Fermentation of foods is another proven ancestral way to preserve and store in-season food, i.e. fresh fruit and vegetables, to allow them to be used throughout the year. In addition to that, the taste is much more palatable, not to mention the value of the health and healing properties added to the vegetables, by using this process.

Why should one add fermenting to one’s life style?

1. It is another super healthy way to store and preserve a food source that is now in abundance, thus not waste or spoil excess foods, especially vegetables, to be enjoyed throughout the year.
2. It’s a very economical way to preserve food. No heat source or preservative is required.
3. “The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels.” P89, NOURISHING TRADITIONS, Sally Fallon
4. Prevents decay in the bowls; “Lactic acid bacteria prevent decay not only in food products but in the bowls as well.” .” P11 Making Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables at home, Klaus Kaufmann, Dsc and Annelies Schöneck
5. Stimulates peristaltic movements of the intestines; “Acetylcholine, which is produced during fermentation, stimulates peristaltic movement in the intestines.” .” P11 Making Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables at home, Klaus Kaufmann, Dsc and Annelies Schöneck
6. “It prevents constipation by promoting bowel movements” P11 Making Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables at home, Klaus Kaufmann, Dsc and Annelies Schöneck

Typical types of fermented foods:

1. Sauerkraut

“In Europe the principal lacto-fermented food is sauerkraut. Described in Roman texts, it was prized for both its delicious taste as well as its medicinal properties.” P89, NOURISHING TRADITIONS, Sally Fallon

1. Kefir,

A fermented milk drink. Surely kefir is one of the ultimate health drinks.

1. Cheese

In northern European countries, like the people in the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland, cheese making was a way to preserve the highly nutritious and mineral rich milk for the cold winter months to come, where access to milk would be limited, due to harsh winter conditions.

By adhering to the 4 dairy rules, milk can be freely enjoyed: Your product must be:

1. From raw milk, thus unpasteurized.
2. Whole milk, thus full cream.
3. Organic pasture reared, ensures that it’s nutrient and mineral rich, with no hormones, pesticides and other chemicals.
4. Fermented, the lactose and casein is predigested and broken down. When kefir is used it contains a bonus of extra healthy flora.

Kapusta

“Eating in Russia and the Balkans is unthinkable without lactic-fermented products. There, people have long enjoyed kefir and yogurt, as well as a fermented product common to North Americans, sourdough bread. The Russian national dish, kapusta, is a mixture of white cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, apples, pears, cucumbers and lots of herbs.” P10 Making Sauerkraut and pickled vegetables at home, Klaus Kaufmann, Dsc and Annelies Schöneck

Summary

Fermentation as a process to naturally preserve raw foods, is a vital traditional skill that has been lost and forgotten by modern man. Fermentation is almost a sure remedy to restore gut health that was compromised due to the modern food and unnatural medical interventions. Make fermented foods a priority in your lifestyle and you too can experience improved health with no added cost.