“Myriad beings beneath my sight, thank you for your transformations. May you nourish me as I nourish you. May you thrive in me as I thrive on the earth. In all the worlds may nourishment follow hunger as the echo follows the call.” ― Sandor Katz
A big part of the current spiritual crisis in our world relates to a disconnect from the natural world. A simple step to reclaim that connection with nature is to establish your own vegetable garden. But many people in cities do not have that opportunity. Getting involved with fermentation is also an alternate, tangible manifestation of that connection with the natural world. The spiritual connection is enhanced because in fermentation we are dealing with microbes that we cannot see. We can only witness the outcome of their activity. Like spirituality, we are dealing with invisible forces that influence our lives.
What is fermentation and how does it work?
Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food processing. Lacto-fermentation is a specific type of fermentation that uses lactic acid-producing bacteria to preserve foods. While fermentation was traditionally used to increase shelf life, recent research has highlighted several health benefits of eating lacto-fermented foods, especially for gut health issues.
The diets of every traditional society have included some kind of lacto-fermented food. Europeans consume lacto-fermented dairy, sauerkraut, grape leaves, herbs, meats and root vegetables. The Alaskan Inuit ferment fish and sea mammals. The Orient is known for pickled vegetables, sauces, and kimchi in particular. Farming societies in central Africa are known for porridges made from soured grains.
Fermentation is a microbial process occurring with or without air, as long as the product is submerged under its brine. So really the use of lids, airtight lids, air locks, or cloth doesn’t really matter. It’s often a personal choice.
Salt can promote the fermenting process by inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms favouring the growth of lactobacilli bacteria. Various strains of these bacteria are present on the surface of plants, especially those growing close to the ground. Many of these are common to the gastrointestinal tracts and mouths of humans and other species.
“Anaerobic” means that there is no oxygen present in the environment (the brine). Many lacto-fermented recipes emphasise keeping the food below the level of the brine. When this occurs, the bad bacteria are unable to grow in this environment, while the good bacteria have everything they need.
Lactobacillus bacteria have the ability to convert sugars into lactic acid. The lactobacillus strain is so named only because it was first studied in milk ferments. These bacteria readily use lactose or other sugars to convert them quickly and easily into lactic acid. However, lacto-fermentation does not necessarily need to involve dairy products by any means. It can occur with salt, the natural bacteria on fruit or vegetables, and a probiotic powder.
Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. It also increases or preserves the vitamin and enzyme levels, as well as digestibility of the fermented foods, making it an important gut health food for daily use.
Historically, salt was used to preserve foods before refrigeration. Salt pulls out the moisture in food, denying bacteria the aqueous solution they need to live and grow. Salt allows the natural bacteria that exist on the vegetables to do the fermenting. Only the desired salt-tolerant Lactobacilli strains will live and propagate. We call this wild fermentation.
Suppressing the growth of other bacteria and mould, salt provides a slower fermentation process that is perfect for cultured vegetables that are to be stored for longer periods of time. By interacting and introducing more fermented foods in your diet, you’re establishing a stronger internal ecosystem. This creates more internal resilience and rebuilds life from within.
See Issue 3 of Fierce Truth Magazine. My article “Emergence of the Inner and Outer Ecology” contains a sauerkraut recipe that you can easily try.
Renee Mccready, Our Expert (Former)
A plant wisdom keeper, ceremonialist, shamanic healer and therapist. Also a kitchen witch, plant based chef, yoga teacher, earth doula, bio-regionalist, and a practising animist. She runs workshops, sacred cacao ceremonies, mentoring programmes and will bring through earth wisdom.
- Renee Mccready, Our Expert (Former)
