The Benefits and Basic Step Guide to A Healthier Gut Through Food Fermentation!!!

If you are a pickled vegetable fan like me then you will love how easy and beneficial fermenting your own food is. There are different methods of fermentation but I just like to take the easiest option using a good clean salt and filtered water, plus this method has been used for over a hundred years, as it was a natural way of food preservation before canning, chemicals and long shelf life foods were discovered.

Apart from preserving the food and allowing it to be stored safely for months, it also has some amazing benefits!

The Benefits and Basic Step Guide to A Healthier Gut Through Food Fermentation!!!

Health Benefits:

• Fermented food produces beneficial healthy bacteria lactic acid that promotes gut health with probiotic properties to help heal, restore and replenish the digestive tract
• Enhances nutritional content of the food
• Restoration of normal gut flora when taking antibiotics
• Helps curb sugar cravings
• Produces beneficial enzymes

With all these amazing health benefits, what I also love about fermented food is that you always have healthy food in your fridge once fermentation is complete. The only preparation that’s required is vegetables to be chopped, shredded or leave whole depending on your personal preference and getting the correct water salt consistency to prepare for the lacto-fermentation process. I like to put a day aside in the kitchen usually a Sunday where I prepare enough jars to last me a few months.

Here are the basic steps to fermenting your own food:

• Prepare veggies for fermenting and get a nice big glass jar with a lid. I like to chop up a mixture of carrots, cucumber and red onion
• Use water and salt for brine – for every cup of filtered water I add half a tablespoon of Himalayan rock salt, you can also add in herbs or garlic for flavouring
• Weigh the vegetables down under the brine. Cabbage leaf and stone does the trick and keep on a tray in room temperature, if the room is too cold the fermentation can take a really long time
• Once fermenting has finished move the glass jar to fridge for storage and fermentation will stop

Fermenting time can differ depending on the vegetables or what brine you use. But you can be the judge of your own fermenting, you can usually tell by the smell, colour change, bubbles and taste of course. Don’t be afraid to open up your jar and taste test or see how the process is going.

Happy Fermenting for a happy gut!