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Nutrition
10 Healthiest Fermented Foods & Vegetables
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Top fermented foods - Dr. Axe
The consumption of fermented, probiotic foods has many benefits.
The microflora that lives in fermented foods creates a protective lining in the intestines and shields it against pathogenic factors, such as salmonella and E.coli.
Indeed, to get that healthy dose of bacteria, it’s essential to consume top probiotic foods.
Do you know the ridiculous health benefits of fermented foods? Click here for the details AND a list of ten of the most popular fermented foods you need to start eating now!
Fermented foods lead to an increase of antibodies and a stronger immune system; plus, they regulate the appetite and reduce sugar and refined carb cravings.
In fact, fermented vegetables can help treat Candida gut.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology states that
“recent scientific investigations have supported the important role of probiotics as a part of a healthy diet for humans as well as for animals and may be an avenue to provide a safe, cost effective,
and natural approach that adds a barrier against microbial infection.” There’s now even evidence that fermented foods reduce social anxiety.
Choosing the Top 10 Foods & Vegetables to Ferment
When a food is fermented, it means that it’s left to sit and steep until the sugars and carbs become bacteria-boosting agents.
The fermentation of vegetables is also a great way to preserve them for a longer period of time.
This gives you the option to make a large batch of it and have a ready-to-eat dose of microflora at your disposal for a very long time.
If you’re new to fermented foods, start with half a cup per day and build up from there.
Here is a list of the 10 healthiest fermented foods and vegetables that will get you going:
1. Kefir
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk product (cow, goat or sheep milk) that tastes like a drinkable yogurt.
Kefir benefits include high levels of vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics.
It boosts immunity, heals irritable bowel disease, builds bone density, fights allergies, kills candida and improves digestion.
2. Kombucha - Grape Kombucha
There are many reasons to consume kombucha, a fermented beverage of black tea and sugar (from various sources like cane sugar, fruit or honey).
It contains a colony of bacteria and yeast that are responsible for initiating the fermentation process once combined with sugar.
After being fermented, kombucha becomes carbonated and contains vinegar, B-vitamins, enzymes, probiotics and a high concentration of acid (acetic, gluconic and lactic).
There are reasons to drink kombucha every day because it improves digestion, helps with weight loss, increases energy, detoxes the body, supports the immune system, reduces joint pain and prevents cancer.
3. Sauerkraut -
Sauerkraut with carrot in wooden bowl garlic spices cabbage on a cutting board
Sauerkraut is one of the oldest traditional foods. Made from fermented cabbage, it’s high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and B vitamins.
It’s also a great source of iron, copper, calcium, sodium, manganese and magnesium.
Sauerkraut has a variety of beneficial effects on human health; it boosts digestive health, aids circulation, fights inflammation, strengthens bones and reduces cholesterol levels.
4. Pickles - Pickles - Dr. Axe
Pickles contain a ton and vitamins and minerals, plus antioxidants and gut-friendly bacteria. Pickles alone can help address the all-too-common vitamin K deficiency,
as one small pickle contains 18 percent of your daily value of this vitamin that’s an essential fat-soluble vitamin which plays an important role in bone and heart health.
When choosing a jar of pickles, go with a food manufacturer that uses organic products. If you can find a local maker, you’ll be getting some of the best probiotics for your health.
5. Miso - Japanese Miso Paste
Miso is created by fermenting soybean, barley or brown rice with koji, a fungus.
Miso has anti-aging properties and helps to maintain healthy skin.
It also boosts the immune system, lowers the risk cancer, improves bone health and promotes a healthy nervous system.
6. Tempeh - Tempeh - Dr. Axe
Another beneficial fermented food is tempeh, which is a soybean product that is created by adding a tempeh starter (which is a mix of live mold).
When it sits for a day or two, it becomes a cake-like product.
Tempeh reduces cholesterol, increases bone density, reduces menopausal symptoms, promotes muscle recovery and has the same protein quality as meat.
It contains high levels of vitamins B5, B6, B3 and B2.
7. Natto - Natto - Dr. Axe
Natto is a popular dish in Japan consisting of fermented soybeans.
It contains the extremely powerful probiotic bacillus subtilis, which has been proven to support the immune system and cardiovascular health;
it also enhances the digestion of vitamin K2.
In addition to these Natto benefits, it contains a powerful anti-inflammatory enzyme called nattokinase that has been proven to fight cancer.
8. Kimchi - Kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish that is made from vegetables including cabbage, plus spices and seasoning.
This Korean delicacy dates back to the 7th century.
It’s known to improve cardiovascular and digestive health.
It has high levels of antioxidants that reduce the risk of serious health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and gastric ulcers.
9. Raw Cheese - Raw cheese - Dr. Axe
Raw milk cheeses are made with milk that hasn’t been pasteurized.
Goat milk, sheep milk and A2 cows soft cheeses are particularly high in probiotics, including thermophillus, bifudus, bulgaricus and acidophilus.
Probiotics benefits include healing digestive issues, neurological disorders and mental health problems; plus, probiotics boost the immune system and destroy harmful bacteria.
10. Yogurt - organic yogurt container
Probiotic yogurt is the most consumed fermented dairy product in the United States today.
Yogurt intake is directly associated with better overall diet quality, healthier metabolic profiles, healthier blood pressure and increased triglyceride levels.
It’s recommend when buying yogurt to look for three things: first, that it comes from goat or sheep milk; second, that it’s grass-fed; and third, that it’s organic.
Yogurt is one of the top probiotic foods.
Read Next: Top 15 Anti-Inflammatory Foods
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Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
Katie - Wellness Mama 84 Comments Updated: November 27, 2017 This post contains affiliate links
Before I started eating real foods, things like sauerkraut, plain yogurt, kombucha and strong aged cheese were not even on my radar.
These fermented foods tasted and smelled too strong to me and I had no interest in eating them.
I preferred my bland carbohydrates, thank you very much!
Fast forward a couple years, and I noticed that I started to enjoy these foods and even wanted them from time to time.
I was always afraid to try making them myself, but as I read more and more about their health benefits,
I was eventually brave enough to try it.
Now that I have, I will never go back!
What Are Fermented Foods?
Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid.
This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics.
Natural fermentation of foods has also been shown to preserve nutrients in food and break the food down to a more digestible form.
This, along with the bevy of probiotics created during the fermentation process, could explain the link between consumption of fermented foods and improved digestion.
Cultures around the world have been eating fermented foods for years, from Sauerkraut in Germany to Kimichi in Korea and everywhere in between.
Studies have even shown the link between probiotic rich foods and overall health.
Sadly, with the advances in technology and food preparation, these time-honored traditional foods have been largely lost in our society.
Where Have All the Fermented Foods Gone?
The amount of probiotics and enzymes available in the average diet has declined sharply over the last few decades as pasteurized milk has replaced raw,
pasteurized yogurt has replaced homemade, vinegar based pickels and sauerkraut have replaced traditional lacto-fermented versions…the list goes on.
Even the much dreaded grains were safer to eat in earlier times since their preparation included soaking, sprouting and fermenting,
which largely reduces the anti-nutrient content and makes them less harmful (I still didn’t say good!).
Instead of the nutrient rich foods full of enzymes and probiotics that our grandparents probably ate, the average diet today consists mainly of sugar laden, lab created dead foods.
Why Eat Fermented Foods?
Besides the fact that they taste great and really grow on you, there are several great reasons to start making and eating fermented foods:
Probiotics– Eating fermented foods and drinking fermented drinks like Kefir and Kombucha will introduce beneficial bacteria into your digestive system and help the balance of bacteria in your digestive system.
Probiotics have also been shown to help slow or reverse some diseases, improve bowel health, aid digestion, and improve immunity!
Absorb Food Better– Having the proper balance of gut bacteria and enough digestive enzymes helps you absorb more of the nutrients in the foods you eat.
Pair this with your healthy real food diet, and you will absorb many more nutrients from the foods you eat. You won’t need as many supplements and vitamins, and you’ll be absorbing more of the live nutrients in your foods.
Budget Friendly– Incorporating healthy foods into your diet can get expensive, but not so with fermented foods.
You can make your own whey at home for a couple of dollars, and using that and sea salt, ferment many foods very inexpensively. Drinks like Water Kefir and Kombucha can be made at home also and cost only pennies per serving.
Adding these things to your diet can also cut down on the number of supplements you need, helping the budget further.
Preserves Food Easily– Homemade salsa only lasts a few days in the fridge- Fermented homemade salsa lasts months!
The same goes for sauerkraut, pickles, beets and other garden foods. Lacto-fermentation allows you to store these foods for longer periods of time without losing the nutrients like you would with traditional canning.
Bring on the Bacteria! How to Incorporate Fermented Foods Into Your Diet
I’ll be delving into this more in the next few weeks and providing some recipes, but adding fermented foods to your diet can be an easy process (and can save you money on probiotics and digestive enzyme supplements!)
On a basic level, you can make foods like sauerkraut with just cabbage, water and salt on your counter (that recipe can be adjusted down to make 1 head of cabbage worth in a quart size jar).
You can also incorporate fermented drinks like water kefir and Kombucha which are inexpensive to make and can be carbonated like soda!
Are you a fan of fermented foods or are you still unsure? If you already eat fermented foods, please share your favorites!
HOW TO FERMENT VEGETABLES
How to Ferment Vegetables
Filed Under: Getting Started, Tutorial, Natural Fermentation
Fermented vegetables begin with lacto-fermentation, a method of food preservation that also enhances the nutrient content of the food. The action of the bacteria makes the minerals in cultured foods more readily available to the body. The bacteria also produce vitamins and enzymes that are beneficial for digestion.
Almost any vegetable can be fermented, and fermenting farm-fresh produce is a great way to provide good nutrition year-round! Ferment one vegetable alone or create mix of many different kinds, along with herbs and spices, for a great variety of cultured foods. Below is what you'll need to get started...
HOW TO FERMENT VEGETABLES
1. CHOOSE YOUR FERMENTATION EQUIPMENT
While fermenting vegetables does not require a lot of specialized equipment, using the appropriate equipment can make all the difference when getting started. From a good chopping knife to the right fermentation vessel, you'll want to pick equipment to fit your needs. When choosing your fermentation equipment and supplies, consider your options carefully. Some of our favorites are the Masontops fermentation supplies, which conveniently pair with regular-mouth and wide-mouth mason jars. They are available on their own or as part of Cultures for Health's DIY Fermented Vegetable Kits.
Pickle Pipe Fermentation Airlock
Pickle Pipe Fermentation Airlock
Pickle Packle for Vegetable Fermentation
Pickle Packer
2. PREPARE THE VEGETABLES FOR FERMENTING
There are several ways to prepare the vegetables for fermenting: grating, shredding, chopping, slicing, or leaving whole. How you choose to prepare your vegetables is a personal choice, though some vegetables are better suited for leaving whole, while others ferment better when shredded or grated. Read more about these nuances and how to prepare vegetables for fermenting here.
3. DECIDE IF YOU WILL USE SALT, WHEY, OR A STARTER CULTURE
A fermented food recipe may call specifically for salt, salt and whey, or a starter culture. The method chosen can vary, depending on personal taste, special dietary requirements, and even the vegetables used. The information presented in this article can help you decide between salt, whey, and starter cultures for fermenting vegetables.
If salt fermentation is the preferred method, choose from the different kinds of salt appropriate for culturing.
4. USE WATER TO PREPARE THE BRINE
Water used for preparing brine or starter culture should be as free from contaminants as possible, for the best-tasting fermented vegetables. Consider the points in this article before choosing your water source for culturing.
5. WEIGH THE VEGETABLES DOWN UNDER THE BRINE
Once the vegetables have been prepared and placed in the chosen fermentation vessel, weigh the vegetables down under the brine, keeping them in an anaerobic environment during the fermentation period.
6. MOVE THE FERMENTED VEGETABLES TO COLD STORAGE
Once the vegetables are finished culturing, it’s time to move them to cold storage. When new to fermenting, it may be difficult to know exactly when to consider the vegetables finished. Follow these tips for deciding when vegetables are ready for cold storage, to enjoy the finished vegetables for as long as possible.
7. TROUBLESHOOTING
As with any culturing process, each batch of fermented vegetables can turn out differently. If the vegetables grow mold or yeast on top, use this guide to decide what to do about mold and how to prevent it in future batches.
SEE ALSO: Fermented Vegetables Terminology from A to Z
FERMENTED VEGETABLE RECIPES
Ready to get started culturing? Try out one of the following easy lacto-fermented vegetable recipes!
Sauerkraut
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/diy-kits/classic-sauerkraut-making-kit
Homemade Kimchi
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/diy-kits/homemade-kimchi-kit
Fermented Carrot Sticks
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/naturally-fermented-cultured-carrot-sticks-recipe
Fermented Radishes
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/lacto-fermented-radishes-recipe
Fermented Garlic Cloves
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/lacto-fermented-garlic-cloves-recipe
FERMENTED VEGETABLE, FRUIT, & CONDIMENT RECIPES
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/category/lacto-fermentation-recipes/
Fermenting Veggies at Home: Follow Food Safety ABCs
BY COOKSON BEECHER | MARCH 11, 2014
Fermentation has become what USDA microbiologist Fred Breidt, Jr., describes as a “movement that’s picking up speed.”
And for good reason, said Breidt, who specializes in the safety of fermented and acidic foods. Referring to home preparers, small producers and restaurant owners, he said that “they like being able to pick up these nice flavors (from fermentation) and making new ones.”
Sandor Katz, author of “Wild Fermentation” and “The Art of Fermentation,” refers to this “food movement” as a “fermentation revival.”
Considered to be “live foods, fermented foods have a natural tart flavor because the sugars and carbohydrates have been broken down and used up during fermentation.” Katz said that, in the case of vegetables, they’re more digestible than raw ones. And, because they contain “living bacteria,” they help digest other foods in the digestive tract.
Fermentation has long been part of human history. In fact, food scientists say that it played a vital role in human survival in the days before stoves and refrigerators simply because it allowed people to preserve food in a nutritional and safe way. Think foods such as cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, olives, salami, jerky and even bread. And think beverages such as wine and beer, not to mention coffee and hot chocolate. All of these — and many more — are examples of fermented foods.
Although we eat one form of fermented food every day, the idea of fermenting our own food conjures up images of strange, iffy, and perhaps dangerous dishes. Surely it would be best to leave it to the experts.
Not so, say food scientists, microbiologists and fermentation advocates — especially in the case of fermented raw vegetables. They point out that just about any raw vegetable can be safely fermented at home, if done properly.
Breidt has often been quoted as saying that the scientific literature has never recorded a case of food poisoning involving raw vegetables that have been fermented properly. But he emphasized that the key word here is “properly,” which some people who quote him fail to include in that sentence.
How does it work?
Simply put, fermentation of vegetables happens when the natural bacteria in the vegetables break down the components of the vegetables into forms easier to digest and often more nutritious than the raw vegetable itself.
For those who have apprehensions about food safety, Breidt said that fermented vegetables can be safer than raw vegetables, thanks to the ability of lactic acid, which forms during fermentation, to hunt down and kill any harmful bacteria that might be present.
“It’s almost bulletproof,” he said, referring to fermentation of vegetables, which almost always includes adding salt to shredded, chopped or grated raw vegetables.
Breidt refers to lactic acid bacteria as the “world champions for consuming sugars and converting them to lactic acid.” From there, the lactic acid gets to work overpowering any pathogens on hand.
Fermentation was probably one of the first technologies adopted by humans, Breidt said, noting that it likely developed about the same time as pots in which to hold food. “Vegetables and salt got together,” he said, conjecturing about how this happy “food marriage” began.
Humans probably adopted fermentation about 12,000 years ago — at the dawn of civilization — and Breidt said the technology rapidly spread from region to region.
“We still do it the same way today,” he said. “Why? Because it works. It’s hard to mess it up. Things can go wrong, but it’s rare.”
Author Sandor Katz echoed this, telling Food Safety News that home fermentation of raw vegetables is intrinsically safe. He listed cabbage, daikon radishes, turnips, parsnips, cucumbers, okra, string beans and green tomatoes as good candidates for fermentation.
“There’s no vegetable you can’t ferment,” he said, but added that leafy greens such as kale — because of their chlorophyll content — aren’t to most people’s liking.
During an NPR interview, Katz explained that pickling and fermentation are not the same, although they are “overlapping” categories. A cucumber, for example, can be pickled with vinegar or fermented without vinegar, using a salty brine instead. During fermentation, however, vinegar and other acids are produced, which is why fermented sauerkraut and pickles taste “vinegary.”
When looking at fermented foods collectively, Katz said they’re a big part of the food industry, which means that a lot of research has been done, and is being done, on fermentation. Even now, he said, the traditional methods of fermentation continue to work well.
He pointed out that, until a few generations ago, fermentation was a common way to process foods.
“Historically, it was a way for people to preserve the harvest for the winter,” he said.
But now that it isn’t commonly done at home or in the community, people tend not to ferment foods at home because of their fear of bacteria, viewing fermentation as some sort of “mystique.”
Breidt said that, in Germany, sauerkraut was an important way to stay healthy during the winter, thanks to its nutritional value, which includes healthy amounts of Vitamin C. He also said that sailors, including those on Captain Cook’s crew, ate sauerkraut as a way to get enough Vitamin C.
“A large chunk of human history relied on fermentation as a way to preserve vegetables and help keep people healthy,” he said.
Today, fermentation continues to be widespread and practiced in all parts of the world, with regions and nations having their own special favorite fermented foods — kimchee in Korea, for example, and sauerkraut in Germany.
What about food safety?
While fermented vegetables can be safer than raw vegetables, primarily because the fermentation process kills harmful bacteria, basic food-safety practices need to be followed.
Both Breidt and Katz said that it’s important to start out with vegetables that have been grown using good food-safety practices. This includes making sure the vegetables didn’t come into contact with manure or compost that still has some pathogens such as E. coli or Salmonella in it.
“You don’t want to use vegetables that have been contaminated when they’re raw,” Katz said.
“Just normal fermentation will kill the organisms,” said Breidt. “But you don’t want to ignore good handling and good sanitary practices.”
These include washing the produce, your hands, any cutting or preparation utensils, surfaces where the food will be cut or chopped, and any containers you use for the food.
As for quality, both agree that the fresher the veggies, the better.
University of Idaho food scientist Gulhan Unlu, who focuses on food microbiology and bacteriology, told Food Safety News that the biggest concern with fermented vegetables is contamination after the foods have been fermented. This includes handling them with unclean hands, or letting them come into contact with contaminated meat or fish or with surfaces that haven’t been adequately cleaned. But overall, she agreed that, from a food-safety standpoint, fermented vegetables can be safer than raw vegetables.
A World Health Organization report, which focused on the value of fermentation for people in developing nations who don’t have refrigeration — or enough fuel to thoroughly cook their food, or to store it at high enough temperatures, or to reheat it — shared some similar thoughts about food safety.
“From the food safety point of view, the benefits of fermentation include the inhibition of the growth of most pathogenic bacteria and the formation of bacterial toxins,” states the report.
The report also made it clear that basic food-safety guidelines must be followed and states that “there is considerable evidence that lactic acid fermentation inhibits the survival and multiplication of a number of bacterial pathogens.”
However, the report adds, the potential of lactic acid fermentation to control the harmful effects of food contamination depends on factors difficult to quantify, such as the initial level of contamination, which, in turn, depends on local conditions, levels of hygiene and sanitation, and the resulting degree of acidity.
“On its own, fermentation cannot eliminate all food-related health risks, and it should not be seen as a replacement for observing the principles of food hygiene,” reads the report.
Proper temperature is important. According to USDA, at temperatures between 70-75 degrees F, kraut will be fully fermented in about three to four weeks; at 60-65 degrees F, fermentation may take five to six weeks. At temperatures lower than 60 degrees F, kraut may not ferment, and, above 75 degrees F, kraut may become soft.
The take-home message: Proper fermentation temperature allows for problem pathogens to be “selected” and destroyed, while it also inhibits the growth of organisms that can spoil the food.
Salt is an essential ingredient, and since consumers don’t usually have a good way to measure salt concentration in the finished product, they need to be sure they measure the salt carefully and follow a tested recipe. Types of salt to use are canning and pickling salt, since table salt, kosher salt, or other types of salt cannot be interchanged with canning and pickling salt. Also, salt with iodine added shouldn’t be used since iodine can inhibit fermentation.
The correct level of salt to use varies with the food being fermented. It ranges from 2.25 percent (by volume) for sauerkraut to more than 13 percent for other food items. Again, tested recipes should be followed when it comes to the proper amount of salt to use.
Salt affects the type and extent of microbial activity and helps keep vegetables from becoming soft.
Storage time also affects the texture. The shorter the time, the firmer the vegetables. Storing food that has already been fermented in the refrigerator or a root cellar significantly slows down the rate of fermentation. That’s why fermented foods can be stored for up to three months, or longer, without losing their quality and good taste.
Fermented food needs to reach a pH level of 4.6 or lower (which indicates it is acidic enough to be safe). Fermentation, if done properly, will bring food to the “safe” acid level.
In a case of botulism poisoning in fermented tofu in 2012 in New York City, the city’s health department informed the manager of the grocery store where the tofu was purchased that the tofu needed to be stored below 41 degrees F. in closed containers. The people who fell ill bought from the store’s bulk tofu, which had been kept unrefrigerated, uncovered, and in water-filled bins.
Botulism is an extremely dangerous and often deadly foodborne pathogen.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, only one similar botulism poisoning in the U.S. has been recorded. Yet home-fermented tofu and other fermented bean products are the leading cause of botulism poisoning in China. Again, the proper food-safety precautions, chief among them sanitation, but also temperature controls, need to be taken.
Sauerkraut it is
Breidt encourages people to find tested recipes at university Extension sites or in cookbooks written by reputable food experts.
Making sauerkraut is a good way to get started on the road to fermentation. It’s simple to do but also involves a basic procedure that can be used with other vegetables, although the amount of salt and fermenting time can vary.
Breidt advises beginners to grate, chop or shred the vegetables they plan to ferment because vegetables such as carrots and beets are dense enough that it’s difficult for the lactic acid to get inside of them if they’re in big chunks. The more surface area, the better — and the safer.
However, he said that’s not the case with cucumbers, primarily because they’re about 90 percent water, which makes it easier for the lactic acid to penetrate them.
Getting started
To get started making sauerkraut, select a nice-looking, firm head of cabbage that’s as fresh as possible. Remove the outer leaves and cut out any spoiled or damaged spots. Rinse the cabbage head.
Quarter the cabbage and remove the core. After shredding, grating or chopping the cabbage, put it into a clean container large enough for a generous amount of headroom at the top. Add the amount of salt suggested in the recipe and spread it out evenly throughout the cabbage. (Some people layer the cabbage and the salt.) Mix it together well, and then let it set for 10 minutes so that the salt can start drawing the juice out of the cabbage.
Katz recommends three tablespoons of salt for five pounds of cabbage. But he also says that he uses more salt in the summer and less in the winter. (A medium-sized head of cabbage weighs about 2 to 2-1/2 pounds.)
Start squeezing handfuls of the cabbage as hard as you can. The goal is to get as much juice out of the cabbage as possible. Some people pound the cabbage mixture with a potato masher or a tool known as a “kraut pounder.” Overall, this part of the process takes about 10 minutes.
Some people like to add “a starter” such as lactobacillus or whey to speed things up. But Katz said that it’s not necessary to do that since fermentation is a natural process that doesn’t need any sort of a boost. A USDA recipe for sauerkraut calls for only salt and cabbage. However, if you do use a packaged starter, make sure you follow the instructions.
Once the brine has been “released,” tightly pack the cabbage into a clean fermenting jar, crock, or food-grade plastic container (don’t use anything metal), making sure there are no cracks or scratches in the containers that could harbor pathogens.
Other good choices for containers include a glass jar with a standard airlock system (available online or in some kitchen-goods stores), a round slow-cooker insert (make sure it doesn’t have any cracks), or a specialty ceramic fermenting crock (complete with lids, weights, a water-trough-airlock system and weights).
Cultures for Health has more information about equipment and tools for fermenting sauerkraut and other vegetables.
With the goal of keeping the cabbage submerged in its brine, put some sort of sterile lid on top of it once it’s in the new container. A large plate can work well, with a zip-lock plastic bag filled with water placed on top of the plate to weight it down. A sterilized heavy rock on top of the plate will also do the trick.
In the case of a smaller batch, an open-mouth canning jar with a smaller jar filled with water placed on top of the chopped cabbage to keep it submerged works well.
Whether making a large or small batch, place a clean towel over the container and secure it with a rubber band. This will keep insects out while allowing some of the gases produced during fermentation to escape.
The goal at this point is to keep the minimum amount of oxygen from reaching the vegetables so that mold doesn’t develop. But, if a light amount of mold does develop at the surface, just skim it off and remove any of the sauerkraut that has become discolored. It’s essential not to let mold develop to the point that it can get down into the sauerkraut or other vegetables being fermented. If that happens, Breidt advises, for the sake of food safety, toss the batch.
Once all of that is done, put the sauerkraut in a place where you can keep an eye on it. After about three to 21 days, the brine will clear and the cabbage will start to taste tangy.
Start sampling to see when the sauerkraut tastes the way you want. Some people like a lightly fermented sauerkraut; others like it tangier. Once it reaches the stage you like it, put it into a container, such as a tightly covered jar, and put it into the refrigerator, making sure there’s 1/2 inch of headroom. It’s important that the brine covers the sauerkraut. If the kraut doesn’t stay submerged, add some clean water.
It’s also important to release the pressure from the gases that will build up. This can be done by opening the lid now and then to let the gases escape.
Other vegetables such as grated carrots, beets or turnips can be added to the sauerkraut mix at the beginning of the process. Adding red cabbage, which provides some color, is another option. Caraway seeds, garlic or even juniper berries are another nice touch.
“Why not?” Breidt commented, referring to using a mix of ingredients. “That’s what adds flavor and variety to fermented vegetables.”
As the sauerkraut cools down when you put it in the refrigerator or into a root cellar, the fermentation process slows rapidly, which means you’ll be able to enjoy the finished product for several weeks or longer.
Many people find that putting their fermented vegetables in a root cellar or refrigerator for four to six weeks improves the flavor. In storage, the bacteria continue to ferment, but at a very slow rate.
Fermented vegetables with 1 percent to 2 percent salt by volume of the fermented product should keep well for at least four to nine months, respectively, in a refrigerator. A 2-percent salted version should keep well in a dark, cool area such as a root cellar for at least three months, if the vegetables are kept submerged under liquid.
Some people recommend covering the containers with a dark cloth to maintain Vitamin C levels.
Katz has a video of how to make sauerkraut on YouTube.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation has more information about fermentation and recipes including sauerkraut and pickles.
List of Fermented Milk Products
Fermented milk products often contain probiotics, which promote gut health.
Milk has been used to produce fermented milk products as far back as 10,000 B.C. in different regions all over the world. The many benefits of fermented milk products include enhanced digestibility, new and unique flavors, added probiotics, vitamins and minerals, and preservation products for a food that normally has a very short shelf life.
Fermenting Process
The processes used to turn milk into different fermented foods involves adding lactic-acid-producing microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, which ingest lactose, or milk sugar, and release lactic acid as waste. This result is a rise in milk acidity, which allows the production of kefir, yogurt, cheese and sour cream among other fermented foods.
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented yogurt-like drink that dates back centuries to the shepherds of the Caucasus Mountains. The word "kefir" is derived from the Turkish word “Keif,” which means "good feeling"; a benefit this drink is said to provide for those who consume it. Kefir is produced with starter grains, known as kefir grains, which contain active microorganisms consisting of 83 to 90 percent lactic acid bacteria and 10 to 17 percent yeast. Kefir incorporates various essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes, particularly phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and vitamins B2, B12, D, K and A.
Yogurt
A staple of the Middle Eastern diet for thousands of years, yogurt is a fermented food that holds the same level of protein and fat as the milk from which it is produced. It is also a source of calcium and vitamins B2, B6 and B12. Yogurt, like other fermented milk products, is primarily cultured from cows milk, but can be made from goat's milk. Microorganisms can also be used to ferment non-dairy milks, including coconut milk, almond milk and soy milk, into yogurt.
Cheeses
Cheese may be the most popular fermented milk product, using more than one-third of all milk produced in the United States each year for its production. Both soft and hard cheeses are produced by culturing milk for an extended period of time. Certain types of cheeses can be made simply by straining the moisture out of sour cream or yogurt. Some other types of cheese, however, require additional steps in the culturing and fermentation process. Over 2,000 varieties of cheeses exist, with some of the most notable being cheddar, feta, cream, goat and blue.
Sour Cream
The original process for making sour cream was to simply let cream sour on its own. Today, a more proactive process is used: the lactic-acid-producing bacteria Streptococcus lactis. The flavor of sour cream is mild and tangy and the texture is thick and smooth. With a fat content somewhere between 10 to 14 percent, sour cream has significantly fewer calories than mayonnaise -- a food sour cream can replace in many applications. Sour cream also works well in baking recipes for cookies cakes, breads and pies.
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