Fermenting Your Thoughts?….

Fermentation! What is it? And why should I care? Turns out Grandma and Grandpa new a thing or two about having a healthy gut when they threw the cabbage in the crock to let it turn into nice tangy sauerkraut. Not a fan of sauerkraut? There are lots of other foods we can ferment. Think about kombucha, or sourdough bread products these are fermented products. There are probably not many people out there that have not heard of the digestive aid of pro and prebiotics and the role they play in our nutritional health. But there may be more to this than we think.

While doing a little research on fermentation, I came across an interesting paper published by The National Center for Biotechnology Information (yup, that’s a thing). The National Center for Biotechnology Information is part of the United States National Library of Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health. It is approved and funded by the government of the United States. Wikipedia The paper focused on a studies done on the impact of fermented foods on human cognitive function. For the purpose of this paper they focused on the effects of fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, sour cream etc.) on the cognitive process and social anxiety. I’m including the link to the paper. It’s a very interesting read. Although NCBI was quick to point out that although clinical trials were somewhat limited; early research suggests a definite benefit to our mental health via functional foods in general and fermented foods in specific. I don’t know about y’all; but lately there are days when I feel like I might be losing my mind 😉

Kefir is an easy diy. You can get your kefir milk grains from Amazon (of course you can). Just a couple of points on that: make sure you are ordering ‘milk’ kefir grains and not ‘water’ kefir grains. Also, check and ensure that you are ordering grains and not culture powder. Not to say that the culture is bad it’s just that it’s a one time use and will not multiply like the grains will. The grains are not cheap; but they could last indefinitely because they multiply. Perhaps you have a health conscious friend who can hook you up?? I also came across a genius blog post on using store bought kefir as your starter. She does say that she feels that the grains produce a healthier product. But if you are not ready to dive in by purchasing the grains; this is a quick, easy and affordable way to test the waters. She uses a cup of store bought kefir to a gallon of milk. Bam!! That’s it. Leave it sitting out at room temperature for 24 hours and you have a finished product. You could leave it out a bit longer for additional fermentation (tartness). But that’s it. Genius!! I haven’t tried making kefir this way…..yet. But I think I will give it a try. If you have tried it let me know what you think. Leave me a comment.

I have included a few of my favourite (non dairy) fermented concoctions here that are incredibly simple and so worth the try. The first three don’t even warrant a recipe really. The first two are honey ferments and the key is unpasteurized honey. Only raw honey will contain the natural yeast enzymes necessary for fermenting. Probably one of my favourite ferments is the honey, ginger and lemon. I whipped out the mandolin for this one. But a good sharp knife will do. As for the ginger; I did use the mandolin but even at the thinnest slice I used up a lot of ginger. I know that some people prefer just shaving the ginger with a vegetable peeler. Your call. Alternate layers of lemon and ginger into your jar and then fill with raw honey. You’ll want to poke around with a chopstick (or why) to ensure that the honey is evenly distributed between the layers. Set aside for at least two weeks. This is a good addition to sauces and vinaigrettes; but absolutely lovely by the spoonful to soothe a sore throat or in a cup of hot water along with some chunks of lemon and ginger.Some people think that too long of a ferment can result in a bitterness due to the lemon pith. If you think it’s going a bit far, just pop it into the fridge and that will stop the ferment.

Honey/Garlic: Far and away the most tedious is peeling a cups worth of garlic cloves into your jar and cover with a cup of honey. Minimum two week ferment. Done.

Honey has antibacterial properties as does garlic. The two combined are a powerhouse of an immune booster particularly during the cold and flu season. This one also needs an initial ferment of two weeks but can sit on the counter I would think indefinitely. The garlic will eventually turn black; still tasty and useable. Again, if you want to stop the fermentation just pop it into the fridge.

Apple Cider Vinegar. So Easy! This one is great for using up all those crab apples. Or, you can use left over peels and cores from the apple pie(s). The size (and quantity of apple product) may vary. The liquid ‘recipe’ is: 1 quart of filtered water, 1/2 cup sugar and optionally 2 tablespoons of ACV as a booster. Place in a cool dark cabinet for 2 or 3 weeks (or more). Don’t be afraid to taste test. Before it becomes vinegar it will become a ‘Very’ tasty apple cider 😉

Ginger Bug. The ginger ‘bug’ makes a great springboard for ginger ale or ginger beer. I will often take some of the siphoned solids into a cup of hot water with a bit of honey. Very nice.

I also love to keep some kombucha in the fridge during the summer months. All that’s required there is sweet tea and a scoby. Well, truth be told, there is more to it than that. Stay tuned for a future post dedicated to Kumbucha…… ahh so many ferments; so little time. If you have a favourite drop me a line in the comment section. Maybe you will see it published in a future post (with recognition of course 😉 )