Fermenting

Fermenting is basically a way to "grow" the good bacteria, AKA- probiotics. They are excellent for gut health, detox and a multitude of other things.

There are several different ways to get this, and can be tailored for each person's taste. For instance, one person may not like yoghurt, but they love kraut. The next might no like kefir, but they like kombucha, etc.

Fermenting has to be done the proper way in order to acquire the good bac. The sauerkraut you see in the store- no good, because it is heat treated for pasteurization. The heat kills the good bac.

A few ideas for fermenting:

Water kefir- from wiki:

"Tibicos, also known as tibi, water kefir grains, sugar kefir grains, Japanese water crystals and California Bees, are a culture of bacteria and yeast held in a polysaccharide matrix created by the bacteria. As with kefir grains, the microbes present in tibicos act in symbiosis to maintain a stable culture. Tibicos can do this in many different sugary liquids, feeding off the sugar to produce lactic acid, alcohol (ethanol), and carbon dioxide gas which carbonates the drink.

Tibicos are found around the world, with no two cultures being exactly the same. Typical tibicos have a mix of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus and Leuconostoc bacteria with yeasts from Saccharomyces, Candida, Kloeckera and possibly others. Lactobacillus brevis has been identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide (dextran) that forms the grains.

People who do not wish to consume dairy or have a vegan type diet may find that water kefir provides the living pro-biotics without the need for dairy or tea cultured products, like kombucha. Since the finished product, if bottled, will produce a carbonated beverage, it provides an alternative to sweet soda drinks for children and adults."

Kombucha from wiki:

Kombucha is the Western name for sweetened tea or tisane that has been fermented using a macroscopic solid mass of microorganisms called a "kombucha colony".
Contents

The culture contains a symbiosis of Acetobacter (acetic acid bacteria) and yeast, mostly Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Torulaspora delbrueckii and Zygosaccharomyces bailii. The culture itself looks somewhat like a large pancake, and though often called a mushroom, a Mother of vinegar or by the acronym SCOBY (for "Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast"), it is clinically known as a zoogleal mat.

Various yoghurts. These have different strengths and tastes:

Piima, fiji, viili, matsoni, Greek, filmjolk (there are more, but this is off the top of my head)

Fruits & veggies:

Many fruits and veggies can be made the same way as kraut- carrots, lemons, etc. There are some recipes out there as well for other fermented dishes, such as salsa.

I'll keep posting more info as it is requested or as I have time.