Fermenting vegetables: what that has to do with bacteria and fungi

Many bacteria are at work during fermentation. They ensure that vegetables are preserved. The necessary bacteria, fungi and yeast form themselves. You do not need to add anything.

That is why bacteria develop during fermentation

Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving vegetables. This requires a lot of bacteria and fungi, which prevent rotting and give the vegetables a good taste.

• Millions of bacteria live around us. Most of the time we are disgusted, most of them are good for us, for the skin, for the immune system and for our food.
• Bacteria and yeast play an important role in the fermentation of vegetables. They make the green healthy and more digestible.
• You only need vegetables, water and salt to ferment. The bacteria and fungi develop on their own.
• The vegetables are soaked in salt water. This kills putrefactive bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria, on the other hand, feel comfortable in this environment. They multiply, the vegetables ferment slowly and do not spoil.
• It is important that the vegetables are not heated. Then the good lactic acid bacteria would also die. All important nutrients and vitamins are preserved. Fermented vegetables are therefore very healthy.

How to ferment your vegetables

You can ferment all types of vegetables. For example, all types of herbs, beets, root vegetables, pumpkins or peppers are very suitable. And that's how it works:

• Wash the vegetables and cut or grate them into fine pieces using a kitchen grater.
• Put the vegetables in a bowl and compact them thoroughly. For example with a meat tenderizer.
• Put the mashed vegetables with juice in well cleaned and sterilized preserving jars.
• Do not fill the glasses to the brim so that there is still room for fermentation. Press the vegetables firmly into the glass so that almost no oxygen can mix in.
• Fill the jars with water until the vegetables are covered. Add a teaspoon of salt.
• Weight the vegetables so that they always remain under water even during fermentation. There are special fermentation weights for this.
• Place the glasses in a dark place at around 15 degrees, for example in the basement.
• Let the vegetables ferment for about three to six weeks.