Fermenting Sandorkraut in Middle Tennessee
|
Tweet this story! Support our efforts for a sustainable world.
|
|
Middle Tennessee discovers a hidden treasure in their midst: fermentation expert and local-food activist Sandor Katz, author of Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America’s Underground Food Movements.
Farmers, restaurateurs, artisans, and activists’ Middle Tennessee is overflowing with people who are passionate about where we live and how we eat. But did you know there is a fermentation specialist amid our growing community? Sandor Katz, also known as Sandorkraut, moved to Tennessee over a decade ago, and has been sharing his love and knowledge of fermentation ever since.
His first fermentation experiment involved an abandoned old crock that he rescued, and cabbage harvested from the garden. The strong taste and pungency of the resulting sauerkraut instantly hooked him on the process. He began to combine his interest in gardening and nutrition into a passion for fermented foods. Delving deep into the process, he explored methods and discovered many important nutritional benefits. Katz’s acclaimed fermentation guidebook, Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods is a result of his study and his desire to spread the word.
If you are a novice, Katz encourages you to start where he did, by fermenting vegetables from your garden. “None of this is rocket science,” Katz says, explaining that successful fermentation processes are “ancient rituals that our ancestors figured out through trial and error.” The simplicity of the craft is what fueled Katz’s desire to educate those around him, realizing that, as fer- mentation has become unfamiliar, the fear of the unknown and ideas of what could go wrong were holding people back. Katz considers fermentation an “essential culinary technique,” that should be an integral part of our own food preparation.
Students are encouraged to look around and consider how many of the foods that we consume are fermented. Dozens of foods in our pantries would qualify, including bread, chocolate, coffee and tea, condi- ments, cured meat, and cheeses. The intense flavors of these items are a result of the fermentation process. However, he also notes that many fermented foods that are commercially available do not have the same nutritional value and other health benefits as fermented foods produced at home. For example, sauerkraut purchased from the grocery store might be pasteurized, reducing the nutrient content and digestibility, as well as the flavor. Katz notes, “What’s best for commerce is not always best for our health.” (Katz’s second book, The Revolution Will Not be Microwaved, delves more deeply into these issues.) Katz participates in workshops and festivals around the United States, and leads classes in his basement kitchen, located at Little Short Mountain Farm in Woodbury, Tennessee. He holds workshops for everyone, from beginners to experts. Starting this fall he is teaching multiple one-day classes that will focus mainly on an introduction to fermentation and the basic aspects of what fermentation is all about, including a miso-making day in November.
Related Articles:
