Cultured Vegetables
for your Health
Cultured vegetables are easy to make and are really good for you. They are also called fermented vegetables. The process is easy to do. You grate or slice vegies, add a salt brine, and let it sit out on your counter in a tightly covered jar for at least 3 days. As they sit out, the vegies begin to ferment and after a few days they have a wonderful tangy taste, like pickles, but without the vinegar.
How it works All leaves, roots and fruits from the garden have lactobacilli on their surfaces. When they are left out at room temperature, the lactobacilli multiply and produce lactic acid. The fermentation process gives these benefits: --increases vitamin levels --creates more enzymes --promotes healthy intestinal flora, or good bacteria --creates hydrogen peroxide, a blood and tissue oxygenator --increases the digestibility of vegetables and fruits
Well know cultured vegetables are sauerkraut and kim-chi. And relishes, salsas, even ketchup, used to be cultured. Today the salsas and various sauces are pasteurized, heated or otherwise processed. Even tempeh, sorry to say, it pasteurized. So the best way to have cultured vegetables is to make your own. All you need is vegies, salt, a glass jar and time!
Cultured vegetables Recipe This recipe with beets makes the whole jar was ruby colored. Grated beets, carrots, red radish, to make 4 cups 3 tsp sea salt 1 cup water 1 quart mason jar or a similar jar with a good lid 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds Directions: Grate the vegetables. I use a Cuisinart for this task. Put the grated vegies and seeds in a big bowl and pound them a bit to release their juices. If you have a mortar and pestle, use the wooden pestle to pound them. If not, try a potato masher, or use your clean hands! Place the vegies in a quart jar with a wide mouth. Pack tightly. Mix sea salt with 1 cup water; this is your brine. Pour brine over the vegies. Leave 1 inch space at the top, so the vegies can expand. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days in summer, 4-5 days in winter. It's ready when it has a tangy taste. Transfer to the frig. Many variations: You can use many vegies in this basic recipe. Here are some to try: onions, radish, cucumber, kale, cabbage, beets, carrots, Chinese cabbage, turnips, red peppers, parsnips, rutabaga... Add your favorite herbs in small amount: dill, fennel, cumin, jalapeno, mint, garlic, ginger, thyme, tarragon, cilantro Tip: If you don't like a vegetable, try it as a cultured vegetable! I don't like cabbage, but I love sauerkraut.
Food for thought: "In many countries around the world, lacto-fermented foods, or at least certain lacto-fermented foods, are valued for their medicinal properties...In Europe during the l9th century, doctors prescribed sauerkraut for numerous diseases--for enlarged liver and spleen, hemorrhoids, constipation, nervous trouble and hysteria. In Germany and Poland, sauerkraut juice and juice of fermented cucumbers are still used to treat enteritis" --Claude Aubert, Les Aliments Fermentes Traditionnels
Return from cultured vegetables to Healthy foods lifestyle Learn more about fermented foods here
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