Lacto fermenting was first used by ancient man as a way to preserve foods as far back as 6000 B.C. Preserving foods is one reason mankind has survived in his path from hunter-gatherer to domestic farmer to city dweller he is today. Although it was mainly used to preserve at that time, I am sure they enjoyed the taste as well. As for the health benefits, the most noticeable one they found was the fact they had something to eat when nothing was found growing and ready to harvest. 🙂 It is hard to imagine life without a grocery store where produce, spices and flavors from around the world are daily available year round like they are in our supermarkets now!
Lacto fermenting is the process of introducing a vegetable to a specialized fermenting container that has the ability to create [and control] an environment that favors the growth of beneficial Lacto Basilius bacteria while discouraging the spoiling elements by isolation and containment. In return for the habitat that our fermenting container helped create, the bacteria create lactic acid [by converting sugars] which further discourages the growth of spoiling bacteria and thus preserves the food for later use.
A proper fermenting container needs to be able to hold the brine which is salt and water in an appropriate mixture based on the vegetables being fermented, and to control access to the atmosphere and it’s airborne contaminants. It does not have to be fancy.
Traditional fermmenting crock
Common mason jars
Fido jar with cover
The brine or salt mixture immediately reduces the chance of a bad bacteria or mold from upsetting our planned ferment’s final destination as a flavorful probiotic healthy food source. As the ferment progresses there is more and more CO2 given off that has to be vented to prevent rupturing our container and needs to be maintained aid in mold defense as molds do not like a CO2 rich atmosphere. They thrive in and prefer one that is rich in O2. So at this point we see that our team effort is paying off! We provided the brine for the bacteria that are always present on the vegetables as well as a place they can call home and a protective canopy in which they can collect the CO2 into a blanket that will keep their enemies at bay!
While this “dome” and “blanket” building process is taking place they also produce lactic acid by converting the sugars and starches in the vegetables. This lactic acid drops the PH [acidity scale] of the brine and makes the controlled environment into an even more unfavorable habitat for the bad bacterias and molds! From then on it is smooth sailing for the lacto bacteria. With a PH of around 4.3 most bacteria harmful to humans can not thrive and will not grow which is great ofr both us and the bacteria.
At this point the action of the ferment has diminished which is visually evident by less CO2 being formed and we normally seal the ferment and store in a cool place which retards the growth of our now mostly retired good bacteria which allows us to enjoy the meal at a later date thus preserving the food original vegetable’s un fermented shelf life! \
I assume the old cave man had no idea that this was all going on when he added the day’s gathering of vegetable into a goat skin or clay pot for storing only to find some containers would contain nothing but dust when revisited later in the season and others would be full of tasty foods. I imagine maybe he salted some to season them and others he did not may have been a key factor in them learning the preserving properties of the miracle salt.
Most forms of lacto fermenting use a liquid brine but some use a "bed system" like miso and the use of bran or sake lee beds. The latter require a more intense understanding of fermenting and should be attempted after a person acquires a little experience in the skill.
Lacto fermented foods contain probiotics as well as greater amounts of vitamins and minerals than the vegetables used to make the fermented food. Probiotics are the good bacteria that also live in our intestines and are vital to human health. Recently a surge in the consumption of these probiotic rich fermented foods like yogurt and kraut has sparked a lot of scientific research into their value to human life. Claims that these foods can cure cancer, aids and erectile dysfunction are common. 🙂 We do not take these claims to serious but do agree as most do that simple gut problems are lessened without argument and that a healthy GI tract makes for a healthier person.
A recent study showed a 2 ounce serving of saurkraut contained more live probiotics than a 100 count bottle of a popular probiotic supplement pill! Now that is a saving ! Google probiotic supplements!
Lacto fermenting foods also saves you money, especially when you are raising a garden or using a small batch system that allows you to use the smallest amount of vegetables at a time. This reduces previously wasted foodstuff and provides tasty healthy treats as well. An example would be those miscellaneous vegetables aging ungracefully in the crisper drawer. Cut and toss them in a fermenting jar of brine and in a few days you will have a jar of pickled relish or tidbits to grace the table and provide a little added flavor as well as a smile because you did it yourself. Just for kicks and giggles…. price a bottle at a store near you today. $1.59 per quart could be the rate you paid. Your DIY cost = $.01 salt and vegetables you may have discarded because they were not “pretty” And in the case of growing even the smallest of gardens, one can save a super large percentage of their fixed income food costs! I mean huge!
On that subject , it is claimed that the USA wastes about 40% of it's grown harvest before it even reaches a market because it is not "pretty". They are healthy food but not first class in the cosmetic sense. I am not referring to damaged vegetables and fruits but rather to ones like a short carrot or an oblong tomato . Anything that is not the stereotypical standard that we are accustomed to, is just not sent to market. And often times there is no other use for these vegetable other than animal use or complete waste. As a home gardener who regularly cuts away damaged portions of our produce this is not a problem at all.
In the case of dairy and meats a similar fermentation can occur but not in a brine solution. Salami is fermented but since meat has little sugar, it must be added and the lacto bacteria play a minor role in this type of fermenting. With dairy there is a combination of yeasts and lacto bacteria that contribute to their formation. It is not a pure lacto ferment.
What foods can be lacto fermented?
Most any vegetable that is grown can be successfully fermented. The flavor combinations are endless as are the finished product’s uses. From condiment to mainstay. Your imagination is the limit. Meats and dairy goods can be preserved with the use of fungi, specific molds , yeast and bacteria but the process is not typically refered to as a “lacto ferment”
How long will fermented foods last?
Remember here the purpose of lacto fermenting in the past was not to store years of foods for later use but rather to enable the tribes to survive until the next growing season's harvest!
That depends on the final storage method used after fermenting is complete as well as what you define as “last”. “Lasting” can mean anything from “remaining edible without killing you” to “will the product still have taste appeal as well as nutritional value”. A ferment frozen could last a long time as well as one dehydrated provided moisture protection was initiated. In the freezer the process of freezer burning means that the product is dehydrated while frozen and quality as well as taste appeal diminishes as would regular frozen foods deteriorate. In a purposefully dehydrated ferment, the danger is that the moisture would increase to a point where it encourages the growth of spoiling molds, fungi and bacteria.
Freezing a live ferment does not kill the bacteria but puts them into a hibernation!
Canning a ferment with heat and/or pressure will kill the bacteria but the vitamin increase and nutrient increase is pretty much intact as is the flavor. Remember the original purpose of fermenting was not the quest for probiotics as we now gladly ferment for, but to preserve vegetables as well as flavor them. At any rate, canning will increase the shelf life and reduce the monitoring time spent storing live ferments. Canning seals the jar and prevents changes to the now stable fermented food. I would say a year or more is not a problem for canned foods .
Fermented canned foods will last as long as regular canned foods
Leaving the ferment live is another story altogether! It must be kept in a cooler environment than it was produced is to keep new bacterial growth to a minimum especially if sealed or the container would have to be burped at regular intervals. While the true story of sauerkraut lasting over 5 years on the old sailing ships is true……….. I am sure they do not tell of the many barrels of kraut thrown to the sharks due to spoilage either. The old sailors did not know why the kraut saved them from scurvy or how the bacteria increased the vitamin C content of the cabbage so many times over, they regrettably did not know how to can and process foods as we do in our later time. .
That being said.... If you do not have a root cellar equivalent and a genuine interest in monitoring your ferments once completed.. I would process them .................
