One of the ways that has been used for millennia to improve the taste of food and preserve it is a process known as fermentation. Specialised bacteria and yeast convert sugars in the food into other substances. So alcohol, bread and yoghurt are all familiar products of fermentation. In Asia and many East European countries, they have taken fermenting to a different level, producing foods like sauerkraut, spicy Kimchi, the soft drink Kombucha or the increasingly popular yoghurt drink Kefir.
Fermenting may feel like unfamiliar territory, something your grandmother may have done. Yet it should be full of a variety of healthy microbes which are great for your gut. Fermented foods are increasingly available to buy as well as thriving in kitchens around the world.
We will be recommending good quality products and introducing you to how to do it at home, where ferments are easy to assemble, fun to nurture and delicious to eat. Anybody can do it. Just give it a try…
Visit our Fermenting Forum and share your experience in fermenting amongst the community regarding successes, disasters and solutions. Clare also has posted a recipe for Sourdough starter, red cabbage sauerkraut and Kombucha, let us know how they work for you in the comments.