by Erik Krause
So where does the food and nutrition come into play? We can use the common beneficial fermentation bacterial species as assistants in creating foods. Sauerkraut, kimchi, olives, beer, miso, cheese and other food products have been produced for milennia, and all require the activity of various bacteria.
As I began exploring fermented foods, I found an enormous sense of connection with history and the environment around me. All these foods suddenly become accessible -- the grocery store isn't the only place to get them. The challenge with fermenting is to keep it healthy. It is an art form, which will vary from batch to batch and from food to food.
Some fermentation is best carried out from 65 to 75 degrees F, others are better at 70 to 100 degrees. Higher temperatures will cause a great increase in the speed of fermentation. In the desirable fermentation process, lactobacteria populate the mixture and crowd out putrefactive bacteria. If the temperature is too high, or the fermentation is allowed to go too long, the putrefactive bacteria will overcome the lactobacteria, giving you something that smells bad -- or worse yet, tastes bad. Always throw out the product if you aren't sure about the results. You may toss a couple of good batches, but it's better than the tossing which will occur if you poison yourself.
Grains are about the simplest items to ferment successfully. Since the majority of the activity is in converting starches to simple sugars and proteins, it's pretty basic. A common living foods item is the fermented beverage known as Rejuvelac. The basic principal is to sprout wheat, mix it with water and ferment it. Depending on the source of directions it varies as to the length of fermentation, the preparation of the wheat and the size of the sprouts.
High-sugar foods such as fruits should probably not be fermented. They will produce an alcohol fermentation path which is different from the lactobacteria fermentation desired here.
Cottage cheese and farmer cheese can be produced with a very short fermentation of less than 24 hours typically. This is amazing compared to the 2 years which is common for hard cheeses like cheddar and Swiss. That is another level of artistry.
It may also be easier to start these cheeses with nut milks rather than animal milks due to differing nutritional content. The same applies for yoghurt and kefir, although you can also buy starters for those in stores. These are more complex as the exact mix of bacterial species play a strong role in the flavor of the final product.
If you like the flavor of a particular batch, you can use it as a starter for the next. Starters can shorten the fermentation period since they provide a good dose of flora and fauna to the new material. Starters for commercial products are closely guarded secrets. Another source for a starter would be the 'raw sauerkraut' or 'raw kimchi' available at health food stores. These are pretty pricey, but if you like the product, it would make a good starting place for your own batch. These products have not been pasteurized so they still contain active cultures.