Help Your Gut with Fermented Foods – I really enjoy eating fermented foods: kimchi; sauerkraut; yogurt; kefir; miso and sourdough for example. They’re made using an age-old process that helps preserve foods and vitamins. They taste great, are good for your digestion, and provide your body with a healthy dose of probiotics – live microorganisms that are crucial to good digestion. While we can, of course, buy excellent ready-made kimchi and sauerkraut, they are surprisingly easy to make at home, yourself, for a fraction of the price.
Home cooks around the world have been pickling and preserving fruit and vegetables for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, to keep perishable ingredients edible for longer, using mouth-watering flavours created by time-honoured processes still popular today. Choosing the correct bottles and jars is not only key to maximising the quality and lifespan of the contents, but can, as I’ve recently found, make the whole process much easier.
I’d made lots of kimchi before using a standard clip top jar but had to keep remembering to let it ‘burp’ to avoid it ‘exploding’. But with the help of Kilner®, the iconic British glassware experts since 1842, I now find it so much easier.
Kilner produces a set of two fermentation jars that are fabulous. The silicone valve in the lid releases the gas that builds up during fermentation but also blocks any air from entering the jar, which could cause the food to go mouldy. The set, costing £22.50 comprises: 2 x 1 litre jars, 2 x special glass weights; 2 x stainless steel lids with silicone valves and a recipe booklet.
It is worth the initial investment as it will last for years. Glass is best for storing / preserving and transporting food and drink. It is made from natural ingredients so no harmful chemicals or toxins can leak into the food. Glass is BPA free and does not absorb odours, flavours, or stains. Not only is glass a healthier option, but it is also made to last and never for single use. Kilner® helps tackle plastic waste with its ethos of reuse, refill, and recycle.
Here are some images of my recent batch – I’d advise putting the filled jars on sheets of kitchen roll inside a plastic tub or on a plate as the liquid will come out via the silicone valves. Once it stops ‘bubbling’ i.e. fermenting, you can pop it in the fridge where it will keep for yonks and you can enjoy it with salads, in wraps and sandwiches and a host of other ways.
There are lots of recipes and there’s a great one to start with on the Kilner® site here
Happy fermenting!
The Seasoned Gastronome