Ever kept a book around forever unopened? Then you finally crack it open and realize you have been missing out?I recently had this experience with The Art of Fermentation by Katz. I loved the idea of this book, (and of having time to read all its 438 pages) but I just never did. In fact, I didn’t even open it, not once!
That is, until I had to write an article on lacto-fermentation. I opened “the book” to see if it would be useful and credible as a reference. Wow, was it ever! If I didn’t have a deadline, I would have sat down and read the entire thing cover to cover then and there!
Side note: In the category of things you should know about me. I love to read, and I am a procrastinate-until-the-last-minute-but-somehow-get-it-done kind of person. Hence, my situation. Okay, back to the point.
I wrote a pretty good article, if I do say so myself. It was informative and official and all that jazz (and you can read it here). But what I want to share with you, my readers, is the joy and excitement I get when I learn about and think about fermenting!
Why, you ask?
Well let me tell you...
I LOVE learning to do things that our ancestors knew how to do. I am an Old Soul, and I try to make the most of every opportunity I have to do things the old-fashioned way.
I HATE throwing food away. It comes from growing up in a large family, I suppose. Or perhaps my Hungarian ancestry. But fermenting allow me to preserve food longer.
I LOVE using fermenting as a hack! I can get more out of my vegetables by fermenting them because it increases the nutritional availability of what is present in the vegetable naturally, without adding anything else!
I CAN buy vegetables in season, and locally!
I GET probiotic benefit from the vegetables, and variety matters.
I KNOW what I am eating in my sauerkraut, banana peppers, etc because I added the ingredients.
I SAVE money by making my own ferments.
I GET to know and connect with what I am consuming, which is an important part of thoughtful eating.
Does that jazz you up at all?
Can’t wait to get started, you say?
Keep calm and hold on.
Soon we will talk a little more about what fermenting is and how to get started.
Stay tuned!
And Onward!