How do I ferment? A handy guide!
How do I ferment? It’s a question we get a lot at The Grow Supplier. Mankind has been fermenting food since the Stone Age, long before people understood the science behind the process. Today, after the scientific discoveries of French microbiologist Louis Pasteur (does pasteurizing mean anything to you?), who showed that living organisms initiate fermentation, we know why fermentation not only makes foods like sourdough bread, cheese and wine taste better, but also helps keep us alive.
What is fermentation?
Fermentation is any metabolic process in which the activity of microorganisms creates a change in foods and beverages, whether to enhance flavor, preserve foods, provide health benefits or more.
The word “ferment” comes from the Latin verb “fervere,” which means “to cook.” Ironically, fermentation is possible without heat.
What happens during the fermentation process?
This is a bit scientific but it is good to know what happens during fermentation now.
In anaerobic conditions, or where oxygen is absent, beneficial microorganisms such as yeast, fungi and bacteria are present that get their energy from fermentation. Some yeast cells, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, prefer fermentation to aerobic respiration when sufficient sugar is available, even if there is an abundance of oxygen.
- These beneficial microorganisms convert sugars and starches into alcohols and acids during the fermentation process, improving the nutrition of food and preserving it so that it can be stored for longer periods of time without spoiling.
- Fermentation products provide the necessary digestive enzymes. This is crucial because humans have a limited number of enzymes at birth and that number decreases as they age. It contains the enzymes needed to break down fermented food.
- Pre-digestion is helped by fermentation. Before anyone even eats the food, the good bacteria that feed during the fermentation process break down the sugars and starches.
How can you ferment?
All right, enough scientific talk. We explain to you below in concrete and simple terms how to ferment.
Prepare your vegetables
The finer you cut or shred the vegetables, the faster they ferment (and the greater the amount you can put in a jar). You can also ferment things like carrots, onions, radishes and beets – even whole cabbage leaves. For example, a favorite of ours is hot peppers for making sauce. It is mostly a matter of personal preference and how you want to use the final product. Depending on the vegetable, wash and peel it as you would if you were eating it raw.
Add your brine
Your brine is a solution of water and salt. Salt inhibits the growth of mold spores while promoting good bacteria, giving fermented goods a crisp texture. Place the vegetables in a glass jar or fermentation pot and cover with a brine that you make by dissolving 2.5/3% salt in 1 liter of water (or about 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 cup of water should you not have a measuring cup). Use natural, non-iodized salt (iodine counteracts the fermentation process) and preferably bottled spring water. Combine spices and other flavors in your brine as desired.
The trick in this situation is to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine, because anything exposed to air will rot. Find a way to weight floating vegetables; fermentation weights are the simplest solution. If you can’t find one, for example, you can fill a plastic bag with some brine and place it on the vegetables to keep them submerged.
CAUTION: Proceed cleanly. Sterilize your jars and anything you touch the vegetables with. This will prevent unwanted bacteria in your fermentation.
What do I need?
Now that you know how to ferment, it’s also helpful to know what you need. We’ve compiled a handy list:
- (fermentation) jars
- Salt
- Water
Not much huh? There are some things to consider, though. As mentioned above, use non-iodized salt. Iodized salt counteracts the fermentation process.
Use fermentation jars if possible. These are jars with an air or water lock in the lid. This allows the accumulated gases to escape and prevents air from entering. If you don’t have or can’t find fermentation jars, you can also use regular jars. Be sure to “burp” the jar every other day to prevent the pressure in the jar from becoming too great.
Tap water in the Netherlands is suitable for use in fermentation. But, do you really want to go for pure? Then use spring water.
That’s it. That’s all you need. Above all, go with it and experiment with different vegetables to arrive at your favorite fermented food!
For example, would you like to grow your own tomatoes or peppers to ferment? Then take a look at our
seed market
To get you started!
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