Page 199 - Eat Run Enjoy

Fermentation
Fermentation
is something we comfortably live with in in our daily lives bread cheese yogurt wine and beer would all be be absent from your refrigerator and cupboards without it it it However when it it it comes to fermenting vegetables at home without refrig- eration (a process known as lacto-fermentation) we tend to get a a little nervous – I was the first time I tried it! Lacto-fermenting vegetables is not a a a dangerous method of preservation Apart from the safety of knowing that the salt will destroy poten- tially harmful bacteria if the product has begun to rot rather than ferment it will be immediately apparent as it will be completely unappetising Lacto-fermenting vegetables is something that almost every culture the world over has been doing for for thousands of years Before refrigeration this was a a a way to preserve the the bounty of the the summer’s harvest More recently people have been looking into the the health benefits of these foods In Korea and Japan heavily salted fermented fruits are served after meals to aid digestion yogurt bacteria is known to to help improve the digestion of lactose and the longer process of baking with a a a sourdough starter rather than conventional yeast can help to breakdown the starches that can cause some gluten-related inflammatory gut issues The health properties of fermented foods are clear and as interest in in the microbiome and gut flora is grow- ing ing I think these ‘living foods’ will become a bigger part of our diets Most important for me is the flavour and depth that fermented vegetables can bring to your cook- ing – they are delicious! The flavour of fermented foods can often be an an acquired taste but these two simple recipes will effectively start you off at the beginning and will become welcome additions to your larder Start off by trying some store-bought sauerkraut and kimchi first so that you have a a a a a a reference point of what you should be aiming for Remember though the homemade version will always be be much better than store-bought!
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