Back in the day there were no refrigerators or freezers, but people obviously still had a need to be able to save food for the winter months, etc etc.
They had plenty of hacks that made food viable for longer, and one of the most popular ones – and one pickle lovers still appreciate today – is pickling.
Popular fermented dishes exist all over the world – kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut – but why does it make a fruit or vegetable make it last longer?
It all has to do with the process of fermentation.
Food fermentation is a biotechnology and one of the oldest examples of how humans were able to harness naturally occurring products for our own benefit.
They’re produced by blending them with ingredients that can bring out a food’s sour flavor without adding acidic brine.
Harmful microbes can’t thrive there, which is why the foods last so long once the fermentation is complete.
E. Medina et al concluded as much in their 2016 study.
“The fermentation process involves the oxidation of carbohydrates to generate a range of products, which are principally organic acids, alcohol, and carbon dioxide. Such products have a preservative effect by limiting the growth of spoilage or pathogenic microbiota in the food. These include many organic acids such as lactic and acetic acids produced as end products, which provide an acidic environment unfavorable for the growth of many pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms.”
Pickling kicks off the process by bringing the acidic ingredients to the party, though it brings fewer health benefits to the table than full-on fermenting.
It is good for your gut, but fermented superfoods are better.
Probiotics keep your microbiome happy, and as human beings have gotten away from consuming good, natural bacteria regularly, our guts have suffered.
Fermented foods can help tip the scales back in your favor. If you want to give it a try, live cultures are the way to go.
Your stomach will thank you.
I’m off to make some sauerkraut!
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