If what is said in the article I will link to in a minute is true, fermenting vegetables is becoming more popular. Because I plan to give fermenting a try, waiting for me at the library right now is Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods. (My branch of the Denver Public Library is not open much these days due to budget concerns so I won't get the book until Tuesday.)
From "Back to basics: Workshop participants learn how to ferment vegetables" (Madison.com):
“Fermenting vegetables is definitely becoming more popular and it’s something that people can do at home,” said [Adrienne] Fox, 44, taking a rare break from her busy sauerkraut-making business, where she sold at least 4,000 pints of her trademark Powerkraut last year. She also produces kimchi.
...
“They can preserve their own vegetables through fermentation in their n home and have fresh local produce through the winter, which is really wonderful, plus have the probiotic benefits year-round,” Fox said.
Probiotic bacteria grow through the fermentation process and many people, including Fox, claim that probiotics have health benefits but so far they have been unsubstantiated by the medical community.
“There is considerable interest in the potential positive health impacts of fermented foods, although in most instances the scientific basis for these health claims are lacking,” said Jim Steele, a UW-Madison professor of food science and an expert on food fermentations.
Steele said the increase in interest in fermented vegetables is related to an increase in consumer interest about where their food comes from and how it is made.
Click to read the rest (including a recipe). Do you ferment?
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