Which fermented foods are in your pantry?
Just about every serious cook or foodie has one or more fermented foods in their pantry. Whether it be kombucha, sourdough bread or a mason jar filled with sauerkraut burbling on top of the fridge. Fermented foods could not be more in the spotlight, inspiring today’s cooks to try their hand at a process that has been going on around the world for centuries.
Fermented foods
If there is a problem with fermented foods, it may be coming up with ideas that will keep your family interested in eating more probiotic rich foods. Children of the sixties and seventies may recall being plied with overly tangy homemade yoghurt by every mother in the neighbourhood during its trendy phase.
Variety is the spice of life
Variety is the spice of life, so an assortment of tasty probiotic-rich foods to choose from will keep the task of cooking interesting and diners happy.
Fermented Foods at Every Meal
Health benefits
A diet rich in pre and probiotics keeps your gut healthy and running smoothly. Fermented foods also offer a serious flavour boost while metamorphosing your cream to crème fraîche, cabbage to sauerkraut or how about fermented mayonnaise?
Sun and spoiling
Those who grew up in the seventies and earlier are shaking their heads; thinking of the one picnic that was ruined by someone leaving the potato salad in the sun and spoiling the mayo. That will make you sick, but properly made and stored fermented mayonnaise, including a little whey from the cheese-making process, is not only better than store bought, but also packs the zing of fermentation while delivering some probiotics.
You will also learn how to make fermented ketchup, which we have made before and is delicious. Use it to make your favourite BBQ sauce and bend a few minds around the fire pit.
Author’s ten “mother” recipes
Kombucha is one of the author’s ten “mother” recipes. This mega-popular drink has probably been explored more in recent years than any other fermented food. Now used in the beer market, it can also be fermented to fantastic vinegar and leather can be made from the scobys. Ryczek blends kombucha into vinaigrettes for salads, popsicles and even a brilliant recipe for sangria.
Recipes that stand out
A couple of recipes that stand out for me in this book are the Dried Fruit Chutney and the Fermented Ginger Orange Carrots. Chutney is versatile and can be used more much more than just a condiment. Proof positive of this is Ryczek’s recipe for Sweet Mango Chutney Sundaes. The chutney supplements a sweet reduction of mango purée spooned over vanilla ice cream and topped with chopped pistachios.
In the case of fermented ginger carrots, I instantly thought of slaw when I saw this preparation and included is a colourful recipe for a Cabbage Apple Carrot Slaw, perfect for a summer BBQ.
A better mindset
This book will give you the confidence needed to incorporate basic fermented foods into recipes you already make like salsa, salads and soups. If you are new to fermenting, Fermented Foods at Every Meal will give the inspiration and information to explore the tasty and beneficial world of fermented foods.
Here is a recipe excerpted from the book:
- 1 glass pint jar with lid
- Mixing spoon Cheesecloth or cotton fabric square
- Rubber band or string
- 2 cups (475 ml) heavy or whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons (28 ml) cultured buttermilk or packaged starter
- Creme fraiche is pretty easy to make, and it’s a good thing, because it can be hard to find in the store. It’s a bit nutty and buttery and it can be used as a substitute for mayonnaise, yogurt, or sour cream in your favorite dish.
- It can also be used sweetened and whipped. Or you can whip it up (unsweetened) until it separates into solid butter and liquid buttermilk (which is different from the cultured buttermilk used in this recipe). Place the cream and buttermilk in a jar with a lid. Cover securely and shake for 15 seconds. Remove the lid and cover with the cheesecloth, securing with a rubber band or string. Set aside at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, until thickened similar to sour cream. (This time frame varies depending on the cream and the temperature of your home.)
- Stir the thickened Creme Fraiche well. Replace the lid tightly, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving. It will become even thicker as it chills. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Although it is generally recommended to avoid the use of ultra-pasteurized dairy products for culturing, I have found through many test batches that ultra-pasteurized cream works as well as all other types of cream in making Creme Fraiche. If using a packaged Creme Fraiche starter, follow the instructions provided with the starter.
Being born before the 70s fermented food was out for a long time because farmer Grand Ma used to do it 😉 Thanks for this book review. It makes me curious about new ways to explore in my cooking.
It seems that a lot of things that have been around for decades(some for centuries) are making a resurgence.
I’m curious now to read the book. It would be nice to try incorporating more fermented foods in meals.
It’s all about keeping the gut healthy.
Looks like a great book, I’m just starting to get into pickled foods and would love to try some recipes
I’m a neophyte when it comes to fermented foods. I should get this book!
You’re certainly right about fermented foods being the “in” thing right now. Looks like the book takes a bit of a different angle. Fermented mayo? Glad you took the time to explain it – sounds really interesting.
Having acid reflux has made me shun fermented foods because of their acidic taste. But you say it is a probiotic food and I do take probiotic capsules. Perhaps I should look into fermented foods more closely!
Thanks for your comment Carol. Nat has had chronic acid reflux from a medical condition for years, since she started drinking kombucha, water kefir and eating fermented foods her symptoms have lessened. It might not work for everyone, maybe you should talk to your doctor about incorporating fermented foods into your diet and how that might affect your acid reflux symptoms.