Fermented Foods 101

Pro-biotic foods, likewise referred to as 'cultured' or 'lacto-fermented' foods have played an extremely crucial function in human dietary evolution. Foods such as kefir (soured milk yogurt), sauerkraut (marinaded cabbage), pickles, kombucha and maintains are featured in every traditional food. Before pasteurisation, these foods supplied our ancestors with the 'excellent' germs in the digestive system that is essential for the healthy function of our 'gut' and body immune system. Lacto-fermentation is a beneficial process that uses lactic acid as a natural preservative. This procedure makes it possible for the preserved food to be converted to a food abundant in enzymes, helpful bacteria, increased vitamin levels as well as antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances. Lacto-fermentation is a SAFE, easy way to change common foods into powerhouses of nutrition for gut health!

Sauerkraut (marinaded cabbage)

1 big head of cabbage
1 carrot
5 Tbs sea salt
2 quart filtered water

Prepare the brine (maybe night prior to)-- stir the salt in water make certain it completely liquify. Eliminate and dispose of the outer leaves and core of the cabbage. Shred the cabbage by hand or use a food processor. Shred the carrot. Mix components together and pack into a glass container. Pack just a bit into the crock at a time and tamp it down hard utilizing your fists or any tough kitchen implement. Cover the cabbage with prepared salt water, leaving 2-3 inches of headspace for the juice to expand as it ferments. Put the plate under the container. Cover kraut with a plate or some other lid that fits inside the crock. Place tidy weight (such as a glass container filled with water) on the cover. This weight is to keep the cabbage under the brine. Leave the crock on a kitchen counter out of direct sunlight for 5-6 day (depend of temperature). Do not scared to try it during the fermentation procedure!

Examine the kraut every day or two. The volume will reduce as the fermentation proceeds. Press down the weight periodically to make certain it is cover with the brine. If any mold has actually formed, do not worry, just scoop out the moldy cabbage and press it the rest under the water. After 5-6 days, eliminate weight and move it to the refrigerator.

Storage note: Sauerkraut can be stored in covered airtight container in the refrigerator for as much as one year.

Kenley Fermentation Crock Jar 2 Liter - ...

Kefir (soured milk yogurt)

1 cup fresh whole milk (or coconut milk) Kefir grains.

To activate the kefir grains see guideline on a package if utilizing very first time.

Place the kefir grains in fine strainer and rinse with filtered water. Location milk (space temperature) in a clean wide-mouth glass container. Add kefir grains and safely seal the jar. Leave it on your cooking area counter, out of direct sunshine at a room temperature level for 24 hours. After 24 hours get rid of the kefir grains using a spoon or a mesh strainer. Add the kefir grains to fresh milk to begin another fermentation. Transfer the kefir to the fridge at this point is ready to drink. You can keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for several weeks or in a freezer for several months. If it is left too long in storage, it will lose the culturing power.

Kombucha (fermented tea)

1 large glass container
1 large piece of fabric or dish towel to secure around the opening of the jar with an elastic band
1 SCOBY disk. (You can find in natural food shops)
8 cups of water
1/2 cup sugar or honey
4 black/green tea bags
1 cup of pre-made kombucha (can include a SCOBY)

Bring your water to boil in a big pot on the stovetop. As soon as boiling, remove from the heat and add your teabags and sugar, stirring up until the sugar liquifies.

Enable the pot to sit and the tea to high for about 15 minutes, then eliminate and discard tea bags.

Let the mixture cool off to space temperature level (which usually takes about one hour). Once it's cooled, add your tea mixture to your big jar/bowl. Drop in your SCOBY disk and 1 cup of pre-made kombucha.

Cover your jar/bowl with your cloth or thin cooking area towel.

Allow the kombucha to sit for 7-- 10 days depending upon the taste you're searching for. Less time produces a weaker kombucha that tastes less sour, while a longer sitting time makes the kombucha ferment even longer and develop more taste. Some individuals have actually reported fermenting kombucha for as much as a month with fantastic outcomes, so taste test the batch every couple of days to see if its reached the ideal taste and level of carbonation you're trying to find.