How to Get Started With Fermented Foods

How To Get Started With Fermented Foods

Fermented Foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt and kefir can be life-changing when it comes to mental health...

Here's how to get off to a smooth start with fermented foods! 

1.Start slow. Sometimes if you haven’t eaten a lot of fermented foods and you eat a bunch to start, it could give you a little stomach ache or mild diarrhea. Not the end of the world...but obviously, that’s no fun.

To avoid this, just eat a few bites or a few sips of your fermented foods at first. Give it a day or two and then try 2 bites/sips this time. Build up. And soon your body will be used to it so you can eat a lot at once.

2. Try 1 new food at a time. Again, just give your body time to adjust.

3. Acclimate yourself to the taste. If you hate the taste of fermented foods, try putting them in something else. For example, put your kombucha in watery juice or add kimchi as a salad or taco topping.  

4. Find ones you like. You might not like every fermented food, but keep trying and you’ll find some that you enjoy.  Also give it some time as it is an acquired taste.

5. Try making them yourself. This helped me in terms of controlling the flavors/intensity a bit. Generally speaking, the longer something ferments, the more “sour” it gets, so you can let it go a few days and then put in the fridge to stop the ferment if you don’t want such an intense flavor. 

Fermented Pickles are my FAV. I make them by the five gallon bucket all summer long. Check out my pickle recipe. 

Sauerkraut is another favorite. Cabbage is easy to grow and inexpensive to purchase. All you need is cabbage + salt + time...and it doesn't smell as bad as you might imagine!   Check it out my fermented sauerkraut recipe.

6. Most importantly-- go slow and listen to your body! It knows what it needs. 


---------------> What has your experience with fermented foods been? What questions do you have? What worries you? What has worked...or hasn't? 


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