What foods do you know of that are fermented ? Usually we think of yogurt, buttermilk, beer. What about miso, soy sauce, tempeh, kosher dills, sauerkraut, cheeses, kimchi, sourdough ? I could go on. Every culture has had some kinds of perishable foods that were fermented so that they could be preserved for later use. Before refrigeration this was one of the few ways to keep foods for longer periods of time. Fermented foods are ancient, interesting, beneficial and taste great !
Fermented foods are literally alive. They have been inoculated with microbial populations that live and feed in the environment the food is being preserved in ! I hear a few of you "YUK, YUKKING". We wouldn't be alive on this planet without them.
Fermentation preserves nutrients and breaks down proteins into more easily digestible forms. Soybeans fermented become miso, soysauce and tempeh. Milk breaks down lactose to become yogurt, cheese and buttermilk. Fermented wheat/ grains are easier to digest than unfermented ones.
Fermentation creates new nutrients. Microbial cultures create folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine and biotin. Fermentation removes toxins from foods. Depending on the ferment it can neutralize and even eliminate certain toxins that would otherwise be harmful to our health.
Remember though that pasteurization kills much of the beneficial bacteria in fermented foods. Making and preparing your own fermented foods ensures that you will get the most beneficial benefits from the alive foods. It also insures that your fermented food will be colonized with organisms that are local and in your own environment. Just remember not to use chlorinated water ! This also kills microorganisms.
Our coexistence with beneficial microorganisms protects our immune systems and we would not be alive today without them. They inhabit every surface of our existence inside and out. Problems only occur when we upset the balance of the system. Unfortunately we are really good at tipping the scales.
Many of us are beginning to accept and acknowledge the need for biodiversity on this planet, especially in the growing of food crops. It is generally accepted by many of us that monoculture is the wrong way of doing things. The very same goes for our own bodies. We are hosts for a very complex relationship between our cells and the microbial organisms that inhabit us. We are not even close to understanding the intricate bonds between ourselves and the unseen. Suffice to say that they are integral to our very health.
I have been making my own yogurt bi-weekly and have also made buttermilk, kimchee and sauerkraut this winter. I honestly feel better and healthier and have been learning lots in the process.
Many of you are enjoying my bread making process and results. I really enjoy the effort of working with this living dough. I eventually want to blog the process from start to finish. I hope you will stay tuned.
