Build a fermented lifestyle – Urban Fermentation

Living a fermented lifestyle means that you consume some type of fermented food or drink on a daily basis, you enjoy their taste and the way they make you feel. Therefore you incorporate them into your life as a regular part of your diet.

It means being interested in learning about fermentation. This includes trying different ferments on a regular basis, experimenting with new ingredients and flavorings as well as collecting and using fermentation equipment of all types.

It is about the enjoyment in trying new methods, flavors and types of fermenting.

Some fermenters focus on alcohol fermenting like wine and/or beer making, some ferment vegetables or milk products, but the true fermentation lifestyle includes several fermentation methods.

It isn’t about mastering a specific type such as wine making or cheese. That takes years of learning and practice. Instead having a fermentation lifestyle entails learning and experimenting with a wide variety of methods.

Some benefits of a fermented lifestyle

Taste

Fermented foods taste good. No matter what your taste is there is a fermentation which will appeal to you. If you like the sourness of a pickle or sauerkraut, the sweetness of ginger soda or the tangy flavors of kombucha there is something for you.

In fact most condiments were originally fermented and some of our favorite flavor enhancers like soya sauce, Tabasco and all types of vinegars are still fermented. There is no denying that fermented foods enhance the eating experience.

Good for you

Fermentation helps your digestion by providing a variety of probiotics which protect your gut from bacterial imbalances. Your digestive system is home to some trillion bacteria bodies. Some are good some are bad. The key is to help as many of the good bacteria to thrive and reduce the number of bad.

This is where fermentation comes in. When we eat fermented foods we are adding good bacteria into our systems. When we eat processed food high in sugar we are feeding the unhealthy ones.

There have been several studies regarding whether the probiotic bacteria remains in the gut by populating the digestive system or do they pass right through(1,2). In my opinion it doesn’t matter, if some stay behind and become part of the intestinal flora, great but if not they still do good work on their way through. No need to worry about which ones stay and which ones don’t. If you have a variety of fermentations on a weekly basis you will ensure there will always be new probiotics present.

Protection from industrial chemicals

Currently our environments are overwhelmed with toxic chemical waste. Chemical pesticides are spread on our fields several times a year and chemical fertilizers are used to increase yield. Industrial waste is “stored” in open air ponds, cars spew pollutants into the air at unprecedented levels which also includes the rubber worn off the tires. Even electric cars which are touted as being much more environmentally friendly cause environmental damage (Where do you think the electricity comes from?). We cannot escape the effect of industrial waste in our environment, but we can reduce it as much as possible.

One of the ways we can minimize the damage to us and our environment is to ferment!

According to this study (3) the process of fermentation reduces the toxic chemical load on our systems in two ways.

By breaking the chemical down
By binding with it making it less likely to be absorbed by our systems

This can make some fermented vegetables healthier for you then fresh!

Healthy food preservation

There are many ways we preserve our food. We can, can, dry, freeze, refrigerate, chemically preserve or ferment it.

We all know chemically preserved food is unhealthy. It contains ingredients which were not meant for us to eat (since they are meant to prevent living things from growing).

Canning on the other hand doesn’t prevent spoilage through poison, instead it tries to destroy all the living “spoilage” bacteria present in the food. To do this you have to effectively heat the food up to such a degree to destroy all the bacteria good and bad from the food, thereby destroying the majority of food value there is in it. Vitamins and enzymes are destroyed by heat not to mention the risk of destroying all but a few toxic pathogens which are then free to grow without hindrance, welcome to botulism.

Drying is another popular method as the spoilage bacteria cannot live without water. This method takes a fair amount of energy and leaves the food in a state which needs rehydrating before it can be consumed.

Freezing requires energy to keep the food at or below freezing temperature and can change the texture and taste of the food in unpalatable ways.

In my opinion fermentation trumps them all!

It doesn’t use unnatural chemicals which are harmful to your body. It uses good for you probiotic bacteria to preserve the food rather than destroying all forms of life in it. It doesn’t require energy to remove water or keep the food below freezing.

When fermentation is used for food preservation the bacteria which preserves the food is good for you. It produces an environment which is inhospitable to pathogenic organisms with the added bonus that if it has gone off it looks and smells like it so the chances of anyone eating it is slim to none.

Extra vitamins

Besides the preserving affect fermentation has on some vitamins like vitamin C fermentation also provides additional vitamins which our system cannot make itself in adequate quantities.

The yeast in some ferments are responsible for the production of the many B vitamins including B12 and folic acid. The best vegetarian source of vitamin K2 comes from natto which is a Japanese fermented soya bean product.

Breaks down difficult to digest foods

Fermentation has a reputation for improving the digestibility of food. It does this by breaking down or pre-digesting the food it is fermenting.

There are protective compounds contained within all seeds which increase the viability of the seed. This is so that a seed can remain dormant for a period of time before the conditions are right for it to germinate and grow. The fermentation process helps to break these compounds down and releases the valuable minerals which are then made available to you.

For those who find it difficult to digest milk, kefir or yogurt are great choices as the fermentation process breaks down the lactose and uses it for fuel making them easier on the stomach. When you make your own kefir or yogurt you can experiment with how long to leave the milk to ferment, the longer it ferments the more lactose is used and the tarter the product gets.

Sourdough bread is another example of improving the digestibility of our food. The process of making sourdough requires longer fermentation time then traditional bread so this enables the yeasts found in the sourdough starter to break down more of the indigestible elements found in the flour.

The SCOBY eats the sugar in the sweet tea in the process of producing kombucha. The bacteria and yeast produce lactic acid and a small amount of alcohol. The longer it is brewed the more lactic acid is produced. This makes the kombucha tangy and protects it from unwanted organisms which may be harmful to the SCOBY and us.

Getting Started

Fermentation is great because it can be done with the barest of equipment and the simplest of ingredients. Yet there is an unlimited number of ways to ferment even the simplest of things.

Take sauerkraut, in its basic form it is chopped cabbage mixed with salt and stuffed into a container until it sours. If you were to search for sauerkraut recipes you will find over 1000 different ways to make this simple ferment.

Here are three basic types of fermentation you can start with:

Vegetable ferments:

Here are the basic steps to vegetable fermenting

Cut up your choice of vegetables
Liberally salt the vegetables with your choice of salt
Jam vegetables into a container with an air tight lid
If the liquid from the vegetables does not cover the vegetables add water
Put a lid on the jar
Daily let the pressure out of the jar
When the vegetables start to smell soured taste some, if it is to your liking refrigerate. If not leave it for another day.

Fermenting Milk

Since store bought milk is pasteurized it is not possible to spontaneously ferment it by just leaving it at room temperature for a period of time. Instead it is necessary to use a culture. Fortunately there are many types of cultures which can be used to ferment milk.

For yogurt a culture is easy to come by, just open your refrigerator and take out a container of unsweetened yogurt. Although this starter is not as strong as heirloom types of yogurt starter (most commercial yogurt is made with only a few bacterial strains) it will work one or two times.

To make your own yogurt simmer some milk on the stove until almost boiling. Heat it slowly so it won’t scorch. Let it cool to body temperature. Add some store bought yogurt and mix (I usually add a ¼ cup of yogurt to one quart of milk). Place in the oven with the pilot light on and leave alone for 8-24 hours depending on how tarte you like your yogurt. Refrigerate a few hours before eating.

Make your own Kombucha

Kombucha is a great ferment to start with as it is simple to make but has an infinite number of variations.

To make your own you can start with a starter culture purchased online, at a health store or you can use a store bought bottle so long as it is not pasteurized or carbonated using bottled co2 gas.

Begin by making some sweet tea. Any tea will do but I would recommend you start with a simple black tea or non-flavored green tea. When I make Kombucha I use about 1 ½ cups of sugar for a one gallon batch but you may like it more or less sweet. The amount of sugar in the tea determines how much lactic acid can be produced by the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). It is the acidity of the tea which protects it from pathogenic organisms which spoil the tea so it is important to use enough sugar to keep your SCOBY healthy.

Once the tea is at room temperature strain out the tea leaves or remove the tea bags and pour the tea into your kombucha container with enough room to add your starter culture and SCOBY.

Add your starter culture and SCOBY.

Cover the mouth of the jar with a cloth held on with an elastic band. Place the tea in a warm spot out of direct sunlight and wait.

You will notice a film forming on the surface of the tea. This is a new SCOBY which will become the size and shape of the fermenting jar. After a week begin tasting it by slipping a straw under the SCOBY and taking a sip. If it is to your liking bottle it into bottles meant for pressurized drinks such as swing top jars. If you like you can leave your bottles at room temperature for a few days and it will naturally carbonate or you can refrigerate them immediately to slow the fermentation down.

Be sure to leave about ¼ of your brewed kombucha and the SCOBY to make another batch.

There are a lot of variables in fermenting such as temperature, salt percentage and ingredient mix. As each one of these vary so will the end product of the ferment. Some fermentations like warm conditions such as kombucha, others like sauerkraut prefer cool temperatures. Each have their own flavors and everyone likes different things.

There you have it. Six reasons why you should start fermenting today. Three ways to start right now and the basic instructions needed to be successful.

Fermentation is a vast subject and an active hobby which has great benefits. Living a fermented lifestyle is fun, healthy and creative, it can be done almost anywhere with a limited amount of time.