White Crane Healing Arts Blog

If you've never made a cultured vegetable, like sauerkraut, baked a loaf of sourdough bread or infused a gallon of milk with kefir grains to transform it into kefir, then you haven't had the opportunity to observe one of nature's small mystical acts. The craft and use of making live cultures has been in existence since the beginning of time and practiced in every corner of the earth. In the past when there were no refrigerators, freezers or canning, the natural way to preserve food was through fermentation. Fermentation preserves nutrients in food, creates new nutrients, such as lactobacilli, and removes toxins. The process of predigestion (breaking foods down) changes them into a more digestible form that is easier for the body to assimilate and use. Toxins are neutralized by the same breaking down process; for example, grains which contain phytic acid block the absorption of minerals, but soaking and fermentating the grain greatly reduces or eliminates the phytic acid.

My husband Frank and I met in a natural food coop over thirty years ago. Our mutual interests in health and love of food inspired us to pursue new careers in healthcare. We have since been involved in natural food cooking, nutritional education and food politics, but it wasn't until a friend introduced us to water kefir that we began to explore and experiment with this magical transformative process. Making sourdough breads, cultured vegetables or goats milk kefir is one of the activities we do on the weekends. We realize this may not appeal to everyone, but this process is easy to do, it doesn't take much time and is really low tech. What it does take is patience since the process of waking up the culture can take hours or days, but the pure joy of observing the bubbling, brewing and expansion is priceless, and these flavorful foods are highly digestible and nutritious. Also, the eventual outcome is enhanced good health and well being.

Don't take my word for it, try the following recipe which is from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook by Sally Fallon. My family loves this dish and its a great summer recipe.

Corn Relish – makes 1 qt.

3 cups organic fresh corn kernals (if fresh is not available you can use frozen)

1 small tomato – diced
1 small onion – finely diced
½ red pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
1 ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sea salt or you can use just 1 if using whey
4 tablespoons whey (optional)

In a large bow mix all the ingredients. Pound lightly with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices. Place the mixture in a quart sized wide mouth mason jar and press down with the pounder or meat hammer until juices cover the relish. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

The natural process of fermentation shows us that all life is connected and ever changing, for it's in this process that you can observe the cyclic nature of existence. It's an act that is filled with ancestral wisdom and future promise. An opportunity for us to influence the essence of food, just as food influences the essence of who we are. This is an adventure that leads to new and unexplored experimentation that will feed, and in the process heal our bodies and souls. This is a small way to join the revolution that leads back to real food.

In July, our workshop on fermentation and live cultures will introduce the many ways you can include these wonderful foods in your diet. Everyone in attendance will also make a fermented vegetable creation to take home. If you'd like to join us or for more information, give us a call at our center at 954-721-7252.