The Lost Art of Preserving Food

I belong to a CSA and I sometimes find myself overwhelmed when large amounts of vegetables come in all at once. Although there are a variety of ways this produce can be preserved, I have found that fermentation is the best one for me.  Using this method preserves the vibrant colors, flavors, vitamins, minerals, and food enzymes since fermentation does not involve heat like with conventional canning methods.

In my explorations with food I have fermented beets, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, varieties of salsa, chopped jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, chopped garlic, and herbal blends including cilantro and chives.

History of Fermentation

Fermentation, drying, freezing, smoking, salting and sugaring foods were the methods used by our ancestors to keep food through seasonal shortages. Fermentation has been in practice for thousands of years and is still commonly used in other cultures throughout the world.

The art of fermenting vegetables is also becoming more common in the U.S. as more people are realizing the many health benefits of including fermented foods in the diet.

When you improve digestion, you improve absorption too

Do you suffer from food intolerance, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, allergies or asthma? All of these conditions have been linked to gut health. Fermented foods will help to restore the proper balance of gut flora, and since 80 percent of your immune system is located in your intestines, making gut health a priority can be a proactive defense against disease. Furthermore, since fermented foods retain their enzymes, your body will utilize them in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

By fermenting in-season vegetables you can save money.

I’m sure we have all experienced produce spoiling before it was eaten. By preserving your surplus you can avoid this common problem. As an added bonus, you can save money by purchasing and preserving your produce while in-season, thus ensuring that you are getting the highest quality at the lowest price.

Aside from the initial cost of your fermentation vessels, there are minimal expenses to this process.  I have a crock for sauerkraut, and I use quart and pint size canning jars for fermenting and storing.

The basics – How to Ferment Vegetables

Typically, coarse sea salt and/or whey are used for the fermenting process. If you use whey, it can be obtained by draining plain cultured yogurt over cheesecloth or by pouring the accumulated liquid from the top of the yogurt container.

After deciding what to ferment, the typical process is to chop or finely grate the vegetables to increase the surface area which will be exposed to the brine.

Place the grated/chopped vegetables into a bowl and sprinkle with a coarse sea salt. The ratio is 2 T per 1 qt mason jar of vegetables, or 1- 1 ½ tsp of salt per 2 lbs of vegetables.  Use clean hands or a utensil to work the salt in. It may take a few minutes to pull the liquid from the vegetables, but soon you will have enough to cover the vegetables thoroughly when placed into your mason jars.

Fill the jar with the vegetables and juice and continue to press firmly to release more liquid and to remove any air pockets.

Usually no additional water is needed; however it can simply be added to completely submerge the vegetables. If there is a need for water, you should use filtered or spring water only. If at any point in the fermentation process you notice that the vegetables have lost moisture, you can always add more and incorporate it in.

Cover the jar with a cloth or paper towel and secure with a rubber band to keep insects out. Sealing your jar tightly at this point would cause pressure to build up which could cause breakage.

Leave the jar at room temperature for 4 to 7 days. The warmer the area, the faster the fermentation will occur. When you are satisfied with the taste, you can secure a cover and store in a refrigerator or a cool basement.

Being submerged in the salted brine will prevent the vegetables from growing mold. However, if you find mold growing on the top it can simply be removed and you will find that the vegetables underneath are still fine. I have not found mold to be an issue, but I am in the habit of smelling the product before using.

Use non-metal utensils when mixing or when removing vegetables from the container.

Fermented Vegetables Recipes

Kimchi

(fills 2 qt jars)

This recipe includes whey. Read the above instructions on obtaining whey. If you don’t have whey, you will add more salt using the 2 T per 1 quart mason jar.

• 1 head Napa cabbage that has been cored and shredded
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup grated daikon radish
• 1 T fresh grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
• 2  T sea salt
• ½ C whey

Place vegetables, ginger, red chili flakes, and salt and/or whey into a bowl and incorporate until you have released the juices. Fill 2 quart size glass jars with the mixture, while pressing down firmly until all the juices have risen to the top and cover the vegetables leaving 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. You can use a cabbage leaf over the top of the mixture to keep the vegetables submerged below the brine. Cover the jar lightly and keep at room temperature for about 4-7 days, then secure a cover and transfer to the refrigerator.

Salsa Verde

• 1 lb tomatillos that have been lightly blanched and husked
• 4 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 T unrefined coarse sea salt
• 3T chopped cilantro

Toss tomatillos, peppers, garlic, lime juice, and salt in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, adjusting seasoning to taste. Transfer to a mason jar leaving 1 inch at the top of the jar, lightly cover and ferment at room temperature for three to five days, then secure a cover and store in the refrigerator.

Basic Salsa

See above for obtaining whey. If you don’t have whey, just add more salt using the 2 T per 1 quart size mason jar.

• 2 large onions
• 6 large tomatoes
• 2 green peppers
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 6 jalapenos or to taste (seeded)
• ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
• juice of three lemons or limes
• 1/2 cup whey
• 2 Tablespoons of sea salt
• water if necessary

Run individual veggies through a food processor or chop by hand and combine in a large bowl. Add the salt and/or whey and stir well. Let sit for a few minutes and then put into jars leaving an inch at the top. Lightly cover and let sit at room temperature for 4 days, then cover and store in the refrigerator.

Fermented Garlic

• 7 garlic bulbs
• 1 T sea salt

This recipe is to fill a mason jar about ½ of the way full of chopped garlic cloves. Separate the heads of garlic into individual cloves and peel the skin off of each clove. Combine 1 T sea salt with 1 cup of water and pour into a 1-qt. mason jar, stirring well to dissolve. Lightly chop the garlic in a food processor and add to the salted water, add additional water if needed and stir. Cover lightly and set it aside at room temperature for at least three days or up to a week or until the garlic achieves the desired flavor, then cover and store in the refrigerator.

Preserving Herbs with Fermentation

I used to dry herbs but found they were lacking in flavor. Using the process of fermentation they remain vibrant in color and flavor and can be used to season your dishes.

Depending on the amount of herbs you are fermenting it may take a quart or a pint size jar.  Start by placing the washed herbs in a food processor until they have reached a finely chopped consistency. Add some water to make your brine (this should have the consistency of thick salsa).

In this state, you can get a better idea of the amount of salt that you will need to add by following the 2 T per qt size jar. Incorporate the salt into the mixture thoroughly before transferring it to mason jar(s), then cover lightly. Allow to ferment for 3- 4 days, then secure a cover and store in the refrigerator.

Recommended Reading:

• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• How to Kill Fungal Infections
• Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & How to Make Your Own
• Your Guide to Root Vegetables – Health Benefits, Recipes, and More

Enzymes and Digestion, Enzymes and Health, and a List of Enzyme-rich foods

The human body produces two categories of enzymes- metabolic and digestive. Metabolic enzymes are intra-cellular (in the cell), and are used for reproduction and replenishment of the cells as well as to maintain and rebuild the organs, tissues, and blood. Digestive enzymes are used to break down food for the proper assimilation of nutrients.

The Role of Digestive Enzymes

The importance of digestive enzymes resides in the fact that the human body cannot absorb nutrients found in food unless you have an adequate supply of enzymes available in order to break them down. In the book, Micro Miracles, Ellen W. Cutler writes about the important role that enzymes play in the digestive process.  “Digestive enzymes assist with the digestion of food, the absorption of nutrients, and the delivery of those nutrients throughout the body. The most commonly known digestive enzymes are secreted from the pancreas into the small intestine, where each is responsible for breaking down a specific compound.”

Digestive enzymes are classified based on their target substrates, the three main are:

• Protease- which split proteins into small peptides and amino acids.
• Lipase- which split fats into three fatty acids and a glycerol molecule.
• Amylase – for the digestion of carbohydrates.

As food is digested, it gets broken down for absorption, and then transported by the blood through the power of enzymatic activity, with nutrients and enzymes working synergistically with each other, functioning as catalysts in countless biological reactions within the body.

Enzymes From the Food We Eat

The final category of enzymes comes from the foods we eat. When foods contain sufficient amounts of their own enzymes, digestion can begin at the very first bite. The act of chewing your food thoroughly and mixing it with saliva will activate some of the enzymes naturally found in food.  However, research indicates that when food is cooked above 118 degrees, the heat will kill most of the enzymes resulting in diminished nutritional values. This deficit in enzymes is one of the major problems facing our modern-day society, which dines almost exclusively on cooked, fast, or processed foods.

The Work of Dr Edward Howell

Dr. Edward Howell, an early pioneer in the field, spent his entire professional life studying enzymes. He believed that people were born with limited enzyme-producing capabilities and that life expectancy depended on how well this “enzyme potential”was preserved.  He believed that when we eat enzyme-depleted foods, our bodies must work harder to manufacture all of the enzymes necessary to support the digestive and assimilation processes.

Enzyme production related to digestion already consumes large amounts of energy, and the lack of enzymes from food will only curtail the availability of enzymatic activity to the rest of the body. For example, tissues such as the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and muscles won’t get all the enzymes they need in order repair and function properly. Dr. Howell believed that this resulting metabolic enzyme deficit was the root cause of most illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic health problems.

Enzymes and Aging

As we age, our bodies progressively lose the ability to produce enzymes, with major drops occurring every ten years of life. At the early stages of this process, you may not notice any differences, but as it continues, you may discover that you can no longer tolerate certain foods that you may have previously enjoyed. This intolerance may also be accompanied by feelings of fatigue, allergies, and digestive discomforts including heartburn, gas, constipation, bloating, and ulcers.

By incorporating some simple dietary strategies we can begin to make deposits into our enzyme stores instead of the constant withdrawals which have become the norm for many people.

Increase enzyme activity by soaking and sprouting seeds, legumes, and nuts

Read How to Sprout Seeds and Legumes in a Jar and Soaking Nuts and Seeds to Increase Enzyme Potential.

Enzyme-rich foods to include in your diet:

• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Melons
• Mango
• Kiwi
• Grapes
• Avocado
• Raw honey (the enzymes actually come from the bee’s saliva)
• Bee pollen
• Raw dairy products
• Water kefir
• Dairy kefir
• Wheat grass juice
• Coconut water
• Eat a diet rich in raw foods
• Take a quality digestive enzyme with meals
• Fermented vegetables (check out this video: Fermenting Vegetables)

Recommended Supplements:

• Systemic Enzymes
• Digestive Enzymes

An Excerpt from the book The Decaf Diet, Is Caffeine Making You Fat?

by Eugene Wells

As Americans, we are on the verge of a national health crisis. Not only are we fatter than ever before, but we are getting fatter faster than ever before. The obesity epidemic is spiraling out of control and if we don’t come up with some effective nationwide solutions soon, researchers believe that the United States may experience its first modern decline in life expectancy, as a result of obesity’s associated health problems. Obesity and the diseases that come with it – type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and many more – are the largest threats to our national health. We need solutions, and we need them fast.

One dietary factor that we seldom consider in our weight loss efforts is caffeine, which most of us regularly consume in the form of coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate. How do these caffeinated beverages and foods affect our weight loss efforts? For years, the discussion of caffeine’s impact on weight gain has been confined to the dark corners of internet chat rooms and forums, where some coffee drinkers were beginning to make connections between their caffeine habits and weight gain. Now, we have access to a wealth of new research that proves their suspicions correct. Caffeine does make us fat, by contributing to overeating and by slowing metabolism.

Caffeine contributes to overeating and slows metabolism in a number of different ways. In this article, I will focus on caffeine’s impact on our stress levels, which causes an increase in hunger, muscle breakdown, and a relocation of fat stores to the body’s center. More precisely, caffeine raises our cortisol levels, and cortisol is one of the body’s chief stress hormones. With regular caffeine use, our cortisol levels become chronically elevated, making weight loss and the maintenance of a lean physique difficult.

First, elevated cortisol levels promote appetite, contributing to overeating. Second, elevated cortisol levels also lead to muscle breakdown, reducing our fat-burning muscle mass. Finally, elevated cortisol levels make our bodies prefer to store central and visceral fat, contributing to the “pot belly” look. By stimulating cortisol and its fat-promoting effects, caffeine contributes to positive energy balance and makes weight loss more difficult.

Since caffeine has these fattening effects, cutting back on our caffeine intake is helpful in maintaining a lean physique. While decreasing caffeine is advisable, given the difficulty in reducing caffeine intake and the centrality of daily caffeine use at the workplace, mitigating caffeine’s fat-promoting effects while continuing to drink coffee, tea, and soda may be a more practical strategy than eliminating our caffeine use altogether.

So what can we do to counteract caffeine’s effect on our stress levels without quitting caffeine altogether? The best way to keep your cortisol levels in check is by adopting and maintaining a diet that is high in vitamin C, which is effective in lowering cortisol and keeping this stress hormone under control. To maintain healthy levels of vitamin C in your body, you can eat fresh fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, fresh greens, and berries. If you are under a lot of pressure at work and find yourself increasing your caffeine intake, then you can add an additional green salad or some citrus fruit to your diet in order to help blunt caffeine’s cortisol-raising effect. By making fresh fruits and vegetables a regular part of your diet, you will be reducing at least some of caffeine’s fat-promoting effects.

Eugene Wells discusses other ways in which caffeine causes us to overeat while slowing metabolism in his book, The Decaf Diet: Is Caffeine Making You Fat? available at Amazon.com. Wells also describes what we can do to blunt caffeine’s fattening effects when we choose to use it, and how we can reduce our overall level of caffeine consumption to achieve and maintain a lean physique.

How to Read and Understand Food Labels

My roommate, who makes a concerted effort to eat well, brought home a pecan pie the other day. I looked at the label and wondered why in the world she bought it. The first ingredient was sugar, the second brown sugar—not cane juice, or even organic sugar—just sugar.

So I asked her how something so unhealthy ended up in our fridge. “It’s organic!” she said.
Processed foods are not required to identify GMO ingredients.