Blog 4 - Fermentation & Preserved/Pickled Foods
Why Fermented Foods Matter!
Long before refrigeration was available, Lacto-fermentation was the method used to preserve food from the time of harvest into the winter months. It has the side benefit of actually increasing the nutritional value of certain foods and of keeping our guts optimally healthy. The gut is where more than 95% of our digestion and absorption of nutrients take place, after all, so this is vastly important.
Thus, here are ten reasons why you should eat at least one fermented or cultured food every day:
Fermenting vegetables increases their nutritional content
Fermented foods heal the intestinal tract from damage and restore optimal health
Beneficial bacteria provide enzymes which aid in digestion
Lactic acid bacteria stimulate and support the immune system
Lactic acid bacteria fight off pathogenic bacteria
Fermented and cultured foods taste good! (Think lox, cream cheese, pickles – these are fermented foods!)
Fermenting and culturing your own food is cheap and easy
Fermented foods are better than supplements
Fermented food promote dental health
You can ferment pretty much anything to increase its nutritional value (as well as increase its shelf life)
So with this task presented to us by Professor Jean-Pierre Centeno of our Theory of Food Class, it was off to Kensington Market we went on July 9th, 2017. To forage for some common ingredients, but for some other uncommon ones as well.
We started our search at the corner of Nassau & Bellvue - where years ago I had my own catering company. It was a wee little place, but it worked for several years. However, as we are told by JP-Centeno - know when to get out.
I was sad to see that Zimmerman’s had gone - at least it was converted into a natural foods store and not yet another vape-lounge.
I began my search here and soon found some likely candidates for what I had in mind for this blog...
Ontario sour cherries would have been delicious as a preserve or a compote.
As would have, these fresh Ontario Scapes. and yes I am sure they would have been. Unfortunately, they ended their plant-lives on my supper table that evening.
After a quick stop for a restorative cup of coffee - back at it.
Another landmark was gone, alas St Andrew Poultry has flown their proverbial coop.
Also while this tea smoked duck is delicious - it is not fermented, preserved or pickled, and that is what this assignment was all about.
Home and the ingredients and recipes will now be revealed!!!
So having the ingredients sort - what to do about the actual recipes?
Before starting this rather grand endeavour, I shall say that we had been given several months notice... So, let us begin.
Recipe 1
THIS INDIAN LIME PICKLE RECIPE MAKES YOUR MICROBIOTA HAPPY
Indian lime pickle is all up in your face with intensely sour, hot, spicy, salty flavours. It refuses to be ignored. If you’re eating anything sort of bland or boring, like lentils for instance, just add some of this lime pickle!
PRESERVED FOODS AND THE GUT MICROBIOME
We like naturally fermented stuff because it’s good for our gut. Right? Or so everyone tells us. This science of the gut microbiome is still in its infancy, and it’s pretty fascinating. It’s pretty clear that the makeup of microorganisms in our gut is related to our health in significant ways. For instance, did you know that:
Infants born via Cesarian section delivery have a significantly lower bacterial richness and diversity in their little baby guts than children born via vaginal birth. Apparently, it’s true. You get your first bacteria from your mum, and not just from breast milk and swapping spit. And getting this bacteria is important. For instance, there is demographic evidence that suggests that people born via Cesarian section have a higher incidence of Celiac Disease than the rest of the population. Consequently, some researchers suggest slathering c-section babies with their mother’s microbes to compensate.
People with a more diverse gut microbiome tend to be leaner than people with less diverse microbiota? It’s true. Imagine this: researchers take identical twins, one of whom is lean and one of whom is obese. And they insert some gut bacteria from each into some mice. The mice who got the obese twin’s gut bacteria gained more weight and fat than the mice who got the lean twin’s gut bacteria.
It’s possible to treat and even cure some diseases via gut microbe transplants from another person to import good bacteria into the sick person’s gut. It’s a little nasty to think about (ahem! faecal transplants), but it’s been done.
There have been rare cases where a person’s gut get’s overrun with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer’s yeast) to such an extent that every time that person eats a lot of carbs that person’s gut literally ferments those carbs into alcohol, making that person drunk! Hey, I’m not making this shit up! It’s called Auto-Brewery Syndrome, and while it sounds like a cheap way to catch a buzz, I bet it sucks!
The diversity and richness of gut microbiota in humans who have had relatively little contact with the modern world is vastly richer than that of the typical modern American, who eats processed foods, takes antibiotics, and sanitises the hell out of everything. This is horrible. Many of the critters in our guts are dying out, and a lot of them are beneficial, and this very well may have a lot to do with many modern ailments.
There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests that the makeup of the gut microbiome is related to auto-immune inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis (which I have), Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and type 1 diabetes. It may also be implicated in cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes (which I also have). And we already mentioned obesity. These tend to be modern Western diseases, and it’s highly likely that the increasingly impoverished modern Western gut microbiome is a contributing factor.
The rub is no one really has a good idea about how all of this works. What microbes are good? What ones are bad? How do they work in combination? How to we attract or combat them? We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface. There’s a lot of research going on, so the next decade or so should be very interesting.
That brings us to Nimbu Ka Achaar and this Indian Lime Pickle Recipe, which is a fermented food that is probably good for your gut.
Prep time 15 Mins Cook time 8 Mins Total time 23 Mins Nimbu Ka Achaar: An Indian Lime Pickle Recipe that's easy to make and good for your gut microbiome. It adds a spicy-hot, salty-sour kick to food.
Ingredients 5 - 7 Limes (whatever fits in a quart jar) 2 Tablespoons Turmeric Powder 1 Tablespoon Paprika 1 Tablespoon Cayenne 1 Serrano Chili, chopped 1 Cup Kosher Salt 1 Tablespoon Mustard Seeds 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon Cayenne
Method 1. Sterilise a litre sized canning jar. 2. Wash, and completely dry the limes. Keeping moisture off of the limes from now on is key. They’re not submerged in a brine like other pickles. Rather, is the high salt content that inhibits mould and other spoilage. 3. Cut the limes in half, then quarter each half (i.e., you’ll get 8 segments out of each lime). 4. Lay the lime sections in a glass casserole dish and sprinkle with two tablespoons of salt. Then sprinkle on the spices and the chilli. Mix well.
5. Place a layer of limes in the canning jar (or crock). Layer on a thin layer of salt. Repeat with layers until all the lines are in the jar. 6. Seal the lid loosely and leave the jar in a warm place where it gets sunlight for three weeks. Shake the jar daily to mix the lime. The limes should begin to turn brown by the end of the three weeks. 7. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Cook until the seeds begin to sizzle and pop.
8. Add the pickles to the skillet and cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes.
9. Place in another clean, sterilised jar and refrigerate. If everything is sterile they’ll keep for six months to a year. You can leave them unrefrigerated if you are willing to eat them within the next two or three months.
Recipe 2 - Moroccan preserved citrus.
Preserved lemons enhance the cooking of North Africa with their pronounced saltiness and a sourness that is oddly mellowed, rather than enhanced, through fermentation. Even with no other ingredients but salt and lemon, preserved lemons take on other unique and complex flavour profiles that can become even mint-like over time and after proper fermentation.
While you can buy them at speciality stores and online for up to $15 for a jar, you can make them yourself with just a little investment in salt, lemons and time.
Ingredients
2½ pounds lemons, (preferably Meyer lemons)
¼ cup unrefined sea salt
I added limes and grapefruit to one batch in order to see how they would fare under the same method.
Method
Trim the ends off lemons, taking care not to cut into the flesh, then slice the lemons as if to quarter them - keeping the base of the lemon intact.
Sprinkle the interior of the lemons with unrefined sea salt then layer in your mason jar, crock or fermentation device. Sprinkle with unrefined sea salt then mash with a wooden spoon or dowel until the rinds of the lemon begin to soften and the lemons release their juice which should combine with the salt to create a brine conducive to the proliferation of beneficial bacteria.
Continue mashing, salting and mashing until your lemons fill the jar and rest below the level of the brine.
Ferment at room temperature for three to four weeks. Lemons can be kept for one to two years.
Recipe 3 - Masala-Spiced Pickled Guavas
Ingredients:
– 12-15 crisp, barely ripe pineapple guavas (also known as feijoa)
– 3 tablespoons of pickle masala (available at Indian grocery stores)
– kosher salt (if masala is unsalted)
– ½ cup sugar
– 1 ¾ cups white wine vinegar
– ¾ cups water
Method
Combine vinegar, water and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Cut guavas into quarter slices and pack into sterilised jars within an inch of the top.
Add masala spice to jars, about 1 tablespoon per 16 ounces. (The jar shown here is 26 ounces.) If masala is unsalted, add a pinch of salt to each jar.
Pour hot pickling syrup over guavas, leaving a half-inch of head space at the top of the jar. Gently tap jars to remove any air bubbles trapped between the guava slices.
Wipe rims and apply lids and rings. If preserving for shelf stability, process the jars by carefully lowering them into a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Otherwise, wash jars once cool, and store in the fridge. (We went this route.)
It’s always snack time somewhere, right?
Recipe 4:
PINEAPPLE TURMERIC SAUERKRAUT
HEALTH BENEFITS
This sauerkraut is full of health benefits. The turmeric and ginger make it a powerful anti-inflammatory. Other benefits include…
Probiotic – fermented foods like this sauerkraut contain more probiotics than a probiotic pill and research has shown that the good bacteria are more likely to survive the digestive system than ones from a pill.
Enzymes- the enzymes in fermented foods help assist in breaking down food, making meals easier for your body to digest.
Fibre – sauerkraut is rich in fibre and feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut, moves food through your digestive tract and makes you regular (poo).
Relieves diarrhoea and constipation – the friendly bacteria in fermented foods balance the inner ecosystem in the digestive tract.
It also relieves gas, heartburn and improves mood and mental health.
The brine from the sauerkraut is packed with beneficial bacteria and enzymes. If you have an upset stomach or nausea, try a shot and it will calm your stomach. It will also give your immune system a boost. The gut shots are a quick way to get the benefits of fermented foods and they taste great too. Try mixing it with soda water for a bubbly spritzer or really let loose and mix it with champagne like my friends and I did over the weekend. Cheers!
I am really proud of this recipe. It tastes great and packs a super punch of health benefits. You have to try this kraut. I think it could turn people who don’t normally eat fermented foods into a fermented food lover. Make it this weekend and if you have any questions, leave a comment below.
INGREDIENTS
1 head of cabbage (shredded)
½ pineapple (chopped)
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
1 tbsp sea salt
Brine:
1 tbsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
4 cups purified water
Other Tools:
2 Quart Size Mason Jars or 1 half gallon mason jar
Method
Shred the cabbage in a food processor, mandolin or chop with a knife. Add it to a big bowl.
Chop the pineapple into small chunks and add it to the bowl with the cabbage.
Add the grated ginger and sea salt to the bowl.
Massage the cabbage mixture with your hands for 5 minutes or until it starts to break down and become soft.
Let it sit for 15 minutes in the bowl.
After the 15 minutes, the cabbage will become very soft and wet. If you squeeze it now, the juice will come out.
Add the turmeric to the cabbage. You can either mix it with your hands or a spoon. The turmeric could stain your hands and fingernails orange so you may want to use a spoon.
Pack the cabbage halfway into the mason jars if you are using two or halfway into the large mason jar if you are using one.
Now we are going to make the brine and add it to the jars for the gut shots.
Make the brine by combining 1 cup of hot water with the sea salt. Once the sea salt dissolves add the remaining water and the apple cider vinegar.
Pour the brine into the mason jars, leaving about an inch from the top.
Stir the brine and cabbage together in the jar so it's all combined.
Place a lid on the jar loosely so gas can escape as fermentation takes place.
Set on the counter for 4-7 days in a cool, shaded place.
During fermentation, the sauerkraut will bubble a little and become cloudy. If scum appears, remove it with a spoon.
Every day or two, shake the mason jar up so the cabbage submerges under the brine and doesn't develop mould.
Place in the fridge and serve cold.
Gut Shots: The extra brine from the sauerkraut is the gut shots. Pour the extra brine into shot glasses and don't forget to share with friends and drink to your health.
*** Note - I also added toasted fennel seeds to this recipe as I am interested to see how the aniseed flavour works with the others.
Recipe 5:
Easy Kimchi Recipe | Simple Fermentation
This recipe used only the super potent, smelly and strong ingredients to set the flavour, including daikon radish, leeks, garlic, ginger and chillies. That is medicinal power, not to mention a gorgeous rainbow of goodness.
I massaged the bejesus out of this mix until it got soft and juicy. Packed it into a jar, and let it sit for about five days. It started to foam at one point but I just scraped that off and let it sit a few days more until it was soft, fermented and, I gotta say, so delicious!
And so here is my super easy, almost fool-proof, kimchi recipe. I say almost fool proof as you really can't give any guarantees when it comes to fermentation. Every time around is an experiment. That's just part of the fun.
Ingredients
1 head napa cabbage, cored and shredded (makes about 8 cups)
1 leek, chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 daikon radish, grated
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp sea salt
3 Tbsp chilli flakes or 1½ Tbsp chilli powder
Homemade fermented Ghost Pepper sauce - from a friend.
Method
Prep all vegetables as directed in ingredients and place in large bowl. Add salt and chilli flakes. Use a larger bowl than you think you might need, as it leads to better veggie massaging.
Massage cabbage mix for about 10 minutes and then set aside. While resting, the salt will help the veggies to 'sweat', releasing some of their water.
Return to massage for another 10 minutes, until cabbage and other veggies are softened and a few tablespoons worth of water has been released.
Divide the mix between two 1 gallon/1 litre mason jars.
Press kimchi mix down, helping get out any air bubbles and ideally have some of the liquid come to the top.
Seal jar loosely and place in a warm spot (like on top or beside your fridge). Let sit for 4-5 days. If foam starts to form, you can skim that off. After about 4 days, taste the kimchi (with a clean fork, never double dip) and decide if you want to let it ferment longer or you're ready to enjoy it.
Once ready, seal the jar and store in your fridge. Will keep for 2-3 months sealed.
The fruits of my labours:
Left to right: Pineapple Turmeric Sauerkraut, Pickled Masala Guavas, Traditional Moroccan Preserved Lemons, Lime Pickle, Preserved Lemons, Limes & Grapefruit and finally Kimchi.
Respectfully submitted for Professor Jen-Pierre Centeno - GBC Theory of Food class.
As I had a jar left over and some of the German cabbage, I decided what better way to fill up that jar than with some traditional Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut.
Tangy, crisp, flavorful sauerkraut is so refreshing on a hot day! It makes the perfect side to many grilled types of meat. Culinary benefits aside, it’s also healthy for you! In my recipe, I share a little secret that makes for a no pound sauerkraut. No more pounding your cabbage for 15 minutes in this recipe! It’s so easy.
First, make sure that all dishes used for this project are very clean. You will need a crock or a large nonreactive bowl, such as the glass one I used, a plate that fits snugly inside and something to weigh the plate down. I used a food grade plastic bucket full of water, a mason jar full of water, another bowl full of water, or a jug full of water, are all options.
1-Shred cabbage (if you have one, a food processor makes this step a cinch) and place in the bowl or crock you will be fermenting in. Toss with the salt and cover with some kitchen towels. Leave for 15 minutes to an hour to allow the salt to draw out the juices of the cabbage. This is the secret that makes this recipe pound free. I learned it in a Russian cookbook.
2-Using a mallet, or whatever you have on hand gently pound the cabbage down so that it’s tight fitting in the bowl. Place the clean plate on top and weigh it down with whatever you are using for the purpose. Press down gently, but firmly. The liquid from the cabbage should rise to the top. You will want the liquid to cover the plate with room to spare within in 12-24 hours. If it hasn’t risen above the plate by that point, make up some salt water my mixing one cup of filtered water with one teaspoon of sea salt and use as much as you need. Cover with kitchen towels or a clean pillow case to protect it from flies and dust.
3- Each day you will remove the plate, and rinse it. If there is any “scum” on the surface of the water, remove as you much of it as you can with a spoon. Start tasting the sauerkraut after a few days. It will start to sour within a few days and will continue to “ripen” as the days go on. How quickly it ferments will depend on the temperature of your house. I like it after about ten days. Before that point, I just think it lacks the depth of flavour we want. But the lovely thing is that you can stop the fermentation process when it tastes good to you.
4-When it’s fermented enough for your taste, Bottle it up in clean mason jars, and place in the refrigerator where it will keep for a long time.
When this is ready to be jarred I will post more.
Oh and a footnote - I have stumbled upone another preservation method at home... drying. I usually buy a lot of fruits and quite often I do not use them so i took to dehydrating them - mainly citrus.
Yes, those are also dried avocados! When friends come round, they usually make fun of me for doing this, i just think they look kind of interesting. Then the other day I stumbled upon a middle eastern/persian website which list dried limes as ingredients...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/dining/02power.html
Who knows, maybe i will find a use for dried avocados as well. Until next time.