5 Reasons to Make your Own Fermented Foods
I'm alway curious as to why people are drawn towards certain ways of living. So I asked "myself" the question: why do I love making my own fermented foods? (kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, shio koji, filmjolk, viili etc). For me it's about buying the best ingredients possible and knowing exactly what I'm feeding my family. I also love creating new flavour combinations personalised to my family's taste buds, and watching my kids guzzle them down. This makes me feel that I am doing all I can to lead them on the road to optimal wellness.
I posed the same question to my Gut Health Gurus Facebook group and the answers I received were fascinating. Here are the top 5 reasons why people love making their own fermented foods.
1) I know exactly what is going into my ferments
Many people are loosing trust in big food corporations. Processed foods on the supermarket shelves are laden with chemicals that may be causing us damage. There is a sense of control and empowerment that comes from making your own ferments. You are in charge of your family's health. The buck stops with you.
2) Fermented foods help promote good health
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics, prebiotics and metabolites that may assist in helping you be the best version of yourself. Check out this article from Dr Axe for details on the health benefits of fermented foods:
https://draxe.com/fermented-foods/
And make sure to check out our Gut Health Gurus Podcast. In episode 4- Probiotics vs traditional ferment, we go in depth into why fermented foods are a good idea.
3) I love creating my own flavour combinations
Are you a closet mad scientist? I am..lol. There's something magical about fermentation. The transformation of simple ingredients into something spectacular. It invokes a spirit of creativity and experimentation which is highly addictive. You get to control and take the flavour where you want to. It's your creation after all.
Need help flavouring your ferments? Check out our second fermentation guide for inspiration:
How to second ferment Kefir and Kombucha?
4) I can personalise the flavours to suit my family's needs
Are there fussy eaters at your place. No problem... a tweak in the recipe and those fussy eaters would be none the wiser or even raving fans of your concoctions. Double, Double toil and trouble..
5) It's better for the environment
The ethos of fermentation is to use the power of nature to enhance our foods. It's a shame not to protect our planet by reducing waste caused by single use food packaging that may eventually end up in land fill.
Not to mention, it's far more economical to make your own and find here gut health and fermentation workshop for beginners.
Finally, what the sense in creating awesome fermented food recipes if you can't brag about it. Share your recipes or check out recipes from other community members in our Gut Health Gurus Facebook Group. They are an awesome group of people who are very kind and helpful.
Or if you are just beginning your journey into fermented foods start here
With Gratitude, Grace and Love
Namaste
Kriben Govender
Nourishme Organics
Instagram: @kribengovender
Facebook: @kribengee
