Fermented Veges

 

My little family have been enjoying lots of fermented vegetables recently. There has been lots of talk about how good fermented vegetables are for gut health due to being rich pro-biotic goodness and how fermenting vegetables can increase it’s nutrient profile.  While I like those reasons, I thought I would share some of the other reasons I like having fermented vegetables on hand in my kitchen

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My pre-schooler loves them: 

While he has not liked every recipe we have tried, we have found some old favorites that my preschooler just loves, including a zucchini pickle and latin american sauerkraut (cordido).  This means I always have an easy snack or lunch accompaniment  on hand.

 

They are easy to make:

Many of the ferments take very little ‘hands on time’ (with the exception of sauerkraut which takes a little bit more effort). If you have a food processor some ferements take less then 10 minutes of ‘hands on time’ to prepare.

 

They last a long time:

Fermenting vegetables preserves them which means they can last months in the fridge! This has mean that we always have vegetables on hand even when we are running low on fresh vegetables.

 

It is easy to whip up a nutritious meal from pantry items:

Every now and again I am running low on fresh vegetables or bread and I need a quick lunch or dinner. With fermented veges I often whip up a sushi rice bowl. (Check it out below):

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All you need is some rice (add quinoa too if you like!), some fermented veges, some chopped up nori, some tamari (all in my pantry). Then you can add what you have on hand. I often add cucumber, avocado, some sardines mixed in yogurt or mayo, or an egg.

 

Here are some links to some of our favorite family recipes:

My favorite books and websites on the topic: