Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (29 page)

In Iceland. . .. whey accumulated as a by-product of curd-making and was kept in barrels, where a fermentation process began. It was then called
syra
. Syra was either diluted with water and drunk, or used for the preservation of food. Many kinds of food were preserved in this manner, such as blood sausage, liver sausage, sheep's heads, lamb's testicles, fatty meat, whale meat and blubber and seal flippers. Syra was the most common beverage of Icelanders for many centuries and can in effect be said to have replaced ale, as lack of grain prevented us from brewing much ale. The whey was poured into huge barrels in the larder. . .and the blanket that developed on the surface of a syra barrel was called
jastur
, which is the same word as yeast in English. Syra was also used to marinate food. Nanna Rognvaldardottir
Matarast

CULTURED MILK SMOOTHIE

Makes about 3 cups

1¼ cups
whole-milk buttermilk
,
kefir
or
yoghurt

1 ripe banana or 1 cup berries (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoons coconut oil (See
Sources
)

2 egg yolks

3-4 tablespoons maple syrup or ¼ teaspoon stevia powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (omit with berries)

pinch of nutmeg (omit with berries)

Smoothies made with good quality cultured milk make a wonderful snack, quick breakfast or strengthening meal for invalids. Unfortunately, most commercial smoothies contain soy protein powder and problematic sweeteners. Fortunately, smoothies are easy and quick to make at home.

Place banana or berries in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended.

Traditional Gaelic society supported a system of seminomadic pastoral farming because Ireland was climatically suited to the rearing of livestock. Meat of all types was eaten in large quantities. Milk in liquid, solid and semisolid forms was an important adjuvant and sour milk, in varying degrees of viscosity, was consumed. Especially popular were curds called "bonaclabbe." Butter also formed an essential part of the daily diet. People ate fistfuls of rancid butter rolled in oats, spread butter on oatcakes and even ate butter on its own. The importance of butter is indicated by the practice of burying stores for future consumption in cool, damp bogs. S. J. Connolly
The Oxford Companion to Irish History

RAW MILK WARMER

Makes about 2 cups

1½ cups raw milk

2 tablespoons carob powder

3-4 tablespoons maple syrup or ¼ teaspoon stevia powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon chocolate extract

1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (See
Sources
)

Place all ingredients in a glass container and mix well with a wire whisk. Place in a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the mixture becomes warm. Do not overheat!

I have followed for many years the sickening effect of soy on ruminants. Cows that formerly could easily reach the age of 15 years and have 12 calves have on average now less than three calves and reach hardly the age of 6. One main reason is the high percentage of soy in the rations. It works into the buildup of ammonia in the rumen. This affects negatively the liver and then shows up in mastitis and sterility. Off they go to the butcher. Only there can a vet identify the defective livers. The soybean, bringing about high milk yields in the first two lactations—is the curse of our cattle herds. And the milk achieved through it is not health promoting either. . .. If awake consumers, environmentalists, nutritionists and farmers do not work concretely together in the future, there will not be any healthy farms and healthy foods. Trauger Groh
PPNF Health Journal

It may seem strange to us that, in earlier times, people knew how to preserve vegetables for long periods without the use of freezers or canning machines. This was done through the process of lacto-fermentation. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits putrefying bacteria. Starches and sugars in vegetables and fruits are converted into lactic acid by the many species of lactic-acid-producing bacteria. These
lactobacilli
are ubiquitous, present on the surface of all living things and especially numerous on leaves and roots of plants growing in or near the ground. Man needs only to learn the techniques for controlling and encouraging their proliferation to put them to his own use, just as he has learned to put certain yeasts to use in converting the sugars in grape juice to alcohol in wine.

The ancient Greeks understood that important chemical changes took place during this type of fermentation. Their name for this change was "alchemy." Like the fermentation of dairy products, preservation of vegetables and fruits by the process of lacto-fermentation has numerous advantages beyond those of simple preservation. The proliferation of
lactobacilli
in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine. Other alchemical by-products include hydrogen peroxide and small amounts of benzoic acid.

A partial list of lacto-fermented vegetables from around the world is sufficient to prove the universality of this practice. In Europe the principle lacto-fermented food is sauerkraut. Described in Roman texts, it was prized for both for its delicious taste as well as its medicinal properties. Cucumbers, beets and turnips are also traditional foods for lacto-fermentation. Less well known are ancient recipes for pickled herbs, sorrel leaves and grape leaves. In Russia and Poland one finds pickled green tomatoes, peppers and lettuces. Lacto-fermented foods form part of Asian cuisines as well. The peoples of Japan, China and Korea make pickled preparations of cabbage, turnip, eggplant, cucumber, onion, squash and carrot. Korean
kimchi,
for example, is a lacto-fermented condiment of cabbage with other vegetables and seasonings that is eaten on a daily basis and no Japanese meal is complete without a portion of pickled vegetable. American tradition includes many types of relishes—corn relish, cucumber relish, watermelon rind—all of which were no doubt originally lacto-fermented products. The pickling of fruit is less well known but, nevertheless, found in many traditional cultures. The Japanese prize pickled
umeboshi
plums, and the peoples of India traditionally fermented fruit with spices to make chutneys.

Lacto-fermented condiments are easy to make. Fruits and vegetables are first washed and cut up, mixed with salt and herbs or spices and then pounded briefly to release juices. They are then pressed into an air tight container. Salt inhibits putrefying bacteria for several days until enough lactic acid is produced to preserve the vegetables for many months. The amount of salt can be reduced or even eliminated if whey is added to the pickling solution. Rich in lactic acid and lactic-acid-producing bacteria, whey acts as an inoculant, reducing the time needed for sufficient lactic acid to be produced to ensure preservation. Use of whey will result in consistently successful pickling; it is essential for pickling fruits. During the first few days of fermentation, the vegetables are kept at room temperature; afterwards, they must be placed in a cool, dark place for long-term preservation.

It is important to use the best quality organic vegetables, sea salt and filtered or pure water for lacto-fermentation.
Lactobacilli
need plenty of nutrients to do their work; and, if the vegetables are deficient, the process of fermentation will not proceed. Likewise if your salt or water contains impurities, the quality of the final product will be jeopardized.

Lacto-fermentation is an artisanal craft that does not lend itself to industrialization. Results are not always predictable. For this reason, when the pickling process became industrialized, many changes were made that rendered the final product more uniform and more saleable but not necessarily more nutritious. Chief among these was the use of vinegar for the brine, resulting in a product that is more acidic and not necessarily beneficial when eaten in large quantities; and of subjecting the final product to pasteurization, thereby effectively killing all the lactic-acid-producing bacteria and robbing consumers of their beneficial effect on the digestion.

The recipes presented here are designed to be made in small quantities in your own kitchen. They require no special equipment apart from a collection of wide-mouth, quart-sized mason jars and a wooden pounder or a meat hammer. (For special sauerkraut crocks that enable you to make large quantities, See
Sources
.)

We recommend adding a small amount of homemade whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) to each jar of vegetables or fruit to ensure consistently satisfactory results. Whey supplies
lactobacilli
and acts as an inoculant.
Do not use commercial concentrated whey or dried whey.
You may omit whey and use more salt in the vegetable recipes, but whey is essential in the recipes calling for fruit.

About one inch of space should be left between the top of your vegetables with their liquid and the top of the jar, as the vegetables and their juices expand slightly during fermentation. Be sure to close the jars very tightly. Lacto-fermentation is an anaerobic process and the presence of oxygen, once fermentation has begun, will ruin the final product.

We have tried to keep these recipes as simple as possible without undue stress on ideal temperatures or precise durations. In general, a room temperature of about 72 degrees will be sufficient to ensure a lactic-acid fermentation in about two to four days. More time will be needed if your kitchen is colder and less if it is very warm. After two to four days at room temperature, the jars should be placed in a dark, cool spot, ideally one with a temperature of about 40 degrees. In days gone by, crocks of lacto-fermented vegetables were stored in root cellars or caves. A wine cellar or small refrigerator kept on a "warm" setting is ideal; failing that, the top shelf of your refrigerator will do. Lacto-fermented fruit chutneys need about two days at room temperature and should always be stored in a refrigerator.

Lacto-fermented vegetables increase in flavor with time—according to the experts, sauerkraut needs at least six months to fully mature. But they also can be eaten immediately after the initial fermentation at room temperature. Lacto-fermented vegetable condiments will keep for many months in cold storage but lacto-fermented fruits and preserves should be eaten within two months of preparation.

Some lacto-fermented products may get bubbly, particularly the chutneys. This is natural and no cause for concern. And do not be dismayed if little spots of white foam appear at the top of the pickling liquid. They are completely harmless and can be lifted off with a spoon. The occasional batch that goes bad presents no danger—the smell will be so awful that nothing could persuade you to eat it. The sign of successful lacto-fermentation is that the vegetables and fruits remained preserved over several weeks or months of cold storage.

Lactic-acid fermented vegetables and fruit chutneys are not meant to be eaten in large quantities but as condiments. They go beautifully with meats and fish of all sorts, as well as with pulses and grains. They are easy to prepare, and they confer health benefits that cannot be underestimated.

Scientists and doctors today are mystified by the proliferation of new viruses—not only the deadly AIDS virus but the whole gamut of human viruses that seem to be associated with everything from chronic fatigue to cancer and arthritis. They are equally mystified by recent increases in the incidence of intestinal parasites and pathogenic yeasts, even among those whose sanitary practices are faultless. Could it be that in abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-fermentation and in our insistence on a diet in which everything has been pasteurized, we have compromised the health of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of pathogenic microorganisms? If so, the cure for these diseases will be found not in vaccinations, drugs or antibiotics but in a restored partnership with the many varieties of
lactobacilli
, our symbionts of the microscopic world.

SAUERKRAUT

Makes 1 quart

1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

In a bowl, mix cabbage with caraway seeds, sea salt and whey. Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for about 10 minutes to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage 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 sauerkraut may be eaten immediately, but it improves with age.

Of all the organic acids, lactic acid is the one that best inhibits the proliferation of bacteria that cause putrefaction, but it does not bring about in the body the over-acidifying action of certain other acids. . .. While other products of the fermentation process, like alcohol and acetic acid, must be decomposed and eliminated, lactic acid can in large part be used by the body. Annelies Schoneck
Des Crudites Toute L'Annee

Organic acids present in fermented milk and vegetable products play an important role in the health of old people as they aid a digestive system that is growing more and more feeble. Annelies Schoneck
Des Crudites Toute L'Annee

After two or three days of lacto-fermentation, vegetables begin to soften and certain substances in them begin to decompose. If the vegetables contain nitrates—often the case after a summer with little sun—they are broken down. . .. If all goes well, the lactic-acid producing bacteria take over and the process of acidification begins. New substances are formed, notably. . .choline and, above all, lactic acid. This acidification ensures the conservation of the vegetables. . .but the fermentation of the aromas doesn't come about until a later stage, during storage. Lacto-fermentation is not only a means of conserving foods but also a procedure for ennobling them, as proved by their taste and aroma. Annelies Schoneck
Des Crudites Toute L'Annee

LATIN AMERICAN SAUERKRAUT

(Cortido)
Makes 2 quarts

1 large cabbage, cored and shredded

1 cup carrots, grated

2 medium onions, quartered lengthwise and very finely sliced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (
Whey and Cream Cheese
) (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

This delicious spicy condiment goes beautifully with Mexican and Latin American food of all types. It is traditionally made with pineapple vinegar but can also be prepared with whey and salt. Like traditional sauerkraut, cortido improves with age.

In a large bowl mix cabbage with carrots, onions, oregano, red chile flakes, sea salt and whey. Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for about 10 minutes to release juices. Place in 2 quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jars and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jars. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

Variation: Traditional Cortido

Omit salt and whey and use
4-6 cups
pineapple vinegar
. Mix all ingredients except pineapple vinegar together in a large bowl and pound lightly. Stuff cabbage loosely into 3 quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jars and add enough vinegar to cover the cabbage. The top of the cabbage mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jars. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.