Fermentation is the oldest way of preserving food, dating back to the Neolithic.* With the help of bacteria and fungi, fresh products can be made available all year round.
Under the exclusion of air, microorganisms consume the sugar contained in fresh produce and convert it into acid, alcohol and carbon dioxide. This gives fermented foods their long-lasting properties as well as their typical texture and acidic taste.
In this way carbonized beverages like ginger beer and Kombucha, as well as sourdough bread, Kefir, classic pickles and many other foods can be created.
Kombucha
Ingredients:
• 1000ml water
• 100ml fresh Kombucha
• 80g sugar
• 8g tea (white/green/black)
Steps:
1 boil water
2 add sugar
3 steep tea 3mins
4 let cool down to 25°C
5 add 100ml of fresh Kombucha
6 put in a ventilated glass
7 let ferment for 3-7 days
8 bottle and refrigerate
Sourdough starter
Ingredients:
• 50g flour (wheat/rye)*
• 50ml water (lukewarm)
Steps:
1 mix flour and water
2 put in a ventilated glass
3 let sit for 24 hours at 25°C
4 take 50 grams of mixture
5 add flour and water
6 repeat step 2-5 for 4-7 days
7 when it rises and falls within
12 hrs, it is ready to use
* Don't use type 405 / 00 flour
*The earliest archaeological evidence of fermentation was found near Haifa, Israel and is dated back to 13,000 BC.