What is lacto-fermentation?
As the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods and through teaching Lacto-Fermentation at Traditional Cooking School, I’ve received lots of questions about fermenting over the years.
Are you wondering how much salt to use, what salt to use, how to store ferments, if fermenting is safe, or other fermenting questions? This video series will answer them!
The Lacto-Fermentation 101 series begins today with…
What Is Lacto-Fermentation?
You’ll run across different kinds of food fermentation and each is determined by what is produced by the organisms involved. Lactic acid, acetic acid (vinegar) or ethyl alcohol (ethanol or alcohol) are the most common.
We’re focusing on lacto-fermentation, where lactic acid is produced, because it’s the most healthful kind of fermentation. The foods created by this type of fermentation are called lacto-fermented.
In the right conditions, the lactic-acid producing beneficial organisms (yeasts and bacteria usually) will feast on the sugars and starches and other components of foods. As they do this, the organisms respirate (give off gases), proliferate (multiply), and produce the lactic acid (and other acids sometimes, too).
This “feast” transforms the food into something better — it has developed complex flavors and pleasing textures and has also become more nutritious from an explosion of enzymes and beneficial microbes for our gut. And the acids preserve and protect the food from spoiling. It is really a miraculous process that’s oh-so-good for us!
See more in the video above. 🙂
Links Mentioned
- Free Fermenting Formulas Cheat Sheet
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods
- Subscribe to TCS on YouTube
Free CHEAT SHEET: “Create Your Own Ferments” Fermenting Formulas
Want to create your own safe-to-eat and delicious fermented salsas, chutneys, pickles or krauts? Need to know how long to ferment, how much salt to add, and how to store?
This cheat sheet will give you formulas for all types of ferments (even fruit preserves, pickled meats, and condiments) – so you can “create your own” ferments with confidence.
Click here to get the free CHEAT SHEET today!
Do you feel lacto-fermentation is a miraculous process, too? What would you add?
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How long will fermented foods keep? Do they have to be refrigerated? Can I use a vacuum sealer after the fermentation time to preserve them longer? If vacuum-sealed, do they need refrigeration?