A peek into the world of fermentation

Cabbage with apples, oranges and cranberries still in the early stages of fermentation

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a day-long workshop on how to make your own fermented foods and drinks. It was given by a fellow holistic nutritionist who specializes in fermentation. Fermentation occurs when beneficial bacteria feed off food (starches) and break them down into acetic and lactic acids in an anaerobic environment. Probiotics are food and supplements containing beneficial bacterial cultures that help the body’s naturally occurring intestinal flora re-establish themselves. Probiotic bacteria must be consumed daily to be effective as they do not remain in the intestinal tract and leave the body quite readily.

During the workshop we made kombucha, water kefir, ginger bug, and sauerkraut with fruit.

The funny thing about fermentation is the language. Here are some examples:

Scoby – symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast
Brain – another word for scoby, based on the appearance of the culture
Mother – another word for scoby, so-called because it produces more of its kind (called children)
Ginger Bug – a natural lacto-fermented soda starter

If these words don't make your mouth water, have faith in the knowledge that fermentation is beneficial to our health and well-being. You will enjoy foods you already like - carrots, cauliflower, green beans - but in fermented form. Active bacterial cultures from fermented foods have a huge impact on health, foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, chutneys, kefir, yogurt and kombucha.

Kombucha is fairly simple to make. We mixed together hot water, sugar and black tea (or other tea but black is best). Once it is cooled, you add the scoby and let stand for 1-2 weeks. Once it has fermented, you can take liquid from it to drink, and top it up with more sugar and tea. It is only one tablespoon of sugar which is consumed by the bacterial culture so the longer it ferments, the less sweet it gets.  

Ginger bug is essentially a slurry of sugar, diced fresh ginger and water, which helps to promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and wild yeast.

Fermented foods are nothing new: traditionally almost every civilization regularly produced and consumed at least one cultured food. They are making a comeback now that scientific research has backed up claims that these foods are highly beneficial for our health.

Unfortunately pasteurization, the process that was invented to prevent spoilage, to prevent foods and beverages from turning sour, also kills the bacteria we need to make us healthy. Ironically, by consuming only pasteurized foods, we are compromising the health of our intestinal flora and in so doing make ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisms.

How does fermentation benefit our health?

Fermentation

• nourishes your digestive system, helping to keep it in balance. A balanced digestive system means a strong immune system.
• neutralizes anti-nutrients like phytic acid, which binds to minerals in the gut and decreases their digestibility.
• provides digestive enzymes
• pre-digests foods for us, making the digestive process easier
• increases the vitamin content of foods significantly and aids in the absorption of nutrients as well

So whether you choose to learn to ferment your own foods, or buy them ready-made, fermented foods are an important part of a healthy diet. Making your own is easy and much less expensive than purchasing probiotic supplements. If you are like many people and suffer from some sort of digestive disorder, I encourage you to seek the advice of a certified nutritionist to help get your digestion back in balance. Your gut will thank you.