We're not the pickling type, but we have tried our hand at fermented foods with The Perfect Pickler (it's a neat little gadget that makes pickling a snap). Fermented foods are fascinating — a lost art, really. Fermentation is a great way to extract hard-to-absorb nutrients in raw foods without destroying live enzymes through cooking.
In fact, with our Perfect Pickler, there's no heat involved in the fermentation process at all, so all of the enzymes stay in tact. Plus, you'll gain probiotics and more bioavailable vitamins and minerals (B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids in particular). Fermented foods also help your body detoxify, fight infections, reduce high cholesterol levels, and support digestive and immune systems. They're a terrific source of amino acids, too! Fermented foods also increase digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid, and other chemicals that battle harmful bacteria. They even act as antioxidants that may prevent and fight cancer. Just about any veggie can be fermented. But that's just the beginning... If you really want to learn about fermented foods and bring your culinary skills to another level, you may want to consider a new, all-inclusive, week-long culinary arts course we've just started called Raw Gourmet Living. It's an intensive, raw food culinary arts course taught by former restauranteurs and a certified raw food chef! You'll learn all kinds of fascinating stuff, including how to make raw cultured vegetables and even making your own fermented nut cheese!
Have you ever made cultured foods? Comment below!