Most of us are now aware of how good fermented foods are for our gut health, but many people don't realise how easy foods like sauerkraut and kombucha are to make at home. And, says The Fermentary's Sharon Flynn, wild fermented foods have a far greater number of health-giving microbes compared to most supermarket products.
Frankly, we reckon our homemade ferments are generally a lot tastier too!
Sharon became a professional fermenter 'accidently,' after healing her young daughter's health issues by introducing wild fermented foods to her diet. While she may have fallen into the business of fermenting for its medicinal benefits, she fiercely promotes deliciousness as just as important. In this episode, we talk to Sharon about:
Various ferments, from kefir to kimchi
Why wild-fermented is superior to ferments with introduced cultures
Safety issues
What vessels to use for fermenting
The difference between anaeraobic and aerobic ferments
Suggestions of how to get a wider spread of fermented foods into our diets
Foods that ferment well and others that don't (sorry, kale lovers).
Questions submitted by our listeners
If you're interested in fermenting, especially if you're a beginner, we highly recommend Sharon's fabulous book: Ferment for Good - Ancient Foods for the Modern Gut, which you can buy on her website. You'll also find some great recipes there.
We really hope you find this episode as inspiring as we did.
Wishing you good gut health.
Natascha + Sam