 "Nurturing the land that nurtures us." |
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| What is Sauerkraut? | |
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Lacto–fermentation is a traditional method of preservation used throughout the world for thousands of years. From Asia to Africa, from Lapland to the Mediterranean, many cultures used the naturally occurring lactic acid in foods to help preserve vegetables, grains, fish, meat, and milk. Today, as in the past, the technique is used to keep and store harvests and to add beneficial enzymes that aid in digestion and enhance vitamin absorption. Lactic acid bacteria are naturally present on the surfaces of healthy vegetables as they grow. When the vegetables are packed fresh into airtight vessels, the lactic acid bacteria become active and convert the vegetable sugars into lactic acid and carbon dioxide, which preserve the product. Lacto–fermented foods, distinguishable by their effervescence and bright flavors, get their bubbly quality as a result of this sugar conversion. Newly–picked vegetables are fermented for a period of one to six weeks (it depends upon the variety) at a temperature between 60– and 70–degrees. They are not cooked or hot–canned, as heating compromises the value of the nutrients and enzymes produced during this natural process. Once the vegetables have reached their peak fermentation point, they are kept in cold storage, and as they mature, like cheeses and wines, their flavors develop. Well–aged, 6–month-old sauerkraut is a mouth–watering delicacy. | |