PICKLES VS FERMENTED A GUIDE
What you need to know!
If you’ve been following, you may have seen that I am going on a wellness hunt. It’s a mini overhaul to call in outrageous health (basically, winter bugs and illnesses have knocked me for 10 and it’s on!), I am on the hunt for wellness tweaks that I can make within my day to day life that pack a punch and fermented foods are first up. But, and this is a big but, what really is a fermented food? Are pickles included? Are all fermented foods equal? Where exactly do you start. I’m going to do some of the leg work here and share my guid on pickling vs. fermenting guide. Fear not, there will be no aimless supermarket wandering here!
LET’S START WITH THE PICKLES
With half of me British, I have many a fond memory of a pickle or two! We lived on pickles! Pickled onions, mushrooms, spreads, gherkins … Just thinking about them gets the taste buds going! Sadly though, the pickling process can end up killing off all the healthy bacteria. The good news is that you can find fermented pickles but your average pickle, well, it’s pretty much just a tasty snack!
ON TO THE FERMENTING
Fermenting on the other hand is the perfect treat to bolster up that good bacteria. The process results in lactic acid (from the live, healthy bacteria) and starts to diversify the gut flora (which is what we are going for) giving us that wellness boost. It’s also worth doing a little research on the fermented foods that you are buying, because many of the supermarket options can be pasturised, meaning that any living bacteria is long gone.
Kimchi a Korean dish, is a great example of a fermented food. Made of cabbage, seasoned with chilli, garlic and ginger, and then fermented. It’s rich in vitamin K and riboflavin (B2) and also contains plenty of Lactobacillus bacteria, which can survive the acid bath of the stomach and make their way down to your large intestine. Yum!
Like kimchi, sauerkraut is based on fermenting cabbage. Despite being associated with German cuisine (interestingly, it almost certainly originated in China more than 2,000 years ago!) Sauerkraut is packed with vitamins and minerals, including iron, potassium, copper and manganese. It is also low in calories and rich in fibre, which your microbiome will enjoy.
It’s also to make sure that any fermented food that you buy is found in the chilled section - otherwise, that live bacteria will be, you guessed it, gone.
A SAUERKRAUT RECIPE
In a warm climate, sauerkraut will ferment quicker than a cold one, so bear this in mind. The longer you leave the cabbage fermenting the stronger it will become.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium cabbages, washed (white or red - I love a mix of both!)
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
METHOD
Start by sterilising your jar/jars to keep the sauerkraut in.
Remove any tatty outer leaves and cut the cabbages in half. Remove and discard the core and shred the leaves into thin slices.
Place into a large bowl with the salt. Toss and massage together for five minutes. Leave to rest for five minutes then repeat the process. You will notice a lot of liquid has appeared and the cabbage has diminished in size and become soft.
Pack the cabbage tightly into the sterilised jars (add any extra flavours here in layers), pour over the liquid and seal lightly with the lid. Leave at room temperature for at least a month before opening and enjoying this crunchy, sour condiment.
N.B Check on the sauerkraut every once in awhile, releasing any gases.
WHY NOT TRY…
Adding extra flavours to your sauerkraut can take it to another level. Have a go with these combos:
Caraway seeds, black peppercorns and dill
Fennel seeds and lemon peel
Carrot and juniper berries