Fermented Veggies

jakejacobsen

Hi guys, while this isn't a primal or paleo questions I have gotten to know some of you and trust your advice. Plus your recipes would match my food choices.

So do you ferment your own or buy them? Is this something everyone should do? It seems to make logical sense from what i have read to be healthy. My other thoughts are is it necessary to buy cultures each and every time? I remember my grandma had "friendly fruit" a tub of fermented fruit in the fridge that was off limits to us kids they said it was alcoholic.

I am completely new to this and have a billion questions like how to get started which led me to this video, "buy our stuff" http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2014/03/a-beginners-guide-how-to-ferment-vegetables.html

Will my kids destroy the batch if the stick their fingers in it? So you really have to wash, then vinegar every thing your using. Is it dangerous to make your own?(if your breeding good bacteria what about the bad)

Anyway I have been thinking about this for a few weeks and reading and am almost ready to take the plunge, (especially a salsa) or something I can put on my eggs. Do you eat your pro-biotic/fermented food daily, 2x daily, is their a safe limit or can you eat as much as you want?

Sorry if this was a bit vague and all over the place just trying to understand this process, and why people do it, as well as how to do it, if it is indeed as beneficial to gut health as it seems. I have a wife with IBS, and a son who has a ton of GI problems and has been under the care of specialist for over 5 years, who keep coming up with nothing helpful next is surgery (not until he goes grain/dairy free for 100% for 3 months). My wife has already seen improvement with here IBS with primal eating, now my son is 100% primal with limited dairy (max 2 servings per 2 hrs) dr's orders.

Thanks for your experience, recipes and options, they are truly appreciated.

SteamClutch

I am reading and listening to podcasts lately on gut health and establishing good gut flora, and other than eating a "nutrient dense foods diet" this seems to be of great importance to overall health. It can take a long time to heal up and re-establish proper gut flora so before you invest a bunch of time in making it you may want to try some out. Get some Kombucha, maybe some Kim chi and sauerkraut and see if you like them, and if you have a Whole Foods in the area you may want to hit it and see what this stuff taste like. I love Kombucha it is slightly vinegary and fizzy so i will be making some soon, however I am not a big fan of Kim chi but will make some myself soon to see if I can improve on what I tasted.

justaspoonfulofsugar

I make fermented cabbage,it's called cortida and I love it.
I think many people use lacto fermenting because there is a fear that you will grow mould spores and die.
Personally,I have had no issue doing it myself.
Lizzard(I think you are friends with her),is a fermenting/kombucha making goddess..she would be best to ask recipes from and get great tips.
There are a few sites I really like
http://www.wildfermentation.com
http://www.culturesforhealth.com

I would say not to buy the commercial grade sauerkraut as I believe they cook the cabbage first and remove the friendly bacteria
Enjoy,I love doing it

Septlondon

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nickymaire

I buy/drink raw milk, which I then occasionally use to make whey. Lacto fermenting my veggies was just easier and cheaper than other methods I read about.

I ferment my veggies because I want the good bacteria/nutrients and it taste good. I've only tired ginger carrots and beetroot so far. Both worked out fine. Beetroot was a little salty. But I'm attempting fermented cabbage today. Just google some recipes or go to your local library and get out some books on it.

This has lots of fermenting recipes http://paleoleap.com/fermented-food-recipes/

pen2u

My husband uses this setup: http://www.perfectpickler.com/ Excellent results! Figure out a way to keep fingers out of jars.

Akimajuktuq

For fermenting newbies like me, a starter can really help. Dr. Mercola sells two kinds of starters: Body Ecology and then he recently introduced his own that is very high in vitamin K2. It's very expensive and I haven't tried it yet but plan to eventually. However, the goal is to work gradually towards not using a starter. I don't have much faith in the cleanliness/quality of my local veggies though. I haven't tried lacto fermentation because I don't have access to any whey that I am confident is still "alive".