How to Make Fermented Foods and Why You Should Include Them in Your Diet Now.
How to Make Fermented Foods and Why You Should Include Them in Your Diet Now.

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July 1, 2018

Why Should We Eat Fermented Foods?

 

Great source of probiotics.

Similar to those found in yogurt, probiotics produced during fermentation are known to have many health benefits including improved digestion, enhanced immune system and better brain function.

Excellent nutritional value.

Lactic-acid fermentation produces and enhances the levels of enzyme, vitamins and minerals.

Can be safer to eat than raw vegetables.

Raw vegetables can have E.coli on them but lactic acid produced during fermentation kill off the E.coli bacteria so they can’t survive in the acidic environment of fermentation.

Easier to digest than raw or cooked vegetables.

Fermentation breaks down hard-to-digest cellulose.

Fermented foods are not limited to cucumbers but can be made with beetroot, cauliflower, radishes, onions, green beans, asparagus and a seemingly endless variety of other fruits and vegetables.

Not all fermented foods are pickled and not all pickles are fermented.

Pickles you buy in the supermarket have been preserved in vinegar. This guarantees a sour flavor and acts as a preservative. Using vinegar prevents natural fermentation from occurring and results in foods that offer no probiotic benefits.

Foods that we ferment ourselves, using just salt and water, create their own preservative called lactic-acid as a by-product of the fermentation process.

During fermentation, the starches and sugars in the food are converted into lactic acid by the bacteria lactobacilli. This whole process gives fermented foods their unique sour smell and flavor along with making them super nutritious and beneficial for digestion.

SERVINGS:

1 Large Jar Pickles

 

SERVINGS:

Prep: 20 min. Ready to eat: 3 days

SERVINGS:

Total: 290

 

SERVINGS:

Snack

 

About This Recipe:

By making homemade Pickles we eliminate all the unnecessary fillers, preservatives, sugars and other ingredients with unpronounceable names.

The style of fermenting these cucumber pickles  is “brine pickling” where they are kept whole floating in salty brine.

These vegetables do not produce their own brine so you need to mix salt with water to make a brine which is then poured over the vegetables.  Fermenting pickles is an anaerobic – without air – process where the vegetables need to be kept submerged in the brine.

The Equipment Needed:

Because the vegetables you’re using need to be fully submerged into the brine you’ll need to get the right equipment to make sure this happens. Any part of the mixture not covered in brine will go mushy or decompose and could result in the entire batch being wasted.

Below are some suggestions you can buy online.

Ingredients Needed:

Himalayan Pink Salt, Filtered Water, Seasoning: Mustard seeds, Peppercorns,

Nutrition

The recipe will make approximately one large jar of pickles

Per serving (3 pickles)

3g Carbs

0.5g Fibre

1.9g Protein

20 Calories per serving

Amounts per serving:

  • Protien 35% 35%
  • Carbohydrates 55% 55%
  • Fibre 10% 10%

Step by Step Instructions:

1. 

Chill the baby cucumbrs in ice water for about 15 minutes to clean and firm them up.

2. 

Trim off the stems and thinly slice off the blossom ends of the cucumbers.

Blossoms contain an enzyme that will soften your pickles which means leaving them on could result in mushy pickles.

3.

Prepare all the other ingredients by removing the shell from the garlic cloves and chopping up the dill or any other herbs used.

4.

Make the brine solution by adding the salt to the water and stirring well until completely dissolved.

5.

Place the baby cucumbers and all the other ingredients in the jar and try distribute everything evenly, then seal the lid tightly and let it sit for two or three days like this.

Add Tannins

Tannins help strengthen the pectins in the cucumbers and keep pickles crispy so add black tea or bay leaves at the end before sealing the lid to ensure crunchy, mush-free pickles.

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