The other day I opened the Globe and Mail to see eating fermented foods as one of the 15 Ways to Be Healthier this Year! Be sure to read my blog post below to get started on a healthier gut for 2014!
Fermented foods are becoming quite the hot topic and people are discovering that there are so many delicious fermented foods available! Many of us have become so enamored with eating fermented foods, but haven’t yet taken on the challenge of actually fermenting them. Of all foods, plants are even more powerful through fermenting. Fermentation preserves them and adds loads of probiotics and enzymes helping to enhance your digestive and immune function. To read more on the health benefits, see this post! The following are what I consider to be the top plant-based foods to ferment. However feel free to buy store or farmer’s market bought versions of these if you are just getting started!
Soy
Tempeh, Miso and Tamari are forms of fermented soy that are incredibly healing and should be consumed on a regular basis. Be sure to watch out for processed soy in the form of milk, cheese, burgers or hot dogs, as these are not whole foods and should not be part of your diet in any shape or form! There is a killer miso soup recipe found in my book!
Nuts, Seeds and Coconut
When you ferment these items you can make them into yogurt, dips and spreads. Be sure to source a vegan starter culture to get any of these items going. There are many resources available online to find starters kits. Cultures for Health is a really good place to start! Then check out Fermenting For Dummies for some yummy recipes!
Vegetables
All kinds of hearty veggies can be preserved in a brine (put in a salt water bath), jarred and stored to have as a tasty crunchy condiment, like cabbage for sauerkraut or kimchee, cucumber for pickles and fermented beets for garnish to name a few. All of these can be added to any meal for extra flavour and an added dose of probiotics!
Grains
Rice, quinoa, whole grains for bread, porridge, muffins and pancakes can all be fermented to make delicious sourdough. Now this is what I call a healthy grain! You can pretty modify most of your existing baked goods to make them fermented. Again the book show’s you how with some of my all time favourites!
Fruit
You can make your own favourite jams, spreads and chutneys that are fermented and naturally fruit derived. They make a sweet, tangy and delectable condiment!
Now that you are all excited about Fermenting, it’s time to get a copy of my book Fermenting For Dummies!
Discover more about our lovely little Fermented Community by visiting our favourite fermented food companies like…
