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What I have learnt about fermentation so far?
It is MUCH easier than I thought!

My Sauerkraut Journey
I practiced what I preached and followed the instructions for sauerkraut in Claudia Olivieri’s video and am amazed at the sauerkraut now sitting in my fridge. It is crunchy, tasty and versatile. I have added it to salads, served with eggs and had it as a snack with some goats cheese. Delicious!

If you missed the video then catch it here: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/545858213 (it is just 13 mins long).

Part of the process is to “burp” it every day for the first 7 days. I found it fascinating to watch the fermenting in action, I could see the little bubbles of lactic acid moving around. I shared this process on my Instagram (as well as the first bite I took).
There is a whole fermenting world yet to be explored.

Pimping your Sauerkraut
In Claudia’s video she encouraged experimentation and free-styling with the process. It’s something I always do with recipes and encourage clients to do the same. I call it “pimping” your plate. When I made the sauerkraut I added fennel seeds, ginger and radishes. I love nothing more than a forgiving recipe, so this is a huge unexpected bonus to fermenting!

Kvass – A Fermented Fruit Drink
I did an Instagram Live with Susan Davis, a nutrition expert and fermenting queen, last Thursday. She demonstrated how to make a fermented strawberry drink. She called it a Kvass – which I had always thought was a rye-based drink. But it turns out you can make it with a wide range of fruits. This one is next on my list to try either with local oranges or lemons. To me, it looks like the perfect summer drink and ridiculously easy to make.  So much so, we made it during the Live.  Find out more about how to make it from Susan’s website: https://www.susandavisnutrition.co.uk/post/refreshing-rhubarb-kvass

Fermented food and drink are superchargers for diversity
You know I’m always harping on about the importance of diversity for our microbiome.  As I explained in last week’s newsletter, fermented foods pack a much bigger punch in terms of bacterial diversity versus a good-old probiotic capsule. Plus, the bioactive diversity in the foods used to make the ferments help feed our microbiome. If you missed that, you can read the article here: http://feedyourselfsmarter.com/fermented-foods-vs-probiotic-supplements/

What is my take-away from all this?
In the world of nutrition, there is always something fascinating to learn. I have been doing this for over 15 years and I am always learning something new. Sometimes there is so much “noise” it is easier to close down and not take on new information and I think that’s especially the case for nutrition. This is part of the reason I am developing a Food for Thought community.

Want to join my Food for Thought Community?
This is the next step on from the 6-week programme I have been running for the last 18 months. The community will be a place to learn, be inspired and be supported – cutting through all the nutrition noise.  I will be sharing more in the coming weeks, but if this is something that sounds interesting to you, please register your interest in comments below or drop me an email.