 4:00 PMI love it!
I have been fermenting quite a bit this year.
We just had fermented turnips, beets and onions.
I made goat cheese from our raw goat milk so utilize whey in the ferments.
Megan...can you share your recipe that uses apples. That sounds good.
I am about to make more saurkraut and am going to use the collard green from our garden in it.
I must say that I had a little digestive upset for about a week and then I started having a little side of saurkraut
with my eggs and toast in the morning and it is gone.
Amanda...I really encourage you to ferment your own.
I think your children would enjoy the pounding of saurkraut. :<)
Such incredible live food!
Peace, Julie -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Sun, November 15, 2009 - 8:14 AMhi julie,
i don't measure, but the basic idea is that when i have enough veggies, i chop them roughly and throw in grated apples and crumbled dry seaweed and salt lightly, then use a brine if I don't want to pound or press the juice too much. i usually only use 1-2 very small apples for a large amount of veggies (maybe 3 cabbages, 2-3 carrots, a few radishes or turnips or celery roots, some kale or greens, and whatever else is around).
with that amount of apples vs. veggies, you can't really taste any sweetness at the end, which is what i want. if you wanted it sweeter, you could put in a lot more and eat it before the fruit sugar gets eaten up by the process.
does that make sense? you sound like a seasoned fermenter, so i'm sure if you make up your own mix it'll be tasty. -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Sun, November 15, 2009 - 8:37 AMthanks, megan....I will experiment.......I don't use recipes often either and when I do I always change them.
I have been making kefir and yogurt for many years, but the addition of having our own goat milk (Fille Luna's)
I have become very enthusiastic about all the other ways to ferment....and I have been teaching it to a group of women coming
to me for 13 months. This has really helped me to increase my knowledge and experiment more.
I am very fond of the idea that we teach what we have learned immediately, not to wait until we think we know something.
So thanks everyone for imput......peace, Julie -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Tue, November 17, 2009 - 8:53 AMI just returned from the Wise Traditions conference, the conference of the Weston A. Price Foundation. In case you are not familar here is a link to their website: www.westonaprice.org
It was interesting to see all the folks who are offering fermented food for sale. While I prefer to make my own and talking to some of the folks, they are using prepackaged cutlures, which I suspect are not as potent as the ones I make myself. But regardless the fevor around fermented food is inspiring. There were several sauerkraut makers, adding everything under the sun to their ferments ie seaweed, kale and many other goodies. Also drink makers, I was particularly fond of the kefir soda, cranberry lemon was good. I make my own kefir soda, usually of the herbal variety. This morning Rosehip is what I am making.
Also the workshops were inspiring at the conference, but the most wonderful thing was to be with people who care about food. I ate some wonderful things: Cherry Pemican was among one of my favorites and an aged cheese that needed to be sliced right before you ate it, so it did not dry out. And of course discussions about the polticis of milk was huge on the agenda, as farms across the country are being harrassed for selling raw milk. The WAPF legal defense fund is right there supporting the farmers, thank goodness or they would have not recourse.
Next year the conference is in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. So if you are in that area or need a road trip put it on your calendar.
Blessings
Linda
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Tue, November 17, 2009 - 10:57 AMHi Linda,
thanks...can you share how you make the kefir soda with rose hips....thanks and peace, Julie -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 6:36 AMoh, and while you're at it, linda, can you share the base for the cherry pemmican? :-)
that is, if you asked or were told. i often find such things too sweet when i get them made by others and would like to try to figure out something milder. is it the same idea as in the nourishing traditions book? -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 9:12 AMHi all,
I am not feeling inspired to share recipes at this time. I am wanting to honor and respect my experience and honestly am not sure that others will honor my contributions in a way that would feel good to me. When I share I often mention my teachers and who shared what with me. This is the oral tradition. I am not sure that this kind of care will be sent my way, so I am taking a break from sharing recipes with people. I am going to put my energy toward the cookbook I want to write.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 11:10 AMHi Linda..did you hear Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride speak? -
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Re: fermented foods/ gut health
Wed, November 18, 2009 - 11:13 AMUnfortunately she had cancelled. One of her students presented on the GAPs diet. I sat in for a short time, but did not feel super inspired. Not sure if that was the students presenation of the material or the information. Perhaps a little of both. I went off and listened to Sally Fallon instead. I enjoyed Sally's presentation, even though much of the information was familar to me, I had not met her, so it was fun to spend time with her.
Blessings
Linda
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