Lacto-Fermentation

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Created on Wednesday, 13 September 2017 21:53

Written by Ted Gilman

ST.JOHNSBURY- A little three acre plot in St.Johnsbury is becoming more than just a community farm where locals can harvest their vegetables. It’s a ground for teaching locals how to naturally preserve their food. The process is known as Lacto-Fermentation, in which water is combined with salt, which kills off harmful bacteria on the food. Stage two of the process, involves lactobacillus organisms, converting the sugars of the food into lactic acid.

It’s being blogged, vlogged, and talked about all over the internet. But not so much in person. Melissa Cole, a herbalist out of St.Johnsbury, is teaching people first hand how to preserve in a natural way.

“With a fermented product, you’re working with nature, and you don’t have any nutrient loss like you would with a canning method”, says Cole.

The most important aspect of the process to Cole, comes down to how your body digests the fermented food.

“The way you stay healthy is to have lots and lots of gut flora that are outcompeting all the other stuff in your digestive system", says Cole.

And with 80 percent of your immune system being located in your gut, a fermented food will enhance not only your immune system, but your mental stability as well.

Now the community farm has been open for eight years, ran by a non-profit organization known as the St.Johnsbury Area Local Food Alliance. Their mission is pretty simple. Preserving food by working with nature. And just like their mission, the preserving process will be as well.

“So quick and easy I think is the biggest thing, really really safe, and you can see the most complicated kitchen equipment I’ve used is a mason jar”, says Cole.

Becoming healthy can be overwhelming. But with lacto-fermentation, it doesn’t need to be. Simple, easy, and cheap.