Sour fermented that is spoiled or? No way! Fermented foods are totally in vogue. They are mega healthy and taste amazingly delicious. Especially our intestines love them!
Fermented foods are the food trend of the year. So naturally we're curious. What is fermenting and why is it so trendy?
Bloggers are currently trying to ferment a wide variety of vegetables. Small farm stores, natural food stores and delicatessens are currently enjoying brisk sales for probiotic foods. But what is the reason for this and is it worth it?
If you think about it now: What is fermenting? Then perhaps sauerkraut comes to mind.
Yes, you are not wrong.
But of course there is more :)
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How about freshly baked sourdough bread, tarte flambée with sauerkraut or kefir drinks?
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The taste of these dishes is just a small fraction of the reasons you should definitely give fermented foods a chance.
But fermented is not only delicious, but also mega healthy for our gut.
What is fermenting actually?
But what is fermenting anyway? Fermentation is actually nothing more than a fermentation process. Put simply, fungal and bacterial cultures trigger a metabolic process in fresh vegetables.
The vegetables are then aged for several days under controlled conditions. This gives it a lot of new properties that you should not underestimate.
In the past, food was preserved for a long time by fermentation. Not only professional chefs are enthusiastic about the many health-promoting effects and the taste.
In the fermentation process, foods such as vegetables are mixed with salt and transformed into given to a sealed vessel.
This produces lactic acid, which eventually begins to ferment.
The important thing is that bad bacteria remain inactive during this process. This is exactly what makes fermented foods so healthy.
Wow! You can ferment sauerkraut yourself so easily!
It also makes the flavors more versatile and intense. Fermentation takes place in numerous foods without us knowing it. Thanks to bacteria and fungi, grain becomes beer, milk becomes yogurt, or grape juice becomes wine. As you can see, fermented foods are ubiquitous.
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Even tea comes in different levels of fermentation.
Let's take black, green or white tea. They differ significantly not only in color, but also in taste. In the case of tea, however, we are talking about an oxidation process.
The leaves are rolled in a warm, humid environment. This causes the leaf cells to break open, allowing the cell sap to escape. If the leaves then come into contact with oxygen, the ingredients flow together, causing a discoloration of the tea.
The colors vary from dark green to copper red. During the oxidation process, the tea develops its aromatic and intense flavor.
So fermented foods are nothing more than refined foods.
By the way: If you are interested in fermenting, I can give you recommend the store of Fairment*. Here you will not only find jars, bacterial cultures and fermentation attachments, but also lots of helpful information.
By the way, when you buy a starter kit, you also get free access to the online academy, where you learn how to ferment and where your questions are answered. I like to hang out in this members area and I also came across this recipe for sauerkraut here.
What happens during food fermentation?
Before food is fermented, a starter culture is added to most foods. These are natural microorganisms such as molds, yeast or good bacteria.
In the case of cheese, these are rennet or lactic acid bacteria. Only then can the milk curdle and be processed into cheese, yogurt and the like.
The microorganisms can come either from the ingredients themselves or from the environment.
It is important that you store the food in an airtight container.
The starter cultures multiply during storage. Carbohydrates are then converted to lactic acid with preservative properties.
An acidic environment is created when the pH value drops. This prevents unhealthy germs from thriving. They would ensure that the vegetables would spoil during fermentation.
The result of the fermentation process is durable food that has changed in taste, nutritional value and texture.
What makes fermented foods so healthy?
In order for food to be available in winter, people used to have to preserve it after harvesting.
The whole thing, of course, without electricity, let alone freezers. Fermentation was particularly suitable for this purpose, as the food did not have to be heated and the supply of vitamins was nevertheless ensured during the winter months.
What does fermentation mean? In the past, food was only fermented so that it could be kept for a long time. Today we know that the fermentation process also makes them mega healthy.
But what exactly makes fermented foods so healthy?
To do this, you need to know that during the fermentation process additional vitamins are created. Among other things, vital vitamin C and vitamin B.
In fact, in the past it was not possible to buy food supplements in the nearest supermarket. Thanks to the fermentation process, people could eat a balanced diet all year round with regional products. Without far-traveled imported products.
But you don't just benefit from the vitamins they contain. Your intestines will also be happy about fermented foods.
Why? Quite simply, lactic fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt or sauerkraut promote healthy intestinal flora.
This is important not only for your digestion, but also for your immune system.
In addition, fermented products are easier to digest and lower in calories due to the broken down carbohydrates.
So, what are you waiting for? There are lots of fermented foods waiting to be tried by you. :)
How you can ferment food yourself
In the past, all housewives knew how to preserve their vegetables for a long time by fermentation, thus ensuring the supply of vitamins in winter.
You probably also tend to reach for canned, imported or frozen vegetables nowadays, don't you? But it's very easy to ferment food.
With lactic fermented foods, you don't need a starter culture because lactic acid bacteria are already on the surface of the vegetables.
The best example of this is white cabbage. Under no circumstances should you wash it before fermenting. This will flush some of the lactic acid bacteria down the drain.
Place the vegetables in a container, and it is sufficient to cover them with a plate and an additional weight. It is important that you now ensure that no atmospheric oxygen gets to the contents. The purpose of the weight is to prevent the plate from being lifted by rising air bubbles.
At room temperature, it now takes 2 to 6 weeks until you can enjoy your vegetables.
What can go wrong with fermentation?
But what is fermenting, if you have not tried it yourself? Exactly! So it's really not that difficult. If you've never ventured into fermenting before, you should give it a try.
You should start with vegetables that contain little water like carrots, cabbage or beans.
Once you've had your first experience, you can pickle more watery varieties like zucchini or cucumbers.
You should always pay attention to the right amount of salt. Otherwise, the vegetables can easily become too mushy.
What could happen to you during fermentation
The vegetables spoil
Poor hygiene will cause the vegetables to spoil. If you use dirty containers or do not wash your hands or the vegetables properly before processing, the vegetables can spoil during the fermentation process. So always make sure you work cleanly.
You see white deposits
If you notice white deposits on the fermenting material, then oxygen has probably gotten to the vegetables. Yeast bacteria from the air destroy the entire fermentation process.
Unfortunately, now the vegetables can not be saved.
The lid of the jar bulges during storage
If this happens to you, then it indicates that you have screwed the glass lid too tight.
This means that the gases produced during the slow further ripening cannot escape. It is also possible that the entire fermentation material is spoiled. If this is the case, you can smell it in any case.
The vegetables mold or rot
In case of unhygienic processing, too high ambient temperature or if the fermentation material was not airtight under water, lactic acid bacteria cannot work. However, harmful bacteria begin to work instead.
Tip: Put a Fermentation set to. It includes a fermentation jar, a weighting stone, a fermentation stopper and spice packets. With this, certainly nothing can go wrong.
Our conclusion
You should now be able to answer the questions, "What does fermented mean?" and "What is fermenting anyway?".
Fermented vegetables are not only good for your health, but also taste incredibly delicious. Have you now also got a desire for it, then you will find on the Internet a lot of recipes.
There are no limits to your creativity here, as long as you pay attention to cleanliness during processing and that no atmospheric oxygen gets to the fermented food. Fermented vegetables are also a good small gift for friends and family.
Simply fill in pretty jars and enjoy the joy of the gift recipient.
With this in mind, good luck and enjoy.
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