Hello from Anita!
A couple of years ago, I surprised my family with sparkling jars of fermented cucumbers for Christmas!
Also known as pickles. Straight from my humble little garden.
My brother was gracious, but he really thought it was worse than getting a lump of coal. I think he would rather have gotten socks.
But that’s only because he didn’t understand that that jar was teaming with powerful probiotics, plus vitamin C, B, K and A and would last in his refrigerator for months. Just a tablespoon or 2 every day is much better than expensive store bought probiotics in capsules, which may not be absorbed very well.
To get the probiotic benefits , you can’t buy just any pickles. They should be made with just water and salt, like Bubbies, not the more commonly found “quick” pickles made with vinegar. Vinegar kills all the good probiotic bacterias.
Welcome to the world of cultured vegetables! The Germans have sauerkraut, Asians are famous for kimchee, Italians love their olives and more. Many of these strong flavored foods are used as condiments, just enough to continually add a dose of life giving flavor packed vitamins to every meal.
Preserving food by fermentation is an ancient practice that continues to be proven by modern science to be even safer than other methods of canning. Using organic vegetables isn’t necessary because the powerful microbes eat any pesticides present. Cultured vegetables also cure stomach distress, help colitis and other digestive disorders.
We always keep sauerkraut on hand and eat at least a spoonful or two every day. I actually crave it now. It’s cheap and easy to make.
My favorite source for simple, solid information is Donna Schwenk of CulturedFoodLife.com. Donna got interested in this subject when she was trying to help her sickly, premature daughter and became a woman on a mission! I think you will love her as much as I do.
You and I are made up of trillions of cells of bacteria that help us to digest our food and repair our DNA, These cells produce serotonin in the gut and send it to the brain to make us feel happier and so much more. We need a balance of bacterias in our systems to have a healthy immune system.
There’s a war on bacteria in our world today and unfortunately, killing “bad bacteria” wipes out the “good bacteria” too. Pathogenic bacteria has developed resistance to commonly used antibacterial compounds that we continually use to sterilize every surface in sight.
The best weapons in this battle can be found in your kitchen or at your health food store in the refrigerated section. Given the potential for even more pandemics these days, it’s of critical importance to take care of ourselves both mentally and physically.
To your health!
What’s your favorite “cultured” food?
Know someone who might enjoy the Country Chronicles?
If you’d like to receive a weekly dose of simple living, subscribe below.
Kimchee. I had it the first time at a Korean community gathering. One of the communal bowls was above my setting. I thought it was my personal bowl. It was so delicious, I ate the whole thing as an appetizer before the meal was served. Some folks gave me dirty looks. Others were laughing. An English-speaking man had to tell me about my faux pas. I was so embarrassed! I have kimchee in my refrigerator as I write this. I love fermented foods!
Homemade sauerkraut is a wonderful treat full of flavor and great "crunch." I sometimes add some slices of jalapeno or even habanero peppers to the mix to give it little extra kick. Not too much. Just enough to notice it's there. Sometimes I go with the Bavarian addition by including a measure of caraway seeds. But even the simplest of kraut is delicious. And as Anita says, it's so good for you.