Fermentation—the metabolic process by which molecules such as glucose are broken down anaerobically (without oxygen) by natural microbes—has many benefits when we incorporate it into our diet. Fermented foods contain probiotics (good bacteria) and provide enzymes that keep our digestive tract balanced, promoting regular bowel movements and keeping our weight in check. In addition, the good bacteria found in fermented foods also aid in the efficient absorption of other nutrients like vitamins B and C, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin and biotin.
On the more practical side, fermentation allows for long-lasting food preservation without the use of chemicals. This works by essentially overgrowing a specific type of good bacteria and not allowing harmful organisms that cause spoilage to reproduce and grow. The high-acid, low-oxygen environment, along with the addition of salt for brining, is hostile to harmful organisms like fungi, mold and other pathogens, thereby boosting the immune system in the process. Fermenting fruits and vegetables at their peak provides year-round benefits, and it’s economical, too, as you’ll be buying produce at its most plentiful and cheapest.
We eat fermented food every day without even thinking about it. Wine, tea, cheese, bread, chocolate, pickles, yogurt and kombucha, for example, all go through fermentation. Once you understand that process, the possibilities are endless when it comes to making your own fermented foods at home.
Basic Types of Fermentation
Lactic acid fermentation
Lactic acid bacteria is all around us—in milk, fruits, grains, vegetables and meat—and it’s simple enough to harness in order to ferment food. The simplest method is to take food that contains the bacteria and submerge it into a brine of water and salt. Place it in a container (a ceramic crock or a glass jar are good options) that doesn’t let in oxygen, so the microbes can break down the sugars anaerobically and form lactic acid and carbon dioxide. The fermentation period can range from days to months. Sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, yogurt, kefir and sourdough bread are just some of the things you can make through lactic acid fermentation.
Ethanol/alcohol fermentation
This type of fermentation occurs when yeast converts glucose to energy and is released as carbon dioxide, resulting in a byproduct called ethanol (or simply, alcohol). This is the process that produces wine, beer and spirits.
Acetic acid fermentation
Kombucha has been all the rage the past few years, and there’s a good reason why. It’s a powerhouse of a beverage, containing antioxidants and antibacterial properties. Kombucha is made through acetic acid fermentation, in which starches and sugars from grains and fruit ferment into sour-tasting vinegar and other condiments. You can make apple cider vinegar and wine vinegar in the same manner.
All About Starters
At the start of the pandemic, making sourdough bread was the activity of choice, and we heard much social media chatter about keeping one’s starter alive. What exactly is the starter’s role in the fermentation process?
While microbes and yeast are naturally present in the air and can be harnessed with a little work and patience, sometimes a specific starter set is required to jump-start the fermentation process. For sourdough bread, it’s traditional to leave out a jar of flour and water and let the natural yeast in the air do its work to create a starter. But if you don’t have the time or the patience to do so, you can always snag some starter from a friend or buy dehydrated starter online, which you can then rehydrate with a little water.
Online vendors like Cultures for Health (culturesforhealth.com) have taken the guesswork out of starters. If you’re into making your own milk or water kefir, you can buy kefir starter grains here, as well as dehydrated SCOBY for kombucha. (SCOBY, which stands for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” is the mother culture required to make the tea.)
As for making your own yogurt, one simple trick is to take your favorite store brand (use plain, not flavored), set a tablespoon aside and mix it in warm milk. The bacteria from the commercial yogurt will proliferate, and you’ll have a fresh batch in no time. Just remember to set aside another tablespoon for the batch after that.
Tools You’ll Need
• Clean, sterilized jars large enough to hold your produce plus the brine.
• A cover that doesn’t allow in oxygen but lets carbon dioxide out during the fermentation process. That can be as simple as silicon tops that go on top of mason jars (W), or special lids like the Easy Fermenter (nourishedessentials.com).
• A clean lid for your jar, for when it’s done fermenting and ready to move to cold storage.
• A glass weight for submerging your vegetables into the brine.
• Sterilized bottles for kombucha, kefir and beer.
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
