Benefits of Lactofermentation with Kimchi and Corn Relish

I recently received in the mail my new copy of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. And let me tell you, it is a pretty serious cookbook. In it they go though the benefits of a variety of traditional cooking methods. One of the chapters is all about fermented vegetables. Using Lactofermentation methods the food you are preserving creates a lot of beneficial bacteria for your gut health. Similar to yogurt, this bacteria keeps your intestinal health in balance. It combats yeast in your stomach (that can lead to cravings for sugar and flour), helps you to digest and utilize the nutrients in your food, and can even lead to better moods by helping your digestive system to create seratonin.

Preserving foods used to be part of many households before we could get fresh veggies all the time

Many traditional cultures eat fermented foods at almost every meal. However, it has not really carried over into American culture as much. Unfortunately fermentation of foods can be unpredictable and is really meant to be done at home in small quantities. This means that the traditional foods that used to be fermented like sauerkraut, relishes, pickles, and chutneys, are now mass produced without the beneficial fermentation. If you are sick of eating yogurt or taking probiotic supplements, making these foods traditionally is a great way to change it up and get some great benefits, not to mention that it produces very tasty foods.

One of the important agents that I used for the fermentation is whey that Dan brought me from work. If you don't have access to whey you could make your own (they show you how in nourishing traditions). Or you might be able to get it from a local creamery in your area. In most of the recipes, if you don't have whey you can compensate by using extra salt. However, it is better to use the real stuff because it controls bad bacteria and create lactic acid so that your vegetables will preserve well for months. If you use whey instead of relying on only salt you are more likely to have good results, and have them consistently. 

Here is the whey Dan was nice enough to get me from making cheese. Cheese making produces a lot of excess whey and it sometimes goes to waste. Whey is a great source of complete protein so if you can find ways to use it you will reap the benefits!

The first thing that I made was kimchi, which is a traditional cabbage based Korean condiment that is really really tasty. My kimchi didn't come out looking like any kimchi I had seen before (I think because I used chili flakes instead of a chili paste) but hopefully it will taste just as good!

For the recipe you combine (I tweaked the recipe in the book because I had limited space):
1/2 head of shredded and cored cabbage
1/2 bunch of chopped green onions
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup grated radish
1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons whey
1/2 tablespoon sea salt

You combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and use a pounder or meat hammer to release liquid from the vegetables (I used a potato masher).

After it is sort of softened (but not mushy) you put it in a wide-mouth mason jar and pound it down so that some of the liquid comes above the cabbage mixture. Also, the mixture should not go to the top of the jar (it should be at least one inch below). I think this is because as the mixture ferments it will expand a little but I am not sure yet. So then you seal the jar and let it sit at room temperature for 3 days before transferring to the top shelf of your refrigerator (it should not be TOO cold)

 The next thing I made was corn relish:

You follow the exact same process as the Kimchi but you just don't pound the veggies as much since you don't want super mushy corn. Here are the ingredients (again, I tweaked it because of my space limitations):

1&1/2 cups corn
1 small tomato seeded and diced
1 small onion finely diced
1/4 diced and seeded red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons whey

And then they can sit really pretty on your shelf for a few days! Enjoy!