How To Make Your Own Sauerkraut
And then there is lactic acid fermentation, also known as lacto-fermentation. If you’ve ever had unpasteurized sauerkraut or true sour pickles, then you’ve eaten fermented vegetables. These are hard to come by, though, in their true raw form so it is helpful if you know how to make them at home, which we’ll introduce you to in just a bit.
Of all the methods of food preservation listed above, fermentation is the most exciting. For one, it requires very little energy - no boiling or canning or freezing. Even more exciting is that the raw enhanced qualities of the fresh vegetables are not only preserved, they are enhances. When vegetables are given a friendly environment for fermentation, their vitamin content is enhanced and the beneficial microorganisms we know as probiotics proliferate. The end product is raw and full of vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics that aid digestion.
Happily, some major grocers and online food purveyors are beginning to carry raw, lacto-fermented vegetables. For those who would rather spend the time to make these ferments, though, there is a definite peace of mind in going through the process and controlling all of the ingredients in their home kitchen.
Furthermore, the process is simple enough that it can be done regularly from grocery store produce or in large batches at the end of a harvest season. And the savings one gets from doing it at home cannot be ignored. The end product is also preserved and can, in the right conditions, last for months or even years without further canning or refrigeration.
It is the lactic acid, and other organic acids found in lesser quantities, present in the sauerkraut or other ferments that preserves the food for long-term storage. It is not unlike modern pickling as we know it, in process. In modern pickling, vinegar brine is added to vegetables in order to preserve them.
Harmful bacteria such as botulism cannot exist in an environment that is overly acidic. And so the acetic acid, or vinegar, preserves the food and is given the added protection of being water bath canned. When vegetables are mixed with salt or a salt water brine and are submerged beneath the level of that brine, a chain of events begins to occur.
First, the microorganisms present on the vegetables themselves begin the fermentation process. The anaerobic environment created in the underwater environment allows beneficial bacteria to takeover. These bacteria feast on the carbohydrates and other constituents of the vegetables and convert them into organic acids. Often small amounts of acetic acid, the same acid found in vinegar, are produced. But lactic acid is the predominant acid in lactic acid fermentation and has a very distinct flavor.
During this time carbon dioxide is produced and can be seen in the ferment in the form of bubbles and pressure that builds up in an airtight jar. After several days, ferments begin to have a tangy flavor, brought on by the lactic acid present in the food. But the fermentation process is not necessarily fully complete just because the vegetables are tangy.
More fermentative bacteria go to work later in the process in order to produce that quintessential sauerkraut, kimchi, or sour pickle flavor. As you can imagine, having the highest quality of ingredients is important with a list that short. Vegetables. Look for organic and sustainably grown heads of cabbage or bushels of cucumbers. While vitamins and bacteria can be enhanced through fermentation, one cannot increase the mineral content inherent in a vegetable. Only healthy soils can produce high mineral-content food and it pays to seek out farmers who prioritize healthy soils. Organic is also of importance in fermentation.
