One of my goals this year is to eat fermented foods every single day.
photo credit: fishermansdaughter
Why?
Because I want to improve my gut health.
But “improve my gut health” is vague and imprecise, and vague imprecise goals don’t work so well. One way to improve one’s gut health is to give it lots of healthy bacteria. Eating fermented foods is a big part of that.
Giving up wheat (sometimes I’m bad and cheat, but I feel better when I stay away) helped my tummy troubles immensely, so did switching to raw milk several years ago. But I would really like to get to a place where I can tolerate sprouted or sourdough bread. I do miss bread every once in awhile. Like a slice, slathered with butter, with soup. Ahhh.
Since we’ve been snowed iced in all week here in the ATL, I thought I would take advantage of my homebound status and make up several batches of fermented foods.
So far I’ve made:
Coconut Kefir Water
Coconut kefir water is delicious. It’s a great alternative to milk kefir for those who have issues with dairy products. My first batch got a little mold on top, (probably due to the addition of ginger…?). But my sources tell me that’s ok, just to scoop it off and proceed.
I made a fizzy strawberry slushie drink (coconut kefir water, frozen strawberries, honey) for the kids and everyone either loved it and drank it and asked for more, or they weren’t sure if they liked it, so kept drinking to find out. ‘sall good.
It reminded me of a strawberry margarita. So you know I was game. 
Excited to take my handy-dandy Vegetable Fermentation Master a spin, I made:
photo credit: little blue hen
Homemade Lacto-Fermented Pickles
These would be different from pickles that get their pickliness from vinegar or that are cooked. These are raw, and therefore have intact enzymes, like traditional condiments did.
Then I made:
Kefir
Made from raw milk, this got its culture from a starter. I let my real kefir grains die a long time ago. Oops. (Who, me?!)
Then:
Sauerkraut
I’ll post recipes and whatnot later.
What did you do for your gut today?
