Fermentation
The definition of fermentation is to “break down into simple components”. In other words it makes the foods and beverages easier to digest and the nutrients easier to assimilate by your body.
Every culture on earth has its fermented food and drinks. In times of high harvest it was a way to preserve food for the winter, and when water supplies were less than clean drinking ferments was the best way to get fluids. Drinks like the Russian Kvass were recommended instead of drinking the water as they were 'alive' ......
Since the process does not use heat, the fermentation process preservers the enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients within the food that are usually destroyed by food processing.
The active cultures that pre-digest the food as part of the fermentation process actually generate a lot of nutrients. So there are more vitamins — especially B-vitamins — and minerals like iron are released from the chemical bonds that prevent them from being assimilated.
The easy reason to add Fermented foods or drinks to your diet is the nutritional value of a food goes up when it has been fermented. If you are having gut problems these can be an easy and inexpensive way to add those pro biotic good bacteria to your body.
Fermented Vegetables
Author Sarah Ozimek
This will make 1 litre approx.
This recipe is designed to be more of a guideline rather than a set recipe. Use whatever vegetables and whatever seasonings you like, and as long as you follow the fermenting steps you'll have tasty, probiotic-rich snacks at your fingertips.
Ingredients
• 4 cups vegetables of your choice, washed and peeled (if desired), and cut into roughly evenly-sized piece
• seasonings of your choice (see below)
• 4 cups chlorine-free water
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
Instructions
1. Fill a clean, wide mouth jar with the chopped vegetables, leaving at least 1½ inches of headspace.
2. Add any seasonings you like.
3. In a one litre measuring cup, mix together 4 cups of water with 2 Tbsp sea salt, until the salt has dissolved.
4. Pour the salt water brine over the vegetables in your jar, leaving one inch of head space.
5. Place a smaller clean jar (or other weight) inside the first jar to keep the vegetables submerged below the brine.
6. Cover the jars with something breathable. (I like to use a paper coffee filter with a rubber band to hold it in place. Several layers of cheesecloth or a tea towel would also work well. If you choose to use a tight-fitting lid, you will need to open the jar every day to let some of the gasses escape. If you have a lid with an air-lock, that works too.)
7. Leave your vegetables to ferment on the counter for 2-3 days. (The ideal fermenting temperature is 70-75°F.) Check them daily to be sure all the vegetables are staying below the brine. By 2-3 days, you should start to see some tiny bubbles forming at the top of the brine.
8. Start tasting your vegetables after 2-3 days. Once they reach a flavour that is to your liking, you can remove the weight, cover the jar tightly, and place the fermented vegetables in the refrigerator. They are ready to enjoy!
Notes
Some great fermented vegetable combinations:
• Carrots with red pepper flakes
• Green beans with garlic and dill
• Carrots with ginger and garlic
• Broccoli and cauliflower with garlic, basil, and oregano
• Garlic with basil and oregano
• Beets, carrots, and fennel
• Cauliflower with curry powder
Recipe by DIY Natural at https://www.diynatural.com/fermented-vegetables/
MEDITERRANEAN CAULIFLOWER PICKLES
INGREDIENTS
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
• 2 teaspoons of peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• 2 thin slices of lemon
• Basic brine: 4 cups of filtered water & 2 tablespoons of fine celtic sea salt
• 1 litre sized mason jar or two pint size mason jars
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the basic brine by combining 4 cups of purified water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt.
Set aside.
2. Cut up the cauliflower into florets and place in the jar.
3. Add the spices, herbs, and lemon slices to the jar with the cauliflower.
4. Pour the brine into the jar until veggies are completely covered in brine. Make sure the brine is at room temperature.
5. Cover jar loosely with a lid so gas can escape while fermentation takes place. Set on your counter away from direct sunlight for 5-7 days. Stir the surface of the brine every few days or shake the jar up to prevent mould from forming on the surface.
6. After 4 or 5 days the brine will become cloudy. Taste a veggie to see if it’s ready. When you open the lid it should have a pleasant pickle/ sour smell. They should taste sour and be a little effervescent. If they are sour enough for you, store them in the refrigerator for the long term. Otherwise allow them to ferment a little longer.
7. Pickles will last several months in the refrigerator. If brine gets low due to evaporation make more basic brine and top the jar off.
NOTES
Simple guidelines to tell it’s fermenting:
1. The pickles will become duller in colour.
2. The brine will become cloudy
3. Small air pockets will form.
4. When you open a lid (if it was closed tight in the first place) gas will escape
making a hiss sound.
5. It will take on a sour flavour.
From: fermentedfoodlab.com
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