Fermented foods

Plenty of ferments start with ginger, even as a starter as it is supposed to have it's own bacterial cultures, so I don't know if that makes sense. Have you seen any examples of what you were trying to do?
 
Thanks everyone who contributed to this thread! It was a lot of information to digest and even though I found a few recipes online that basically said you can ferment with nothing but a cloth or cheesecloth and an elastic around the edges to keep dust and anything else from entering the jar during the fermentation process, that it's actually not a good thing to let air flow in and out of the jar, even if all the cabbage is below the brine and that this is due to mold possibly growing? So my question is, since I don't have a crock and am not using the Fido jars, but instead the mason jars, how exactly do you burp sauerkraut when you have regular lids - and is it essential that you do burp it? I came across this video where the fellow basically just opens it up for a few seconds and then closes it. Is that all there is to burping?

Thanks!
 
What we've done is simply cover the top of the ferment with olive oil, that way you can burp the jar without exposing the ferment to air. This was one of the best methods used here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20161201100227/http://www.nourishingtreasures.com/index.php/2012/07/01/sauerkraut-survivor-day-23-transfer-to-fridge-part-1/

If you read this you will see that many common methods are prone to mold, cabbage leaf method included. Unfortunately the website is gone from the internet and only available by archive, so all the images are missing and it's hard to navigate. A useful webpage such as this really should have been preserved.
 
Hi All....Just thought I'd pop in here and share some of my experiences with kraut. I've been making my own for several years now and I have tried both the aerobic and anaerobic methods....I found mold to be a problem with an open crock.....so I have been using the anaerobic crock which works great and no mold problems... Here's a link to the kind of crocks I use...

https://www.amazon.com/TSM-Products-31040-Harvest-Fermentation/dp/B00H4BFGAW/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1486404585&sr=8-10&keywords=fermenting+crocks

This crock when filled to capacity will yield about 5 1/2 quarts...I also have a larger 5 gallon crock of the same kind as I make 26 or so quarts at a time and have some to sell to my small customer base....the average fermenting time for my smaller crock is about a month and my larger crock takes about 2 months....timing really depends on the temperature of your home but I let mine ferment longer than most folks to gain a higher amount of beneficial bacteria....it also gets a twangier taste the longer it ferments which I happen to like.

It's fun to experiment with different flavors....my favorite and the one I sell the most of is a pretty heavy duty garlic/ginger kraut....it also has carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, and daikon radish....I've made an oregano/carrot batch that was really good too....but you can experiment with any herbs or ingredients you like....in an earlier post from Whitecoast he tried using spring greens and didn't like it and I agree....one of the first batches I ever made I put in a bunch of fresh mustard and collard greens from the garden....YUCK!!!!.....dark leafy greens give the kraut a very strong and different flavor which I did not like....anyway that's my 2 cents and happy kraut making to those who enjoy it!!! :P
 
monotonic said:
What we've done is simply cover the top of the ferment with olive oil, that way you can burp the jar without exposing the ferment to air. This was one of the best methods used here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20161201100227/http://www.nourishingtreasures.com/index.php/2012/07/01/sauerkraut-survivor-day-23-transfer-to-fridge-part-1/

If you read this you will see that many common methods are prone to mold, cabbage leaf method included. Unfortunately the website is gone from the internet and only available by archive, so all the images are missing and it's hard to navigate. A useful webpage such as this really should have been preserved.
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Hey Monotonic,

I was looking more into it and yeah there is a higher chance of mold in the Mason Jars so I opted to purchase some fido jars and see how things go. For some reason I'm a bit uncertain about mixing olive oil in it, even though oil and water separate, and will make sure to try the burping method and weigh down the batch so nothing pops up above the brine. Also, I came across this post that doesn't recommend the oil method.

_https://www.reddit.com/r/fermentation/comments/3k6cpe/i_am_protecting_my_fermenting_sauerkraut_with_a/

MYTH: Pouring a layer of oil on top of a brine is a safe and traditional way to prevent kahm yeast and mold.

FACT: Oil has a neutral ph and no oxygen and is a the perfect breeding ground for C. botulinum. If any vegetable matter were to escape the weight, float to the top, and become trapped in bubble of moisture within the oil before fermentation and acidification has occurred, it can become a risk. Considering that there is no safe dose of botulinum toxin (meaning even trace amounts can make you very ill) this cannot be called a safe practice. Oil also becomes rancid with prolonged exposure to air, creating damaging free radicals. As a trade-off for mold, this does not seem a very good bargain. An airlock will serve better in this case. Regarding the supposed historic practice, here is what we know: In some cultures, after fermentation was complete (and all contents acidified), ferments were sometimes sealed with lard, which would turn hard in the cool temperature of a cellar, to further preserve them.
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I had just begun considering adding sauerkraut to my menu when I saw the following warning in David Brownstein's book, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It:

cabbage, turnips, brussel sprouts, broccoli and rutabaga all contain sulfurous substances, thiocyanates, which bind and prevent absorption of iodine. These are called goitrogens, because they can induce deficiency and thus cause the thyroid to swell into a goiter. (Even) milk from cows feeding on these goitrogenic vegetables can also cause goiter.
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I may've missed reference to this earlier in the thread, but I'm wondering, does fermentation eliminate these thiocyanates from cabbage? If not, what bearing should this fact have on maintaining optimal levels of iodine?
 
Well I lucked up by Googling "thiocyanates sauerkraut" and finding this article (note what I've bolded in the last paragraphs):
_http://acupuncture-santa-monica.com/thyroid-inhibiting-goitrogenic-foods/

The strongest foods in this group [goitrogens] are soy, millet, flax, and cruciferous vegetables. Some nuts and fruits are listed as well, but they generally have a milder effect.

The Strongest Goitrogens are Soy products & Millet:

soy
soy milk
soybean oil
soy lecithin
soy anything
tempeh
tofu
millet (the most goitrogenic food)

Moderate Thyroid Inhibitors – Cruciferous vegetables:

bok choy
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
garden kress
kale
kohlrabi
mustard
mustard greens
radishes
rutabagas
turnips

Mild Thyroid Inhibitors include:

bamboo shoots
peaches
peanuts
casava
flax
pears
pine nuts
radishes
spinach
strawberries
sweet potatoes

After seeing this long list, don’t panic… supporting the thyroid is about avoiding “excess” consumption of these foods rather than avoiding them altogether. As you are probably aware, many of the foods listed above are very healthy and many are high in nutrients.

In addition to eating moderate amounts of these foods, cooking does help minimize or inactivate the goitrogenic compounds found in these foods (since they are heat sensitive). Cooking cruciferous vegetables does not remove all goitrogens, but it does help. Here’s the breakdown:

If you steam vegetables, it decreases goitrogen yield by about 30%.
If you boil them for 1/2 hr and you keep the water, 65% of the goitrogens are removed.
And if you discard the boiled water, about 90% are removed.

* As a note, fermenting cabbage into sauerkraut actually increases the goitrogens that it contains, but it reduces the amount of nitriles, which is another type of chemical that’s present in some foods like cabbage that has a toxic effect on the thyroid. In fact, nitriles are even more harmful than goitrogens. And unlike goitrogens, the effects of nitriles can’t be offset by iodine intake or iodine supplementation. So with fermentation, you do have an increase in goitrogens, but you have the nitriles, which are even more harmful and not offset by iodine, cut in half. So we might say that the net effect of the fermentation of cabbage and probably other goitrogenic foods is either neutral or even positive because of the reduction of nitriles.

For most people, a small amount of goitrogenic foods are not a problem if you have enough iodine-rich food, or if you’re supplementing with iodine at around 800 mcg (or more) per day [which is a meager .8 mg]. But at high concentrations, goitrogens actually interfere with the incorporation of iodine into thyroid hormone itself, and this means that even if there’s enough iodine in the diet or through supplements going into the gland, it can’t be properly utilized, and therefore, no amount of supplemental iodine would balance the thyroid. Note that people with auto-immune thyroid disease should not supplement iodine as it may make the condition worse.
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While i am writing this,i am drinking my Kombucha te.I learned to do it after some mistakes and now i have some "Mothers Kombucha"doing a wonderful job.I talk with them every day i thank them to take care of my health.

Also i learn to prepare fermented potatoes,Morocco lemons,fermented eggs.In Davis`Perlmutter Book:Brain Maker you will find delicious recipes than will help you to increase your health :P
 
I've included fermented foods in my diet for a month now and my gut is loving it! Kefir, kombucha, sauer kraut, kimchi and natural yohgurt are now on my menu and not only do I feel better, physically and mentally, but I've noticed my belly fat is down a little. Bonus! I make kefir daily but buy in the rest. I recently made some kraut but plan to leave it for 6 weeks. BTW, thanks to everyone for the hugely amazing diet & health thread - I just love reading every bit of it!
 
lids4321 said:
I've included fermented foods in my diet for a month now and my gut is loving it! Kefir, kombucha, sauer kraut, kimchi and natural yohgurt are now on my menu and not only do I feel better, physically and mentally, but I've noticed my belly fat is down a little. Bonus! I make kefir daily but buy in the rest. I recently made some kraut but plan to leave it for 6 weeks. BTW, thanks to everyone for the hugely amazing diet & health thread - I just love reading every bit of it!
Click to expand...

Try to add fermented potatoes to your diet.It is ease to make it.Here the link.

https://youtu.be/H0SjRvTBgO4
 
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