Grow Your Own Probiotics: Cultured Vegetables

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Originally published October 15 2008

 

 

Grow Your Own Probiotics: Part 3 - Benefits of Cultured Vegetables

by Patty Donovan (see all articles by this author)

 

 

(NaturalNews) Lacto-fermented foods have been around for centuries.

They are commonly found in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and North and

Central European cuisine. Some examples are sauerkraut, kimchi and

miso but there are literally hundreds of foods worldwide. Different

cultures ferment everything from breads to fruit and vegetables to

fish and meat. Lacto-fermentation is used to preserve foods, enhance

the flavor and even create " new " foods. Instead of being preserved

with vinegar like most pickles and sauerkraut you buy in your local

grocery store, these foods are " pickled " through the action of live

bacteria and yeasts converting natural sugars into lactic acid. These

foods should be consumed raw and unpasteurized with the exception of

breads. The live organisms are naturally acid resistant and

repopulate your gut with beneficial organisms as you ingest these

foods.

 

Besides providing probiotics, other benefits include:

•Approximately 70% of the body's immune system is in the gut. A

healthy gut leads to a healthy immune system and body.

•Fermentation destroys such plant inhibitors as goitrogens and

phytates.

•They are able to keep bad bacteria and yeasts in check. For example,

if your gut contains plenty of the beneficial organisms that should

be found there and you consume food contaminated with Salmonella, you

are much less likely to become ill than someone with poor gut health.

If you get sick at all, it will likely be a short, mild illness.

•The lactic acid-producing lactobacilli in these foods alter the

acidity of the intestine, which in turn, helps prevent the overgrowth

of the unfriendly bacteria, molds, and yeasts such as Candida

Albicans.

•These foods provide enzymes, organic acids, B vitamins, Vitamin C

and Vitamin K.

•Lacto-fermented foods are lower on the glycemic index than similar

foods unfermented EVEN when these foods are cooked. For example,

lacto-fermented bread is around 68 on the glycemic index while

regular bread is 100. Therefore, regular ingestion can help control

blood sugar. This is partly because some of the sugar has been

converted into lactic acid.

•These foods provide an energy boost because the nutrients are " pre-

digested " and more easily assimilated.

 

Making your own cultured vegetables is really simple. Cabbage already

has a plentiful supply of lactobacillus and can be fermented with

nothing but salt, water and time. Many other vegetables that have not

been " sterilized " through chlorine baths or irradiation also contain

a plentiful supply of beneficial bacteria. You can speed up the

process by adding whey from yogurt or preferably kefir to you

veggies. Add 2 tablespoons whey to 4 cups vegetables. If you are

using whey you can decrease the amount of salt used. There are

different recipes all over the web. What I've found to be the most

fun is experimenting. Your nose will tell you if something is " off " .

I've been doing this for over a year now and my only real disaster

was pickles.

 

Patty's Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

1 small cabbage, grated

1 cup water with 2 teaspoonsful salt and 3 tablespoons of whey added

(this is your brine). It is very important to use water containing NO

chlorine such as spring, distilled or Reverse Osmosis

½ cup shredded carrots

½ cup shredded daikon radish

1 tablespoonful coriander seeds

1 large or 2 small Granny Smith apples

1 cup of chopped greens like kale or chard

a pinch of red pepper flakes

Several of the large outer cabbage leaves

This usually gives me about 6 cups of packed vegetables.

Instructions:

1.Grate the cabbage and place in large bowl. Pound until you have

quite a bit of liquid. I actually put my cabbage back in the food

processor with the plastic blade and " bruise " it this way.

2.Add all ingredients except cabbage leaves and brine and mix well.

3.Pack tightly into your chosen container leaving about 1 ½ inches of

space. This container needs to be glass with an airtight lid or a

special fermenting crock. Mason jars with plastic lids work fine.

4.Add your brine slowly, letting it work its way down to the bottom

of the veggies. If the liquid does not cover the vegetables, add more

water until they are covered. Cover the vegetables with the cabbage

leaves and make sure everything is submerged. Put lid on.

5.Place in dark cabinet and leave undisturbed 3 or 4 days at room

temp. If your house is very warm, 2 or 3 days is adequate, if very

cool, then 4 or 5 days may be necessary. Place your jars in a tray as

they may leak as the sauerkraut ferments.

6.Remove from cabinet and place in refrigerator. The sauerkraut can

be eaten immediately at this point but I've found it develops a

richer tangier flavor " aging " in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 more

weeks.

Sources:

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig

 

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-arti...

 

 

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About the author

Patty Donovan was in a wheelchair and could only walk around her

house with a cane. She was on over 20 medications. When told to " take

the morphine, get in the wheelchair and learn to live with it " by a

neurosurgeon, she knew her life had to change. She is now almost a

fanatic when it comes to healing through the use of " whole foods " and

and natural remedies. Since that time, she has spent countless hours

researching nutrtion and alternative health. After spending 30 years

in the allopathic health care industry in both pharmacy and as an RN,

she brings a unique perspective to Natural News readers. Since

committing to this new life style, she no longer uses even a cane,

has gotten off over 20 medications, lost over 50lbs and returned to

work.

 

 

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