Lacto-fermenting

[Jessica Ritchie]

I'm really interested in this traditional method of preserving (from before there was an easy supply of sugar etc). The beneficial bacteria enhance digestion and colonise the digestive tract.

http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/lacto.html

I have made sauerkraut ginger carrots, using the recipes in Nourishing Traditions, I have also made some lacto-fermented fizzy drinks using fruit, whey and honey or dehydrated sugar cane juice. These mostly turned out really well, although I have had some trouble getting the sugar content right because of the variation in the sugars in different fruit at different times. Sometimes they turn out really sour and other times they get a bit vinegary from too much sugar (or apple juice).

Does anyone have any experience in this kind of preserving?
Is anyone interested in learning more?

[Kali]

I did some sliced baby turnips in whey once, they were quite nice, was a way of using the turnips because it turned out my family doesn't like them! i was looking for a copy of nourishing traditions but they are quite expensive new, I make kombucha which is also very variable because i don't always keep track of how long its been fermenting and i'm good/bad at just tipping in the sugar in approximate amounts rather than measuring. i am definately interested in learning more so i'll watch this space

[Jessica Ritchie]

I make Kombucha too, but I'm really sensitive to caffeine so I am careful not to drink it at night. I have been experimenting with using earl grey/lady grey tea bags which give it an apricoty taste (curiously). I am not wanting to make it with red bush tea instead to avoid the caffeine, but I'm not sure if this will work.

The Hamilton chapter of the Weston A. Price foundation sells Nourishing Traditions for $55, which is the cheapest I've seen it. http://www.thetraditionalkitchen.blogspot.com/

Baby turnips sound interesting. This blog has some good beginners info on lacto-fermenting. http://oreganicthrifty.blogspot.com/2009/03/lacto-fermented-foods-f...
The author's kids apparently like beetroot the best.

[Dian & Dennis Patterson]

Hi : Recently sold our lifestyle block, and semi-retired to 1/5th acre, at Kaiwaka. Used to make kimchee, from chokos, artichokes. 3 cornered garlic, ginger, and garlic. Cheers, Dennis

[Katherine Lucas]

Kimchee: Hi Dian and Dennis, please tell me more about kimchee.
Kombucha: I have a kombucha plant which I was using but I heard somewhere that it is full of enzymes and I wondered if it had the same effect on medications as gratefruit. Can anyone please help me regarding this?
cheers Katherine

[Jessica Ritchie]

That is a really good question. Enzymes are present in all living foods including yogurt and uncooked fruits and vegetables. My first guess would be that the enzymes in Kombucha would not react in the same way to those found in grapefruit, but that is probably because enzymes are in so many things and I've never heard of Kombucha being a problem in that way, but maybe no one's done any research into it yet? This article on Kombucha is interesting. It does mention medications and the contraceptive pill but it's not very clear about it's relationship to Kombucha, it just states that the pill can result in a folate defficiency. http://www.happyherbalist.com/cautions.htm

Katherine Lucas said:

Kimchee: Hi Dian and Dennis, please tell me more about kimchee.
Kombucha: I have a kombucha plant which I was using but I heard somewhere that it is full of enzymes and I wondered if it had the same effect on medications as gratefruit. Can anyone please help me regarding this?
cheers Katherine

[Kali]

my favourite for the kombucha is to add about 6 slices of root ginger to the brew when making the tea, it gives it a much more palatable flavour

[Dian & Dennis Patterson]

Jessica Ritchie said:

That is a really good question. Enzymes are present in all living foods including yogurt and uncooked fruits and vegetables. My first guess would be that the enzymes in Kombucha would not react in the same way to those found in grapefruit, but that is probably because enzymes are in so many things and I've never heard of Kombucha being a problem in that way, but maybe no one's done any research into it yet? This article on Kombucha is interesting. It does mention medications and the contraceptive pill but it's not very clear about it's relationship to Kombucha, it just states that the pill can result in a folate defficiency. http://www.happyherbalist.com/cautions.htm

Katherine Lucas said:

Kimchee: Hi Dian and Dennis, please tell me more about kimchee.
Kombucha: I have a kombucha plant which I was using but I heard somewhere that it is full of enzymes and I wondered if it had the same effect on medications as gratefruit. Can anyone please help me regarding this?
cheers Katherine

[Dian & Dennis Patterson]

Dian & Dennis Patterson said:

Jessica Ritchie said:

That is a really good question. Enzymes are present in all living foods including yogurt and uncooked fruits and vegetables. My first guess would be that the enzymes in Kombucha would not react in the same way to those found in grapefruit, but that is probably because enzymes are in so many things and I've never heard of Kombucha being a problem in that way, but maybe no one's done any research into it yet? This article on Kombucha is interesting. It does mention medications and the contraceptive pill but it's not very clear about it's relationship to Kombucha, it just states that the pill can result in a folate defficiency. http://www.happyherbalist.com/cautions.htm

Katherine Lucas said:

Kimchee: Hi Dian and Dennis, please tell me more about kimchee.
Kombucha: I have a kombucha plant which I was using but I heard somewhere that it is full of enzymes and I wondered if it had the same effect on medications as gratefruit. Can anyone please help me regarding this?
cheers Katherine

[Dian & Dennis Patterson]

OK : kimchee is Korean lactic fermented vegetables, chopped up, and fermented to be preserved over winter, without refrigeration, in a cold climate. Can probably produce receipe tomorrow, if it is wanted. Cheers, Dennis

[marjolijn vos]

Hi Jessica, last year I made three batches of sauerkraut. One lot was a success and delicious, the others turned.
The chickens got into the cabbages this year so I haven't made any. Great to be reminded and I'll definitely be
giving it another go...

[Dian & Dennis Patterson]

Katherine Lucas said:

Kimchee: Hi Dian and Dennis, please tell me more about kimchee.
Kombucha: I have a kombucha plant which I was using but I heard somewhere that it is full of enzymes and I wondered if it had the same effect on medications as gratefruit. Can anyone please help me regarding this?
cheers Katherine

[Dian & Dennis Patterson]

Katherine Lucas said:

Kimchee: Hi Dian and Dennis, please tell me more about kimchee.
Kombucha: I have a kombucha plant which I was using but I heard somewhere that it is full of enzymes and I wondered if it had the same effect on medications as gratefruit. Can anyone please help me regarding this?
cheers Katherine