By Bornika Das
March 29, 2024
Fermentation is being used as a transformative process to preserve food, improve digestion. It involves action of microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, and fungi which break down the complex molecules in food and drink and convert them into simpler, more flavorful compounds. Fermentation can be easily prepared at home. Here's where fermentation can be carried out:
This is one of the simplest thing you can ferment at home. All you need to do is Cut the cabbage into thin strips, sprinkle with salt, and massage until the juices are released. Pack the cabbage tightly into the jar. Keep it at room temperature. After a week or so, your sauerkraut will be tangy, crisp, and full of beneficial bacteria that can aid digestion and boost immunity.
You can use cucumbers, beets, carrots, or any other vegetable using lacto-fermented pickle process. You can slice the vegetables and put it in jar with spices and brine and keep it at room temperature.The longer you leave them, the more sour they will become.
You can make yogurt at home with milk and yogurt culture. Heat the milk to 80°C, then cool it to 40°Cand stir in a spoonful of plain yogurt with live cultures.Pour the mixture into jars and keep them warm for several hours. After 8 hours, creamy, tangy yogurt will be prepared.
In recent years, kombucha, a fermented tea gained popularity in recent years. It's made by adding a SCOBY (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) to sweetened tea and letting it ferment for a week or more. Kombucha is a refreshing, probiotic-packed drink that can be flavored with fruit, herbs, or spices.
Beer and wine can also be fermented at home. Beer requires a bit more equipment and expertise, but it's still possible to make a simple, tasty brew with just a few ingredients. Wine, on the other hand, is as easy as crushing grapes and letting them ferment in a vessel.