Recently I’ve felt as though I was neglecting fermentation. I’ve been making sure to get quality pasture-raised meat, quality fats (i.e. butter, coconut oil, lard, olive oil, etc.), fresh milk and cheese, organic whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Sure I culture buttermilk weekly, but that get’s baked. The truth is I’ve been neglecting the enzymes and probiotics produced by fermentation.
So… I went on a fermentation kick.
I finally got a sourdough starter going once again (and yes, that get’s baked so you loose the probiotic benefits, but the enzymes do help to predigest the grains). I’m following Peter Reinhart’s directions from his new Whole Grain Breads book. The basic sandwich loaf turned out pretty well, but I’ll reserve judgment till I make it a few more times.
I put up 3 quarts of lacto-fermented pickles one Saturday and another 3 quarts the next. The first batch had garlic, dill, and mustard (straight from the Nourishing Traditions recipe). The second batch had garlic, dill, peppercorns, and horseradish – don’t know how that’s going to turn out as it was an experiment. It’ll be another 4 weeks or so before I crack those open.
I put up a batch of ginger beer (see
Old-Fashioned, Healthy, Lacto-Fermented Soft Drinks: The Real “Real Thing”). The kids have been bugging me to do this for almost a year and I finally got the gumption to do it. They love this stuff. That will have to ferment for a couple weeks before I open the first bottle.
I even tried inventing a ranch dressing based on my cultured fresh buttermilk and homemade cultured mayonnaise, but it was rejected by the family. I guess I put in too much mustard and lemon juice. Oddly enough, this is the first ranch dressing I’ve ever liked. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t really taste like ranch.
And last, but not least, I bought a gallon of unpasteurized cider from a local orchard and it is now hardening on top of my refrigerator. Last year I found that 5 days was about right to get the flavor and kick I wanted. 
One of these days I’ll get ahold of some kefir grains…
Hi…I’ve been toying around with NT cooking for about a year now, and am starting the Eat Fat Lose Fat book. I’ve really enjoyed your blog.
I got kefir grains from this list
http://www.torontoadvisors.com/Kefir/kefir-list.php
It is an international list. I have had good luck from imapecci in Battlecreek, MI….she’s been fair and reliable, but she was a good choice because she is fairly close by, so the grains spend less time in the mail. However, she sends them 2 day – and makes sure she mails them when they are not going to be over-weekended.
Yum! I’ve been eyeing the mint chutney in NT. I will have to attempt the ginger beer — it sounds like a wondeful fall treat.
I’ve had good luck with kefir grains from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Co., http://www.cheesemaking.com. I also used their buttermilk culture to get mine going, and it’s very smooth and delicious.
Kim
I love ferments. Fermented food, more than anything else, brought me to traditional foods. I’ve noticed that we get sick less when we eat foods rich in probiotics, and that if we happen to get sick the illness is usually mild and short-lasting. This week I’m working on kimchi, and next week a farmer will bring me a case of beets so I can salt and ferment them.
Mmm…I need to get back to ferments, too. I tend to stick with pink sauerkraut (red/green cabbage mix)–or making yogurt. There’s so much more out there. Mmm, ginger beer…
Be sure and save some of that second batch of pickles for Thanksgiving! Horseradish—–WOW!
I’ve recently bought some Kefir from Dom. It’s really the best Kefir I’ve ever had. I don’t know if it’s his passionate parenting of his little babies or it’s just a better strain. I highly recommend it. I’m doing milk cure at the moment so it’s coming in handy.
Blessings
Joanne
I second the kefir recommendation. It may not be good for everyone, but I love the stuff – been making it for well over a year now. Now … if I can make kefir, it must be easy!
I make two batches a week, enough to have about 4-8 oz every day. I like to let it separate and then mix the strained kefir in a blender for a thick smooth consistency. I use no sweetener. It’s like a sour/tart milk shake that way, but I like that
For those of you who haven’t lost your sweet tooth yet, you can add sweeteners – but at the risk of making it a less healthy drink. Adding fruit is probably the best option if you just have to have a sweeter taste.
hey all this sounds so good, i;m new at this, can somobody tell me how do i start fermenting food? please:)route.316@hotmail.com
I am really stuck when it comes to fermentation. I can’t seem to get saurkraut or beets to ferment properly. They get gummy and moldy. Does anyone out there get desirable results?
Hi Kay,
Try posting the same question on the Nourishing Traditions message board on yahoo groups. Go to yahoo groups main page and search ‘discussingnt’ …I’m sure you’ll get plenty of responses!