Beer, wine, coffee, vanilla, cheese, vinegar, and pickles; these are just some of the foods and beverages we consume daily that are fermented. Did you know that the art and craft of fermentation is thousands of years old and is an important part of every culture on the planet? Our grandparents and great-grandparents fermented foods as a means of preserving them and they realized how important these foods were to good health of mind and body. This valuable knowledge is making its way back into our lives and is experiencing a renaissance at local farmers markets, grocery stores and kitchen counters everywhere.
So what is fermentation anyway? Fermentation is the result of bacteria and/or yeast converting carbohydrates into alcohol, acids and carbon dioxide. For example, yeast perform fermentation by converting sugars into alcohol, and bacteria convert carbohydrates into lactic acid. Nearly any food can be fermented, because any kind of carbohydrate can be fermented. The possibilities are endless and can be tailored to fit your tastes and lifestyle.
After discovering how beneficial fermentation is, the next step was to try it. The process sounded easy enough, and so we were introduced to Donna Schwenk and her passion for living a cultured life. She is a huge proponent for eating fermented foods and has promoted The Trilogy as a way of life.
Kombucha
We started off with kombucha and followed this recipe. Kombucha is a bubbly, fermented tea that requires a starter called a scoby. You simply boil tea bags in water, add sugar and your scoby. Let ferment for 7-10 days.
Kefir
We ordered our kefir grains from Donna online and eagerly placed them in milk immediately. The sugars in milk are food for kefir. Rule of thumb is one tablespoon kefir grains to one cup of milk. Using whole milk makes the kefir creamier.
After 24 hours of fermentation we strained the kefir grains to be used again.
We then poured our kefir liquid in to a separate jar to “second ferment” with orange peels. Twelve hours later and our kefir was not only higher in vitamins and nutrients but tastes fizzy, too.
Fermented Vegetables
Next, we bought some organic carrots to wash, peel and place in a brine with sprigs of rosemary. Check out the recipe.
The sunlight brings out the most beautiful color of orange.
Fermented Fruit
We couldn’t stop there, so the last of our organic Meyer lemons got sliced, salted and stuffed in one of our favorite storage jars following these instructions.
What Does All of This Mean For Us Humans?
Probiotics, the bacterium that carry out the process of fermentation, also exist in our gut. It is said that more bacteria exist in our gut than there are stars in the Milky Way. Countless chemical processes take place in our “second brain.” Serotonin, for instance, is what gives us our feelings of happiness and well-being. 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is housed in the gut, where it acts as a neurotransmitter and a signaling mechanism, so essentially, food and emotions go hand and hand. Probiotics, the “good guys,” also help our bodies absorb more of the nutrients from the foods that we eat, and most importantly, fight the “bad guys” to combat disease and improve our immunities.
How to Begin Fermenting at Home
Fermentation can be fun and requires no special equipment or skill. This is an old craft that uses simple vessels such as crocks, mason jars and glass bottles. No one type of vessel is essential for fermenting vegetables. Buy organic, in season and local as possible, to capture the most nutrients, which are only amplified and enhanced by fermentation. Use a starter or unrefined sea salt to maximize the quality of your product. And, always use either filtered, if not distilled water to minimize contaminants, whether using it in a brine, kombucha batch or water kefir. Water is the backbone of fermentation. Do not skimp on quality and most importantly have fun!
Are You Ready to Get Cultured?
Here are some fun and easy ways to get started:
- Go to a Farm to Fermentation Festival.
- Join a Facebook Fermentation Group.
- Read a book on Fermentation and get recipes here.
Farm Eggs Dyed Naturally
Spring on the farm is a very exciting time. It is a time of renewal and rebirth that can be seen everywhere. Rhubarb, lettuce and kale are starting to grow in the garden, baby chicks, goats and lambs are being born. Egg production is increasing after a long winter, just in time to celebrate Easter with the tradition of decorating and coloring chicken or duck eggs. Most of us grew up using the store bought egg coloring kits that include artificial dyes, stickers and shrink wraps, all packaged up and ready to use. But, did you know that you can naturally dye eggs from materials found right out of your garden, pantry and kitchen? Not only can you color eggs using fruit, vegetables and spices, you can decorate and design eggs using grains, leaves and twigs. It takes a little more effort and creativity, but the results are outstanding.
Let’s Get Started
Start with the freshest-laid eggs from organic or free-range chickens. If you do not have happy hens of your own, look for a farmer selling them at a local farmers market, co-op or farm stand. Brown eggs can dye just as well as white eggs and, in fact, will produce a richer color. First, boil your eggs in water, taking them out before they crack.
While your eggs are boiling, peel several onions (red or yellow), chop some cabbage, dice a beet, grab some spinach and get out some frozen blueberries. We found some mason jars that we filled up about 1/3 to 1/2 way full. Nice right?
You can add two tablespoons of any spice and get fantastic colors. We used tumeric for the color yellow.
We used chili powder for orange.
And brewed up some extra strong espresso coffee for our dark brown color.
You will end up with eight jars total. Pour boiling hot water over the ingredients. Fill all of the jars up about half way, making sure to cover ingredients.
Add two tablespoons of vinegar in each jar. The colors will not set without vinegar.
After the jars have cooled, strain the ingredients and put your new dye in a fresh container.
Add your eggs, one at a time, until you have around three to four in each jar.
After adding your eggs, place all jars in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. The longer you leave them, the more intense the color will be.
When you take the eggs out, place them on a drying rack to dry. Rub them with vegetable, coconut or olive oil to polish them up, before you showcase them as a work of art on your countertop, hide them for a Easter egg hunt or place in beautiful baskets (we found ours at a second hand store). Aren’t you proud of yourself?
How To Make Natural Food Dyes
Using fresh foods results in the most vibrant of colors. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables will work, but not as well. Coffee, juice and spices create darker hues. The following will give you a great start to deciding what colors you want to create.
Materials Needed
Decorating Tips