I've been pondering fermenting for about a year now, approaching it cautiously. I poke the idea in my head with a sharp stick and then wait a few days to see if it's still there. I always think of it as some "mysterious, dark art." Ooooohhh (creepy floating ghost voice)
But after attending the Mother Earth News Fair and seeing everyone talk about it as a common, everyday thing, I'm ready to try it head on. So far I've made fermented pepper sauce. It is delicious on everything! But I stopped the fermentation before it got too "tangy." I'm sure there's some little probiotic critters in there but I didn't give them a chance to multiply and conquer the world, just a tiny battle in my gut!
Now I've moved on to sauerkraut. I just did a little batch in a quart jar on my kitchen counter. It was really neat to think I was making my own heath food in my own home. And I was surprised at how much I liked the taste. It was NOTHING compared to the can of beige stuff that I cringed to see my DH open every time I mentioned pork in the menu- that mushy, slimy, sour but tasteless glob that plopped into the pan. YICK (yick is like yuck- only worse!) No, my concoction is crunchy and tangy and perfect!
I'm not going to bore you with the benefits of eating foods that have probiotics- you can look it up and decide for yourself. And if you decide to try fermenting your own food, please find a reputable source for instructions. The method I used is the same as the one you can find by searching "Mother Earth News Sauerkraut video." If you've already tried fermentation, I'd love to hear about your experience!
