8 Fermented Food Recipes–For Your Health

The Flu is rampant! More than 50% of the nation is being hit with it right now. I’m taking precautions; eating healthier, getting sleep, washing my hands after being in public places and praying!

At every meal I’m eating at least a tablespoon of fermented foods. I know, you never hear of them anymore. In the olden days everyone knew how to preserve vegetables. It’s done through a process called lacto-fermentation. The lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances digestibility, increases vitamin levels, produces helpful enzymes and antibiotic properties critical to our health.

Lactic acid in the fermented foods keeps them perfectly preserved and promotes healthy flora in our intestines (80% of your immune system is in our gut).

Making them is easy. You don’t need any special equipment. The most important thing is to use the highest quality ingredients. When available use organic fruit or vegetables. If the vegetables are deficit in nutrients the fermentation is likely not to work. Use pure water, not chemical laden and use sea salt when available.

Most people don’t have access to homemade whey that’s in the recipes. Don’t use commercial concentrated whey, it’s not the same thing at all. You must have whey to ferment fruit but you don’t have to have whey to make the vegetables. Just use additional salt as I state in the recipe. If you want to know how to make whey read my post: http://sharonglasgow.com/2012/07/how-to-make-curds-and-whey/. If you don’t have access to raw/unpasteurized milk you can make your own whey using plain yogurt from the store. Here is a site that tells you how to do it http://wellnessmama.com/2402/how-to-make-whey-and-cream-cheese-in-one-step/.

Wash your fruit or vegetables, cut them up, add; salt, spices, water, then pound down gently to release juices. The salt helps eliminate bacteria while the fermentation is taking place. Put top on the jar, close tight. Don’t open while on the counter, it is a anaerobic process and the presence of oxygen can ruin the final product.

When you are ready to eat your fermented food–If it has a horrible odor toss it out. It should smell fermented and maybe sprity. Some vegetables don’t smell like anything. Once I made a batch of fermented cucumbers and when opening they were mushy on top, I tossed those out. They should have been the texture of it’s natural state.

Eat in small quantities, like a condiment. Enjoy the benefits of being healthy! Recipes are taken from Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions book.

Homemade sauerkraut recipe: http://sharonglasgow.com/2012/05/making-sauerkraut/

Homemade preserved lemons :http://sharonglasgow.com/2012/05/preserved-lemons/!

Fermented Beets

9 medium beets (when possible use organic)

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (if you have none, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

1 cup filtered water

Chop greens off and wash beets well. Place on cookie sheet and bake on 300 degrees for 3 hours. Peel and chop beet’s into thin strips. Don’t mince beets. Place beets in quart jar with wide mouth. Press down slightly. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the beets. Press down lightly. Should be 1 inch below top. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days before transferring to refrigerator.

Beets in 300 degree oven for three hours

: Peeled

Pour all other ingredients into beet and pound lightly

Pickled Radish

1 bunch of radishes

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons whey (if you have none, use 1 additional teaspoon salt)

Take greens off, wash and grate radishes. Place grated radishes into pint size mason jar. Pound down the radishes, then pour other ingredients on top. Pound again. The top of the radish mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days before storing in refrigerator.

One bunch of organic radishes

Greens off and washed

Grate them–not your fingernails!

Put into pint size jar and pound down

Add salt

Pickled Garlic

6 heads of of organic garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons whey (if you have none, use 1 additional tablespoon salt)

1/4 cup water

Bake garlic heads in 300 degree oven until cloves open. It will smell wonderful in your kitchen. Take outer layers off the cloves and put cloves into jar. Pour rest of ingredients on top. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days before storing in refrigerator. This is DELICIOUS! Our daughter Rachael spreads it on toast and sprinkles cheese on top-said it was heavenly.

Baking garlic on 300 degrees

Took clove out

Done, now cover tightly and let sit for 3 days at room temperature

Pickled Cucumbers

3 cucumbers

1 tablespoon of fresh dill if you have it

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (if you have none, use additional 1 tablespoon salt)

1 cup of filtered water

Wash cucumbers and slice in long quarters. Place in wide mouth quart sized jar. Combine rest of ingredients and pour over cucumbers. Top of liquid should be 1 inch below top. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days before transferring to refrigerator.

Wash cucumbers well, then slice in long quarters

Put cucumber pieces into wide mouth quart jar and then pour water and whey on top

Sliced and ready for the water, whey and salt

Mango Chutney (or Papaya)

3 cups of firm mango, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 cup whey

1/2 cup filtered water

Mix all in large bowl, then pour into wide mouth quart sized jar. Press down. If it doesn’t all fit don’t force it. Eat the left over’s for lunch. The fruit should be covered in liquid, if it is not add more water. Leave 1 inch a top. Cover tightly and sit at room temperature for 3 days before transferring to refrigerator. We’ve used this as a condiment with Mexican dishes, yum!!!

Getting ingredients ready for Mango Chutney

You don’t have to have one of these mango slicers–but it helps

Chopped mango

Lime juice, cilantro and ginger in the mango

Onions, red pepper and salt added

Rest of ingredients added and stirred

Pour into jar and pound–extra left in the bowl was yummy for lunch

Incredibly yummy– put lid on and let sit for 3 days at room temperature

Pineapple Chutney

1 pineapple, chopped- if at all possible use organic

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup of whey

1/2 cup of filtered water

Mix all in large bowl. pour into wide mouth quart jar. Press down lightly. If it doesn’t all fit, eat that part for lunch! You should have 1 inch head space at top. Cover tightly and let sit at room temperature for 3 days until transferring to refrigerator. I didn’t like this one as much, it tasted really fizzy! But I eat it! You need whey to make this one.