I have some sauerkraut fermenting right now. It's in a kilner fermentation jar which has a water lock to keep it anaerobic. I'm also separately starting a new kombucha batch tomorrow.<p>I started making these because I just like them - the sauerkraut is a great ingredient to have for various dishes or just to eat, and the kombucha was because I was getting bored with white wine at dinner and wanted something with a similar acidity level.<p>But since I started making them I've noticed that both instantly settle my stomach when it's upset and both also make my, um, digestive system move more...<p>If you want to start making sauerkraut all you need is a decent fermentation jar that can keep the interior anaerobic. For kombucha you need a bit more - big jars (it's aerobic though) and beer bottles - I also have a ph meter, BRIX measurer, etc
I read about fermented foods being good, like the old days.<p>Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir. None of which sounded like something my celtic ancesters eat. Beer, cider, bread maybe. I see a disconnect.
More likely the cultural practice was not passed down after the massive change in food preservation about 125 years ago. In the United States, fermentation was a universally practiced method for the pickling of vegetables. This practice has been so reduced that the word "pickle" now only refers to cucumber preservation.
><i>kefir. None of which sounded like something my celtic ancesters eat</i><p>celts consumed plenty of dairy. kefir is dairy. clotted cream is fermented and buttermilk and cheeses are fermented.<p>scandinavians eat fermented fish, and there was plenty of exchange and living side by side between scandinavians and northern celts.
Stinging nettle is known to have been eaten by the celts. It can be boiled or picked, which breaks down the stinging nature of the plant.<p>Also, cook books are a modern invention. You're not going to find a collection of thousand year old recipes by looking at written records.
Kombucha has two origins - Eastern Europe and Korea. So European Celt's may have used it.
Pickles veggies are made by just leaving veggies under brine at room temp, I am sure they had some form of that.
Sowans, buttermilk, and bog butter, fermented vegetables and seaweed?
Japanese eat fermented foods and have a long life expectancy.
Cool article, also sad I think I read that Asimov press is going on hiatus of some kind.
This is an excellent article. Currently fermented foods are fashionable amongst those that care for such things, and this article spares the reader of the hype, hype which could be hose manure.<p>I have an ongoing nutrition experiment, to cut processed foods and animal products from my diet. As a result, I cook from scratch at all times, even making my own bread. I don't use a fridge or a freezer since I don't buy anything that needs to be kept that cold.<p>What has surprised me is the absence of mold and decay. Before my experiment, I would regularly have to throw out lots of food that had gone bad, but now I don't have these problems. I thought modern preservation techniques made food last for longer, however, this has not been the case and I simply don't waste food.<p>I tried doing sourdough because everyone thinks that is the best thing since sliced bread, however, I soon went back to normal, fluffy wholemeal from my bread machine, fortified with seeds or dried fruit.<p>I don't buy things preserved in jars with brine, oil or vinegar, so my intake of fermented foods has to be lower than that of a normal person. Hence the question, do I really need to get with the fermented foods craze?<p>In the article much is written about inflammation. Allegedly fermented foods help with that. But so does removing free sugar from the diet, along with processed foods and animal products. Therefore, before worrying about fermented foods, it is worth considering removing the junk first, as in all of it, to not eat HFSS (High Fat, Sugar and Salt).<p>The Yakult company of Japan make these fermented foods things, calling the yogurts is a joke considering the ingredients. For decades they have been getting themselves banned by advertising standards for claims regarding beneficial bacteria that can't be backed up with science. Their product is marketing hose manure.
No love for any of the fermented fishes?<p>Surströmming, sursill, hákarl...
Sourdough and sunshine are all you need.
> sourdough<p>nice, but too complicated. slice a cabbage, add some salt, pound it, stash it for 10-15 days, enjoy. easy peasy and delicious (optionally pour some olive oil, vinegar and pepper on the serving for flavour).<p>just make sure i has enough juice to stay covered. odds are it doesn't; popular wisdom is topping it up with some extra brine. i prefer white wine.
Get some Florastor and put a couple of capsules into juice<i>. Wait 24-48 hours. Drink. Delicious! Very fizzy and fun. Reduced sugar.<p>Good for the gut and immune system. Use it when my kids have GI distress/diarrhea or just as a treat/reward.<p>I like it way more than Kambucha and it never has vinegar worms.<p>Can buy some yeast energizer too on Amazon for a great boost.</i><p>* I get the Florastor has & bloat personally b/c I figure the enzymes might help and I find it’s a little cheaper somehow, sometimes. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Florastor-Advanced-Probiotic-Digestive-Supplement/dp/B0CV8L8BRM" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Florastor-Advanced-Probiotic-Digestiv...</a><p><i>I like apple cider, pasteurized is fine but must be preservative free. OJ is fun, comes out as orangina like, but tastes off too quickly.<p></i> Energizer <a href="https://www.amazon.com/LD-Carlson-Yeast-Energizer-oz/dp/B07MC58SK9" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/LD-Carlson-Yeast-Energizer-oz/dp/B07M...</a>