Foray Into Fermenting…

April 11, 2016

A few weeks ago, Charming got me several “how to” books related to farming and homesteading.  He knows that his lovely wife prefers reading “how to” books over any other type (other than the Bible, which I guess is the greatest “how to” book of them all).  What can I say?  I just love to learn how to “do stuff” and there seems to be an endless supply of books that teach you how to “do stuff”. 

The book I’m currently reading is called, “Fresh and Fermented” by Julie O’Brien.  It’s all about the benefits of eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, carrots and other fermented vegetables.  According to her book, fermented foods have been around since the beginning of recorded history and include such things as yogurt, salami, cheese, chocolate, coffee, and wine. 

I’m half way through the book and I’ve read that we all have good and bad bacteria within our bodies.  (Something that I try not to dwell on.)  The body uses its good bacteria to fight off any bad bacteria that enter into the system.  However, problems can arise when we take prescribed antibiotics because these medications can’t distinguish between good and bacteria.  So the good bacteria, as well as the bad, are killed off in the process.  This can weaken the body’s immune system, unless the good bacteria are replaced.  This is where fermented foods come in handy.  They provide the good bacteria, which helps build up the digestive system and, in turn, the immune system.  Good bacteria (like the probiotics found in home-made yogurt and sauerkraut) are said to help aid digestion and improve overall health.  With my gluten sensitivity, I need all the help I can get, so I’m on board with trying this. 

The book provides basic recipes for making fermented foods.  The author also includes recipes that camouflage the fermented foods in things like smoothies, salads, desserts, breakfast foods, dips, salsa and more.  Many of the recipes sound pretty good.  However, before I could try what I like to call the “camouflage recipes” I needed to make one of the basic fermented food recipes.  So last night I went to the store and bought some cabbage and sea salt.  I figure that because cabbage and sea salt are relatively cheap, it won’t be a big loss if it doesn’t turn out well.

I’m not a huge fan of sauerkraut, but then again, I’ve only had the store-bought kind.  I’ve heard that the home-made kind is much better.  So, today I made my first quart of sauerkraut!  It was surprisingly easy to do, didn’t take nearly as much time as I expected it would, and didn’t make the huge mess I expected it would.  (Although a mess still may be in the offing as the book instructs to place your finished jar into a bowl in case of spill-overs.)  Now all I have to do is wait from 1 – 3 weeks (with weekly taste-testings) to see how well my experiment worked.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning how to ferment vegetables.  Below are photos of my attempt and, yes, it really is as easy as it looks!

Ingredients to make your own sauerkraut are simple:  cabbage & sea salt.

Cut out the core and then cut cabbage into really fine slices.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sea salt and let sit for about 20 minutes.

Then knead, pound, smash for about 10 minutes until reduced by half.

Pack cabbage into jar, wedge in the core, and cover with brine. (Foam is o.k.)

 

Leave 1" space between brine and rim of jar. Tighten ring to "finger-tip" tight.