I adore the flavor of lacto-fermented vegetables for the umami-rich, salty, and briny flavors that they take on. With great success (and a few failures) in making traditional sauerkraut, kimchi, and the like, I decided to step my game up and get airlocks for mason jars, meaning less babysitting of the vessels in which vegetables are happily bubbling away.
What is lacto-fermentation? It is the process by which traditional pickles and sauerkrauts are prepared, to name the more familiar examples. Basically, by treating vegetables with a moderate amount of salt, either directly or by submerging in a brine, lactobacillus and other lactic acid-producing bacteria flourish over time, and ferment the sugars in the vegetable. The lactic acid in the ferment is what creates the pleasantly sour, salty and briny flavors. The solution is also acidic enough to prohibit growth of undesirable bacteria. Lactobacilli are anaerobic and require protection from oxygen, which is why it is necessary to keep them completely submerged in liquid. Conveniently, this process also preserves the vegetables for long periods of time, helpful before the advent of refrigeration and canning, or where growing seasons are short.
Currently in the fridge are four different ferments from last winter, with no signs of molding or going off in any way. There have been small bubbles between the layers of shredded vegetables, indicating that bacterial activity is still present even at refrigeration temperature.
Fermented in glazed ceramic crocks and dishes that my father made, these krauts, kimchis and curtidos were prepared without official weights or airlocks; to me this means that fermentation of vegetables is a friendly and forgiving process. If the process is begun with the appropriate clean, sanitized, and intact equipment, clean produce of noble origin, and uses the correct ratio of salt, it is likely to end in success. That being said, it isn't true that all foods with no signs of spoilage are safe. While I believe the risk is low, it is rational to be informed about spoilage, and to be reasonably vigilant during preparation of ferments; however, it also seems difficult to cock up a method that has existed for eons and can be executed properly even when weighing down fermenting vegetable matter with sticks and stones.
Health claims on eating lacto-fermented products abound, especially in a time when consuming probiotics is still very trendy, and include statements such as:
Shown here are three preparations that are new to me, inspired by the house-fermented pickles at Penrose restaurant in Oakland, and a visit to Michigan which led to furthering my fermentation interests. Expect more information on edible and drinkable ferments here at Umami and Fat, as each corner of the kitchen boasts some little creature fulfilling its mysterious but delectable destiny.
For more information on fermentation, visit Sandor Katz's website, wildfermentation.com
Also, these folks stay up on their vegetable ferments and provide inspiration for the fermentation kitchen: The Brinery in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Hex Ferments in Baltimore, Maryland.
What is lacto-fermentation? It is the process by which traditional pickles and sauerkrauts are prepared, to name the more familiar examples. Basically, by treating vegetables with a moderate amount of salt, either directly or by submerging in a brine, lactobacillus and other lactic acid-producing bacteria flourish over time, and ferment the sugars in the vegetable. The lactic acid in the ferment is what creates the pleasantly sour, salty and briny flavors. The solution is also acidic enough to prohibit growth of undesirable bacteria. Lactobacilli are anaerobic and require protection from oxygen, which is why it is necessary to keep them completely submerged in liquid. Conveniently, this process also preserves the vegetables for long periods of time, helpful before the advent of refrigeration and canning, or where growing seasons are short.
Currently in the fridge are four different ferments from last winter, with no signs of molding or going off in any way. There have been small bubbles between the layers of shredded vegetables, indicating that bacterial activity is still present even at refrigeration temperature.
Fermented in glazed ceramic crocks and dishes that my father made, these krauts, kimchis and curtidos were prepared without official weights or airlocks; to me this means that fermentation of vegetables is a friendly and forgiving process. If the process is begun with the appropriate clean, sanitized, and intact equipment, clean produce of noble origin, and uses the correct ratio of salt, it is likely to end in success. That being said, it isn't true that all foods with no signs of spoilage are safe. While I believe the risk is low, it is rational to be informed about spoilage, and to be reasonably vigilant during preparation of ferments; however, it also seems difficult to cock up a method that has existed for eons and can be executed properly even when weighing down fermenting vegetable matter with sticks and stones.
Health claims on eating lacto-fermented products abound, especially in a time when consuming probiotics is still very trendy, and include statements such as:
- lacto-fermentation increases the vitamin content of vegetables
- makes vegetables more digestible
- increases growth of positive intestinal flora and therefore improves intestinal health
- alkalises blood
- flushes toxins from the body
Shown here are three preparations that are new to me, inspired by the house-fermented pickles at Penrose restaurant in Oakland, and a visit to Michigan which led to furthering my fermentation interests. Expect more information on edible and drinkable ferments here at Umami and Fat, as each corner of the kitchen boasts some little creature fulfilling its mysterious but delectable destiny.
For more information on fermentation, visit Sandor Katz's website, wildfermentation.com
Also, these folks stay up on their vegetable ferments and provide inspiration for the fermentation kitchen: The Brinery in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Hex Ferments in Baltimore, Maryland.