"Support
bacteria - they're the only culture some people have."
-Stephen Wright
"Oh Lord annointed
with the yogurt of the milk-maids worship (Krishna), Oh savior of the
fallen, Oh Master of Shiva, please protect me." -Sanscrit Poem
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Fermenting is Fun
Fermenting your own foods can be a healthy, fun, and nutritious hobby. We feel that anything you can make at home is much better than commercialized foods. We have put together a summary of fermented foods followed by a few recipes. Enjoy.
The Power of Microbes:
We live in a world
dominated by microbes.
The Earth’s microorganisms are able to adapt
to almost any environment and thrive. Bacteria have been found in the
icy regions of Antarctica, near the surface of volcanic vents in the
Atlantic, and even in our
digestive tracts. Our civilization is but a
pale comparison to the invisible world of microbes that surrounds us. It
is likely that these microbes will adapt and survive beyond human
existence.
It is not
surprising that microbes have become experts
of adaptation when you consider the evolutionary pressures of their
world. They are constantly disrupted by changes in environment,
competition from other species, attacks
from specialized viruses (i.e.
bacteriophages), and a shifting food supply. Imagine trying to survive
in a world filled with rampant diseases, famines, hurricanes, and
floods, and you’ll begin to appreciate the
world of the microbe.
Some microbes
have colluded with the competition to form symbiotic relationships. For
example, the bacterial strains Streptococcus thermophilus and
Lactobacilllus bulgaricus, work together
and transform milk into tasty yogurt. The
thirty or so strains of bacteria and yeast found in Kefir, a traditional
fermented drink of the Caucasians, band together to form complex
ecology capable of digesting almost any
food source and staving off harmful
pathogens. The microbes of Kefir even provide themselves with homes in
the form of Kefir grains that are composed of a polysaccharide matrix.
Our
ancient ancestors did not
live in a sterile environment. It is likely
that they ingested various microbes found naturally in their foods. Some
of these microbes were beneficial to their life while others caused
infections and disease. Somewhere
along the way in their struggle for
survival, our ancestors allied themselves with certain species of
microbes. Our intestines have evolved into a perfect microbial farm. We
provide these microbes with furnished home
and plenty of food, in return, they produce
beneficial nutrients and help defend us from pathogens. About a thousand
years ago, our ancestors began to experimenting with fermenting their
own foods with beneficial
strains to prevent spoilage, fight
infections, and increase absorption of nutrients. This action further
allied our bodies with the microbial world.
Benefits of
Fermented Foods:
Nobel Prize winner
Dr. Elie Metchnikoff
was one of the first scientists to
recognize the benefits of eating fermented foods. His research in the
early 1900’s focused on the Bulgarians. He believed the daily ingestion
of yogurt was a major contribution to their superior health and
longevity. Today, if you search the Internet on probiotics, you will
find an almost endless supply of reasons why “good bacteria” are good
for you. We hope to convince you that fermenting your own foods is
cheaper, more fun, and better for you than just popping a pill of freeze
dried bacteria.
Detoxify and Preserve:
If
there’s anything that the microbial world does well, it is detoxifying
things. Today, Bacteriologists periodically visit old military
facilities in search of new strains
of bacteria living off of contaminants in
the soil. If you put it in the ground and give them enough time to
mutate and evolve, these microbes will find a way to break it down. This
probably holds true for any organic
chemical. These earthly microbes purify the
world.
Not only have we been able to use the detoxifying
properties of microbes to breakdown nasty substances, such as oil
spills, military dumps, and sewer plants, we
also use them to detoxify our food and water
and increase shelf lives. For centuries, Europeans used wine as a
source of clean, durable water. Bulgarians perfected the art of
detoxifying and preserving milk (removing
the lactose and predigesting the proteins)
and transforming it into yogurt and cheese. The Caucasians used Kefir
grains for the same purpose: detoxify milk products to make Kefir.
Vegetables were also fermented to
preserve them from spoilage. Most of the
pickled products found on our grocery shelves were at one time a
fermented product: pickles, saurkraut, and even catsup (a Chinese word
for pickled fish brine). However,
since fermentation isn’t always a uniform
process, manufacturers found another way to make these products.
Fight
Off Infections:
Competition between microbes can be fierce.
The good bacteria that
are normal inhabitants of our intestinal
tracts will fight off many foreign intruders. They can be seen as our
first line of defense in the war of infection. Scientists have
documented many different substances
produced by lactobacilli (lactic acid
bacteria) that have been found to inhibit harmful microorganisms. For
example, lactobacillus acidophilus produces several substances while
fermenting milk, including acidolin,
acidophillin, lactobacillan, and lactocidin.
These substances have been shown to inhibit pathogenic bacteria, such
as Salmonella, while leaving other lactobacilli and human cells
unharmed These antibiotic agents
are found in fermented milk, but not always
in a probiotic pill. A 2000 study led by Dr.
Chitra
N. Wendakoon
of the University of Alberta, Edmonton,
found that fermented milk products, like yogurt, can kill Helicobacter
pylori (the ulcer causing bacteria) but that the beneficial bacteria
alone cannot. This means that probiotics in pill form would have no
effect on H. pylori but that homemade yogurt and Kefir would.
Nutritious to Boot:
Fermented
products are a great source of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
The process of fermentation increases the amounts of some vitamins.
Fermented milk is a
great source of energetic B vitamins while
fermented vegetables are a great source of Vitamin C. Sauerkraut often
served as military rations in ancient armies, most notably the
Mongolians, and was used to prevent
scurvy. The process of fermentation also
increases the bioavailability of these foods.
Harnessing the Power of Microbes:
Pills versus Food:
We have already
mentioned
earlier that dairy products fermented with
lactobacilli have been shown to kill pathogenic bacteria, such as H.
pylori, while the lactobacilli alone did not. This means that some
of the antibiotic properties of
these good bacteria may be missing in the
probiotic pills you see on the shelves. Also, you have no way of
verifying the potency or vitality of these products. Bacteria are living
organisms and must be alive when you
eat them in order to reap their benefits. It
does no good to ingest dead, good bacteria. Furthermore, good quality
probiotics are often very expensive. For instance, a month’s supply from
a popular vendor may cost as
much as $80 to $100 per month. With a budget
of $100 per month, you can make all the sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt
you’ll need. Not only will you be getting the benefits of these
beneficial bacteria, you will be making
delicious and healthy meals as well. The
only benefit store probiotics offer is convenience. However, once you
get started, fermenting your own foods is very easy.
Please Use Caution:
Before we get too far
into
fermenting your own foods, we want to
emphasize two caveats of fermentation. First, the process of
fermentation is only good for you if it occurs outside of your body.
What does this mean? It means that if you ingest
foods that provide an abundance of sugar and
growth media for bacteria, they will ferment those foods inside of you.
An overgrowth of fermentative bacteria in your body can cause all kinds
of medical problems, including
Crohn’s Disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, candidiasis
, and Irritable Bowel
Syndrome.
So the key is to pre-ferment your foods, that is to say, ferment your
milk before you eat it.
Secondly, please do not eat spoiled
fermented foods. In some rare instances,
fermented foods can be overtaken by mold or
become spoiled. In these cases, throw out the result and start anew.
Commercial
versus Homemade:
In our opinion homemade products are
better all
around. For one, you do not have to trust a
manufacturer with your health. You have total control over what you are
eating. You can purchase the best milk and/or vegetables to use.
Commercial products are
usually geared for taste and not health. In
the case of yogurt, this means that commercial yogurt usually has a high
lactose content and is usually loaded with sugar. Homemade yogurt can
be made to eliminate
virtually all of the lactose and will be
much fresher than anything you can buy in a store. If the taste isn’t
to your liking, you can add in fresh fruit and/or honey to sweeten it
up. Store bought Kefir has the
same problems, you have no control over the
lactose content in the end product. Another thing to consider is, real
Kefir is difficult to find in the store. Quite often a manufacturer
will label a product as Kefir
when in fact it is not the real thing. In
order for Kefir to be real, it needs to made from Kefir grains and not a
powdered starter. As for fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut, most
commercial products have been
pasteurized and do not contain live
cultures. The pasteurization process not only kills the beneficial
bacteria, but may also destroy many of the enzymes and nutrients.
Commercial sauerkraut may also contain
a fair amount of unnatural preservatives.
We know that you will find fermenting your own foods at home more
rewarding, healthier, cheaper than probiotics, and more enjoying than
anything you could purchase in the
store.
Getting Started
So you want to start
fermenting your own foods, eh? Glad we could convince you. To get you
started we’ve listed a few easy at home products you can make.
1. Yogurt:
Making yogurt
is very easy, especially if you own a yogurt
maker. We recommend purchasing a Yogourmet Multi – they are cheap,
easy to use, and can make 2 quarts per batch. You can get a yogurt
maker and yogurt starter
from a trusted friend at Lucy’s Kitchen Shop. Once you have a
starter and a yogurt maker, all you need is some milk (we recommend
using Half-n-Half) and some patience. The directions that come with the
maker
provide a fermentation of 6 hours. However,
we recommend you ferment your yogurt for 24 hours to eliminate all
lactose in the yogurt. Any residual lactose could be used as food for
bacteria already found in your
GI-tract and result in fermentation in your
intestines. CAUTION: Those of you following the SC Diet
MUST ferment your yogurt for 24 hours in
order to stay on the diet. Please refer to page 131 of “Breaking the
Vicious Cycle” for more instructions on making SCD legal yogurt.
2. Kefir:
Kefir is a
fermented milk product made from Kefir
grains. Unlike yogurt, Kefir is made from lactobacillus bacteria and
several different yeast organisms and is fermented at room temperature.
The most difficult step in making
Kefir is getting someone to sell/give you
some Kefir grains. It would be impossible for us to give Kefir any
justice when there is a website out there that will describe everything
and anything you need to know
about Kefir. The web site is called Dom’s Kefir In-site. Dom also sponsors an egroups list you can join to find
someone to share Kefir grains with you and to answer any question you
may have about Kefir. For those of you on the SC Diet, here are some
directions from the wise Dominic about
eliminating the lactose in the Kefir:
“I find a good way to eliminate lactose even further is to ferment the kefir per usual (24 hours), strain, then keep the strained kefir in a bottle (at room temperature) for a further 2 -3 days before consuming (ongoing fermentation). I don't keep my strained kefir in the fridge any more, but keep it like this in a cupboard. The kefir is still good even after 6-7 days. One must give the bottle which the kefir is continuously fermenting in, a shake at least once daily. This is so that the microbes (mainly the yeasts) are mixed in well. Other wise one may find a film or colonies of yeast or the acetic acid forming bacteria on top of the kefir. This is safe, but some lactose digesting yeasts may be flourishing mainly in this top layer, shaking will help to distribute them into the kefir, where you want them to do their work (breaking down lactose). This continuous fermentation can also be done in the fridge, but I find that a more pleasant tasting kefir, with markedly reduced lactose is achieved this way, (at room temp.). One can also keep fermenting the kefir, like above, in an air tight bottle. After the second day or so, an effervescent kefir will be produced. But i must point out that the bottle must not be filled more that 3/4 full. Of course, one could also ferment the original kefir for 48 hours, then follow on with the suggestions above. This may further make sure that the lactose content would be eliminated to a greater extent, and possibly in a smaller amount of time.”
3. Sauerkraut:
Sauerkraut can be made
in several different ways. The traditional recipe involves shredding and
pounding fresh
cabbage, adding salt, and submerging it
under water for several days. The natural bacteria in the cabbage, such
as lactobacillus plantarum, will natural begin to ferment the cabbage
while the salt inhibits other
microbes. You can eliminate the use of salt
altogether by innoculating the shredded cabbage and water solution with
yogurt starter or Kefir grains. A superior recipe can be found on Aquaman’s Website. A traditional
recipe follows:
Ingredients:
1 Fresh Medium Cabbage
(red or green)
2 Tablespoons
Pickling Salt (Please no iodine, it will
kill the bacteria)
Distilled Water (or filtered and non-chlorinated)
Shred
the cabbage. In a large bowl, mix shredded cabbage and salt together.
Pound the cabbage
mixture to expel the juices. Place pounded
cabbage and juices in a medium sized glass jar (1 Quart Sized). Press
down firmly on the cabbage. Add distilled water until cabbage is fully
submerged. Solution
should be at least one inch from the top of
the jar. Cover the jar and let sit for 3 to 7 days at room temperature.
Store in the refrigerator. Alternatively, one can use Kefir grains to ferment
the cabbage, just
eliminate the use of salt.
4. Pickled Ginger:
Ingredients:
4 lbs fresh ginger root
1
tablespoon pickling salt (no iodine)
½ package of yogurt starter
1 cup Distilled Water (or filtered and
non-chlorinated)
Peel and cut ginger into
very thin slices. Pound ginger slices to expel juices.
Place juices
and pounded ginger into a glass jar. Mix
with salt and water.
Add yogurt starter and seal. Let sit at room
temperature for 3 to 5 days.
Store in the refrigerator.
For more information:
Websites:
Dom’s Kefir In-site: How to Make Kefir
(The best source for Kefir anywhere).
Sauerkraut Fermentation
- from the Bacteriology Dept of
UW-Wisconsin
Weston A Price Org - Lacto-Fermentation
Article
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop: A trusted source for
yogurt makers and starters.
SCD Notes on Yogurt
Aquaman’s Sauerkraut Recipe
A Sauerkraut Crock Recipe
Kim Chi Recipe
