Fermented foods add good bacteria to the gut. This good bacteria helps to do many things like strengthen the immune system and regulate appetite.
Fermented vegetables are a great and tasty way to get a daily dose of probiotics to maintain gut health.
Fermenting veggies is a cheap and tasty way of adding good bacteria too the gut!
Fermentation can also add nutritional value to whatever you ferment. The bacteria produce B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and digestive enzymes not present before fermentation. During fermentation, good bacteria also helps predigest all the vitamins and nutrients in the vegetables themselves, making them more bioavailable to the body. The health payoff of this nutrient boost can be huge.
You can ferment pretty much any veggies some vegetables just require a little more care or a slightly different method than others leafy greens and cabbages for example much more moisture in them so you don’t need a brine solution you may just need to add some salt as there juice will create a natural brine. Vegetables with a very high moisture content like cucumbers and squash can get too soft during the ferment so adding a few black tea leaves can help due to the high tannin levels.
Some great fermented vegetable combinations:
- Carrots with red pepper flakes
- Green beans with garlic and dill
- Red cabbage with garlic and chilli flakes
- Carrots with ginger and garlic
- Broccoli and cauliflower with garlic, basil, and oregano
- Garlic with basil and oregano
- Beetroot, carrots, and fennel
- Cauliflower with curry powder
