Fermentation 101 — How To Get Started With DIY Probiotics
Are you ready to dive into fermentation? It’s an easy way to preserve fresh produce, but the process can sound a bit intimidating (it’s not!).
February 1, 2021 | Source: Attainable Sustainable | by Kris Bordessa
What is fermentation?
Fermentation is the process used to create beer and wine. That’s often what people think of when they hear the word. Those beverages are produced with yeast, though, as is this strawberry mead.
Lacto-fermentation is the process used when we make fermented vegetables, fruits, and even kombucha. Lactobacillus bacteria converts sugars into lactic acid. This good bacteria inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. The lactobacillus organisms that develop when we ferment food preserves it, but it’s also a boon to our digestive tract. Foods fermented in this way provide us with the probiotics that we’ve heard so much about in recent years.
Two fermentation methods
When fermenting foods, you’ll choose between a brine method and direct salting.
The brine method calls for covering fresh vegetables with a mixture of salt and water. This is most commonly used with whole vegetables or those cut into chunks. Fermented nasturtium seeds and sugar snap peas are an example of this process.