Fermentation step by step: tips, tricks and advice for best results
Why fermentation?
It is often said that the starting point for a good crop is a soil rich in organic matter, with good structure, good water-holding capacity and appropriate micro-organisms. The same can be said for our intestinal tract: our health starts with the health of our gut. The right proportion of digestive bacteria in our gut is the basis of our health. Eating fermented foods is the best way to support the growth of our beneficial bacterial culture.
What exactly is fermentation?
We've probably all eaten fermented food, we've just called it something else. Our everyday food the bread, made by leavening. We also ferment yoghurt and kefir from milk. Our pickles include pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut. The vinegar poured on the salad served with lunch and the beer or wine consumed after lunch are also fermented.
The origin of fermentation
So fermented are the foods that have been produced using different fermentation techniques (lactic, alcoholic, acetic or mixed fermentation) are made with the help of. The fermentation itself is boil, bubbling Latin meaning fervere and like the technique itself, it has been used for thousands of years.
Some tricks for using the harvest from the garden
The simplest way to ferment is to lactic fermentation, this is any without added culture you can also try. The beneficial bacteria needed for fermentation are present in our environment - in the soil, on the surface of vegetables, in the air and even on our skin.
Cucumbers can also be made with lactic fermentation instead of sour cucumbers, so the yeasts in the bread are not included.
Fermentation practical tips - recipes and tips
Uborka
Fermentation then proceeds at a slower rate, cucumbers stay crunchier and our favourite pickles keep longer.
The method of preparation is similar. You'll need a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid - make sure you check this: pour water into the jar, roll the lid on and invert. Make sure it doesn't leak. In lactic acid fermentation (lacto-fermentation), it is very important to well-closing flap Use of.
- Wash the healthy cucumbers thoroughly.
- Cut off the ends, checking that they are not bitter.
- Place dill and garlic cloves in the bottom of the jar, other spices to taste, and layer the cucumbers and spices tightly.
- If possible, insert the last pieces at the mouth of the jar so that you can press the rest down, but you can also press them down with thinly sliced carrot sticks. (This is necessary to keep the cucumbers under liquid even when the ripening process removes all the liquid from the pickles.)
Finally, pour it up to colour 2-4% with saline solution, by
- from boiled, recooled water,
- and free of additives (iodine, anti-caking agents) with 2-4 dkg of salt (Himalayan, Parajdi, sea or apothecary salt).
The amount of salt (min 2%) and the temperature above 18 °C guarantee us that only the lactic acid bacteria that are beneficial to us can multiply in the pickles. Tightly close the lid and place the jar on a high-walled tray or on a baking tray on the kitchen counter.
Fermentation starts in just one day, which will make strange rattling noises in your kitchen. The carbon dioxide produced will cause it to squeeze out liquid, which is a natural part of the process. After a few days, our pickles will become cloudy. The fermentation process is completed when the gas formation stops and no more gas and liquid escape from under the closed roof.
It is important that with clean tools all the way and the ingredients must be healthy. Fermentation should be carried out with a closed roof throughout and preferably at a constant temperature.
When the fermentation has calmed down, put the cool the pickles in a cool place, and after opening, keep in the fridge to consumption.
Following this example, you can ferment other vegetables and fruits:
- salads,
- root vegetables,
- pulses,
- fruits (e.g. apples, plums, with the same brine)
- other pumpkins
- peppers, tomatoes (even green), aubergines
The seasoning is also limited only by our creativity. It's worth experimenting. A big favourite in our house is grated beetroot fermented with thyme and garlic, and TV peppers cut in half and diced, layered and fermented with black pepper, coriander, dill and mustard seeds.
Fermented refreshing fruit drink
Now we have peaches, plums, grapes, summer apples, pears, blackberries, blackberries and ever-bearing raspberries, to name a few. They make excellent fermented soft drinks on their own or in combination with each other.
is just as important as the airtight glass. The ingredients here should also be healthy. Wash them thoroughly, then cut them up, and in the case of grapes, remove the seeds from the stems. Fill your clean jar with the fruit and spices. Again, feel free to experiment with combining flavours. We can flavour with mint, sage, oregano, rosemary, ginger, cardamom...
Prepare with boiled, cooled water and sugar (or honey) decoction - use 2-4 tablespoons of sugar or honey per litre. If you make a sweeter solution, more carbonic acid is produced.
You can also infuse it with probiotics (from a probiotic capsule available at the pharmacy), yoghurt whey or even fermented vegetable juice of a more neutral taste.
Our soft drink Ready in 2-5 days. After a longer fermentation, the yeast activity present alongside the lactic acid bacteria can make the fermentation alcoholic, so it is safer to filter and refrigerate your drink after this time. If it's not carbonated enough, you can add sugar at this point to increase the carbonic acid production.
The benefits of fermented foods
Eating fermented vegetables and fruit drinks opens up a new, unknown world to us and gives us a lot of creativity in the kitchen. And the long-term benefits of eating these foods and drinks can be our gut flora we'll be fine, we're getting healthier.
What next?
This is only a small slice of the fermentation topic, so it's worth looking into it in more detail before embarking on this adventure. Fortunately, nowadays a growing body of national literature and there are more and more sources of credible information on the internet and social networking sites, where you can get useful tips and advice from professionals.
We can see that we can become even healthier by taking advantage of the presence of micro-organisms that help us live.
VIDEO: DanubaGarden products have the potential to support the health of our staple plants by supporting beneficial microorganisms in the soil and plants. For more information, visit our website or our blog posts.
We wish you good health and happy experimentation!
