Lara's Reviews > Cultured Food for Health: A Guide to Healing Yourself with Probiotic Foods Kefir * Kombucha * Cultured Vegetables

Recently I got a new product that simplifies making lactic-fermented pickles and so was interested when I saw this book for review on NetGalley. The book begins with a discussion of the benefits of increasing the consumption of lactic fermented foods for one's digestive system and therefore other health improvements. These chapters are supported by scientific literature and there is a reference list in the back. Then it starts with instructions for how to make basic fermented foods such as kefir and pickles. These fermented foods are naturally fermented and do not use vinegar, so are acceptable for people with reflex as they are not acidic.

The author is a blogger and has a store that sells items for fermenting foods. She does mention her own products, but also others, and makes it clear that there is flexibility in the approach. Personally, while I knew there were cultures and such for making kefir, I hadn't realized there were cultures you could purchase to speed up pickles made in brine. I also hadn't realized that the salt isn't really needed to fermentation, which led me on an internet search about this fact, and it's true.

The book has a variety of recipes for fermented foods that can fit all meals and snacks. The author also includes a meal plan to help people increase their consumption of fermented foods gradually. This plan includes instructions for when to start making certain foods so that they will be ready to eat later in the program.

I made two of the recipes: Mexican Carrots and Pickled Garlic. Not wanting to shell out over $20 to purchase the culture (that develops naturally anyway), I just used some salt with my filtered water. The recipes called for 3 days of fermentation. At that time I opened the jars and found that while the flavor was good, they hadn't fermented so much. While the author discusses the variability in fermentation time and one's own preferences for how sour foods become, I think the times are only based on using the starter culture and don't describe that traditional fermentation will likely take longer.

The range of recipes is interesting, and I'm planning to try some of the fruit ferments in the near future. However, I was surprised that food safety was not addressed in the book. While washing jars is mentioned in the kombucha recipe, ways of cleaning jars and equipment and their importance aren't addressed other than to say not to use jars hot from the dishwasher. In addition, which salt is not necessary for fermentation, it does serve a food safety role that is not mentioned.

My husband has finished off the jar of carrots in just a couple of days, and is snacking on the garlic, and I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes like the Cultured Carrot Cake in a Jar. However, I will be paying close attention to cleanliness and ensuring I add enough salt to help prohibit the grow of undesirable bacteria and toxins.