The Art of Lacto-fermentation
It first occurred with samphire, this only-locally-known marshplucked food
became haute-cuisine overnight, in fact timbales lain with samphire sprigs
in chic London restaurants are now so commonplace they are nearly passé.
Then nettles: not just in soups, but in gnocchi, in vinaigrettes, and
before long, the likes of sautéed foie-gras and roasted veal sweetbreads
were being served on a bed of wilted Dorset nettles. Then game: woodcock
on toast, head still on, beak spiking through body, became the sexiest
starter. Now, with the latest rustic DIY trends, nudging into foodspeak is
lacto-fermentation. It may sound horribly Heston Blumenthal, but
lacto-fermentation is not only simple, but a highly nutritious, tasty,
ethical and low-energy way of preserving vegetables and dealing with
autumnal garden gluts.
Fermentation heralds from ancient traditions the world over, and, used in
the production of alcohols, sourdoughs, yogurts, cheeses, miso and a host
of lesser known foods, it remains a fairly common part of our everyday
diet. As to the lacto-fermentation of vegetables, it is best-known in
Europe in the too-often-dismissed form of sauerkraut. Before you turn your
gaze away in festering disgust, I beg you to look again on this sour
cabbage, which has too long mouldered in the cupboards of pungent Northern
European cuisine. Today, nutritionally, ethically and ecologically,
lacto-fermentation is proving to be the edgiest in food thinking.
Nutrition
Lacto-fermentation preserves vegetables in an environment of living
cultures. These good bacteria are known as lactobacilli, they break
the vegetables’ nutrients into more digestible forms, thus facilitating
their assimilation, remove toxins and increase (yup!) vitamin levels, all
whilst conserving the vegetables in a raw state. And, you can try this at
home!
The lacto-fermenters of this world suggest that a diet in which everything
is bacteria free and pasteurised starves our intestinal flora of the
necessary nourishment, making us more susceptible to disease.
Acknowledging that certain bacteria are very important for the functioning
of the immune system and also provide competition for heavier, more potent
bacteria, we can begin to dispel these current hygiene frenzy myths.
Indeed, barrels of sauerkraut onboard ships saved sailors from the
recurrent sea-disease, scurvy. And, the process of lacto-fermentation, as
opposed to pickling and pasteurizing, by using living cultures keeps
vegetables crunchy, sharp and alive over the winter months. What offers
more delight than, in deep winter when barely a leek is standing in the
garden, levering the lid of one of your fermented pots to let the smell of
sparky summer vegetables pervade the room.
Books
When fermenting, I refer to two excellent writers, perfect opposites, they
are perfect complements. The first is highly practical Scandinavian
Annelies Schöneck, hers is a deep technical knowledge, and she tends to
offer an introduction reminiscent of science lessons, followed by step by
step fermentation recipes. She has at least a couple of books that have
been translated into English: Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables
at Home: Creative Recipes for Lactic-Fermented Food to improve your health
and The cultured cabbage. Vaguely retro, you might just spot
their faded covers on the bookshelves of your local charity shop.
At the other extreme is a startling book by Sandor Ellix Katz, called
Wild Fermentation. Quite as wild as the title suggests, Katz looks at
fermentation as a means of revolt amidst a mainstream culture of mass
produced, plastic packaged foods. With sections entitled: Cultural
homogenization; Fermented stimulants and the rise of globalization;
Resisting the commodification of culture; his book outlines how “we can
merge appetite with activism and choose to involve ourselves in food as
cocreators”. Wild Fermentation is an extraordinary, lucid food process, a
recipe book which is less about quantities and ingredients, but about
concepts, methods and practice.
Live food
Katz’s lesson is important, that the consumption of live foods offers a
spiritual and practical interaction, interdependence and interconnection
with the surrounding life forces. Lacto-fermentation shifts the food
process from the near passive consuming of long dead food, to a creative,
transformative action, from one of decomposition and decay to one of life,
reproduction and transformation.
Practical lacto-fermentation
On a more practical level, lacto-fermentation manages to preserve
vegetables without the use of freezers, canners, without pasteurizing or
heating, simply by placing them in conditions that encourage the
production of lactic-acid bacteria (lactobacilli), this natural
preservative that inhibits the production of other bacteria. These
conditions are Anaerobic and demand Pressure, a Catalyst and Salt. As with
all food, the best results will be obtained with the best ingredients, so
a wild sea-salt (such as Sel de Guérande) a pure unfiltered water or
natural spring water and of course the freshest vegetables.
The catalyst is usually already present in vegetables, for example in the
organisms on the cabbage leaves. However, to ensure a good outcome, I tend
to use a supplementary catalyst. This can be blackcurrant (or gooseberry,
raspberry or similar) leaves, which are high in lactic acid bacteria, and
have their own sweet, subtle yet unmistakeable flavour. Whey can also be
used, I make it straining yogurt or separating milk.
Although there are beautiful ceramic crocks made for the purpose, with a
water airlock system, these are expensive (keep an eye open in flea
markets). Kilner jars are likewise good fermentation apparatus, and can be
found cheap on markets, however, do get hold of new rubber seals...
Otherwise, a bucket will do.
For a one gallon bucket of sauerkraut:
Roughly 5lb cabbage, 3tbsp sea salt, ¼ pt whey and/or 12 blackcurrant
leaves.
Chop or grate cabbage. Pack it into bucket layering it with salt,
blackcurrant leaves or whey and other ingredients of your choosing
(chopped apples, turnip, horseradish, rocket, caraway seeds, juniper...),
pushing down with your fists, kitchen implement or feet as you go. This
(pressure) and the salt will help force water from cabbage, to create the
brine in which the cabbage will ferment. Once bucket is full put a snugly
fitting plate on top and weigh it down with a clean weight (i.e. a large
stone you have washed). Cover the whole thing with a cloth. Leave for
three or so days at warmish room temperature to get fermentation going,
then move to cooler place and allow to ferment slowly. Don’t be afraid to
check on it regularly, touching, tasting, noticing changes in
consistency... mould may appear on the top, scrape it off, the kraut
underneath will be fine, the white substance is lactobacilli... Leave at
least three weeks, before digging in... Sauerkraut improves with age!
For a jar of lacto-fermented French beans:
Chop young French beans (roughly 1lb) and push into jar (1 pt), layering
with salt (1/2tbsp), blackcurrant leaves (or spoonful of whey) and
flavourings of choice (onion, garlic, dill heads, mustard seed,
tomatoes...) Put on pressure and add more beans until jar is full and can
take no more, cover with water, pressure again and fix lid. 3 days room
temp, might start bubbling, then move to cool dark place for at least
three weeks. Store until needed, open and enjoy! |
Lacto fermented French beans |
Other vegetables
This recipe for beans will suit most vegetables, some (such as cabbage,
beetroot) will produce their own liquid under pressure, and you probably
won’t need to add any water. Always make sure the top layer of vegetables
remains under the water, you can use a weight of sorts, as this creates
the necessary anaerobic conditions. The amount of salt will affect the
speed of fermentation and the length of time the vegetables will remain
preserved for, I estimate between ½ - 1 tbsp per pint jar of vegetables.
Lacto-fermentation is experimental, success or failure is bound up in a
symphony of tiny details. A serious stench will warn you if things have
gone bad. Keep an eye on the developments, test according to your singular
tastes, and this curiosity will in its turn allow you to adventure
further... Once you have the basics you can experiment, last summer, as
well as the staple sauerkrauts and French beans, we had buckets of
cucumbers bubbling all over, a pile of delicious carrot kimchi (using
chillies, ginger and spices), jars of broad beans (ours were foul, as was
our kale!), lacto-fermented beetroot, courgettes, seaweed...
Serve these bright crunchy veggies simply with rice, mix into a potato
salad, for breakfast with kippers, amuse-bouche or as a tangy side. You
can use the remaining juice as a starter for your next batch of
lacto-fermented veggies, or drink it for a serious health-boost.
Fermentation is not only a highly practical skill in this peak-oil era,
but is a domain for the curious and those keen to approach food in a more
ethical manner. Encouraging a slight deviation in one’s mindset one can
begin to experiment with what is growing around us, our climate and living
conditions. So, why not reconsider that sour cabbage and join in this
latest food frenzy!
“Come participate in a cultural revolution! Wild fermentation is a way
of incorporating the wild into your body, becoming one with the natural
world. Wild foods possess a great, unmediated life force which can help us
adapt to shifting conditions and lower our susceptibility to disease.
These microorganisms are everywhere and the techniques for fermenting with
them are simple and flexible.”
Sandor Ellix Katz, Wild Fermentation
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz is published by Chelsea Green
Publishing, 2003 ISBN: 9781931498234
For online information and fermentation troubleshooting, see Sandor Ellix
Katz’s wild fermentation website:
www.wildfermentation.com
Written by Olivia Heal for
Permaculture magazine
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