In a world with no power from the electrical grid how can perishable foods
be stored? Drying and canning are common solutions but are not suitable for
all foods. Canning in particular is troublesome due to its dependence on access
to industrial supply chains for new lids or seals, the need for precise control
of temperature and time, and its consumption of large amounts of energy. The
easiest, cheapest and most overlooked method of food preservation is by lacto-fermentation
which has the advantages of making the food more digestible and neither precise
measurements nor exacting temperature controls are necessary. Lacto-fermentation
is the intentional culture of lactic acid loving bacteria to preserve and flavor
food. Lacto-fermentation is not an alcohol producing process. Rather it creates
an acidic environment which is not favorable to the growth of spoilage causing
organisms. Lacto-fermented foods contain large amounts of enzymes and beneficial
bacterial, preserve temperature sensitive vitamins, and have a delightful tangy
taste. Many people with digestive problems find that eating lacto-fermented
foods frequently will provide relief. A further benefit of lacto-fermented
vegetables is that when eaten on a regular basis they help to prevent diarrhea.
Using lacto-fermentation yogurt, cheese, pickles, fermented vegetables and
sauerkraut can all be made from materials readily available on the homestead.
Foods produced by lacto-fermentation will keep for extended periods of time
in a cave, root cellar, spring house, evaporative cooler or, if one is available,
in the refrigerator.
The best way to begin enjoying the benefits of lacto-fermentation is by placing
raw milk in a clean covered container and setting it in a warm place with a
temperature in the upper 70’s or 80’s. Let the milk sit until it
sours and then gets thick like yogurt, this will require from two to four days
depending on the temperature and bacteria count in the milk. At this point
several options present themselves:
1. Simply cool the clabbered milk and eat it with your morning oatmeal.
2. To make a very soft cream cheese similar to Neufchatel pour the clabbered
milk into a cheesecloth-lined colander and drain the whey. Save the whey to
use as starter for future batches of cheese, yogurt or lacto-fermented vegetables.
3. To make hard cheese heat the clabbered milk gently in a double boiler, near
the chimney of the wood cook stove or other hot location until it separates
into soft curds and whey. Once it begins to separate gently cut the curds into
pieces using a clean knife without removing the curds from the whey. Then slowly
raise the temperature until the curds and whey boil. The hotter and longer
it is heated the harder the cheese will be. Pour the curds and whey into a
cheese cloth-lined colander, basket or other container which will allow the
whey to escape and when most of the whey has drained away salt the curds according
to taste. Higher levels of salt promote better storage but many people prefer
the flavor of lower salt cheeses. Set a clean rock on a plate on top of the
curds wrapped in cheesecloth to compress the curds and force out the rest of
the whey. The heavier the weight used to press the cheese the harder and dryer
the cheese will be. The cheese can then be aged according your preference.
Air drying in a screened, fly-proof, cool, breezy area to form a rind is recommended
and should be followed by waxing and storage in a cool place. Variation in
the technique outlined above will produce an endless variety of cheeses. The
whey from the hard cheese making can be used in cooking and baking, to make
drinks, or as animal feed. Chickens, pigs, dogs, and cats all love whey. Whey
from hard cheese cannot be used as a starter because the beneficial bacteria
were killed when the whey was heated.
Whey from the soft cheese can be used as a starter for any lacto-fermentation
process. The advantage to using the whey as a starter for yogurt, cheese and
lacto-fermented vegetables is that it often results in a much milder tasting
and smelling product. The initial souring of the milk can occasionally result
in strong odors and tastes that, while perfectly harmless, are offensive to
the unaccustomed palate.
To make yogurt, place a small quantity of whey from the soft cheese into a
clean jar. A couple tablespoons of whey are about right for a quart but precise
measurement is not required. In the future when you have a particularly tasty
batch of yogurt a small portion of that yogurt can be used as starter in
place of the whey, this will increase your chances of getting another batch
like the one you liked. Thoroughly mix the starter with enough raw milk to
nearly fill the jar and place in a warm draft free location which is about
body temperature. It is very important that the milk which you have cultured
with the whey not be disturbed and that the temperature remains constant, otherwise
it will separate into curds and whey. The yogurt will be ready to cool and
eat in 4 to 8 hours depending on the conditions. The yogurt may be carefully
checked to see if it has thickened but be careful not to disturb it too much.
Cooling the yogurt before serving will reduce its tendency to separate into
to curds and whey. Commercial yogurt often has products added to stabilize
it and reduce separation. If the yogurt comes out with a strong flavor the
most likely cause was keeping the yogurt warm for too long. Try making another
batch and either reduce the temperature at which the yogurt is fermented or
reduce amount of time the yogurt is kept warm. Strong flavored yogurt, if
it was cause by high temp or overlong fermentation, can be used as starter
for a new batch and the strong flavor will not be passed on to the new batch.
However if the yogurt smells yeasty it is fine to eat or make cheese from
it but it should not be used as starter unless the object is to make more yeasty
yogurt
Traditionally cabbage is the vegetable most commonly preserved by lacto-fermentation.
Today, however, most sauerkraut is preserved by pickling in vinegar rather
than by lacto-fermentation. The flavor of pickled sauerkraut is far more acidic
and harsh than that of sauerkraut produced by lacto-fermentation and has much
lower levels of vitamins and enzymes. The following recipe presents a method
of producing traditional sauerkraut which leaves the vitamins and enzymes intact.
The following materials are needed to make sauerkraut. If no whey is available
double the salt; however not using whey increases the chances of spoilage.
1 medium Cabbage
4 tablespoons whey from soft cheese or yogurt
1 tablespoon Non-iodized salt such as Real Salt TM, sea salt, or canning salt
Thoroughly cleaned jars or crocks.
Shred the cabbage using a sharp knife or grater.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pound with a wooden masher or meat hammer
until the cabbage releases juice. This usually requires 10 to 15 minutes of
pounding depending on how much cabbage is being processed and who is doing
it.
Pack the mixture TIGHTLY into the clean glass jars and mash it down until the
juice covers it completely. In some cases it may be necessary to use a weight
to hold the cabbage under the surface of the liquid. If there is not enough
juice add additional whey. Cover the jars to keep out insects, mice and dust.
Canning jars and lids work well but any jar or crock will do.
Store the sauerkraut at room temperature for several days and then move to
a cool place. The sauerkraut will keep well for six months or longer and the
flavor will improve with age. Many people like to add additional ingredients,
such as caraway seed, shredded carrots, onions, chili peppers or what ever
strikes their fancy. The same process, omitting the pounding, can be used with
cucumbers, beets and turnips as well as many other vegetables in place of cabbage.
In the event that the lacto-fermented vegetables spoil the odor will be so
vile that nobody would be willing to taste them. Spoilage in lacto-fermented
foods is very obvious unlike canned foods where the food can be fatally contaminated
by botulism yet show no obvious sign of spoilage.
Lacto-fermentation as a method of food preparation and preservation is a useful
addition to the skill set of anyone who wishes to preserve food safely and
does not have access to the power grid and modern supply chains. Lacto-fermentation
used in conjunction with drying, potting, salting and smoking allows the preservation
of virtually any food produced on the homestead with out relying on outside
inputs other than salt.
Reference:
Fallon, Sally and Enig, Mary G. Ph.D. Nourishing Traditions, Washington, DC:
NewTrends Publishing, 2001.
JWR Adds: Be sure to follow the necessary safety guidelines for lacto-fermentation. If you suspect that a batch has gone "off" then discard it. Anyone with a sensitive stomach should show great caution when considering adding fermented foods to their diet.
