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| Beet & Carrot Salad |
We have had an abundance of fresh produce this summer and let's be honest. We can only eat so many fresh tomatoes. I will deny writing this come mid February.
In my quest to put up food for the winter AND maintain the healthfulness of fresh food, I've stumbled across lacto fermentation. It's the exact same principle as making traditional sauerkraut. Chop up all your veggies, say in corn salsa, put it in a jar, add salt and/or whey and cap it up. Watch the chemistry. Within 12 hours, major biological activity. Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles... In about 3 - 7 days, it is ready for cold storage. The whole process is amazing to me and very nourishing and fulfilling.
Don't bother looking into FDA or USDA approval. But then, the more I know about those two governmental agencies, the more I disregard their "wisdom". For more info on that, read Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey M Smith and Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' Ronald Reagan 40th president of US (1911 - 2004)
I look at more traditional wisdom from the "old world" rather than modern day researchers and government reports. That means we eat real butter, drink raw milk, avoid immunizations and sometimes eat with dirt on our hands. AND we lacto ferment.
This year, we've fermented beets, cucumbers, cabbage, tomato sauce, corn salsa and hot peppers. Today, we'll be doing cortido (Latin American Sauerkraut) aka hot sauerkraut. Some of them have turned out fabulous. My boys love the hot peppers. I put lemon in my beets and they now have an overwhelmingly lemony flavor. I usually LOVE lemons, but not in that, not so much. Cucumbers are a delicate fruit. Too much fermentation and the lactic acid eats up the insides, turning them to mush. Not so appetizing. But, the joy is in the journey, right? The trials and mistakes teach us and give us wisdom.
A word about the perfectionist thing... We're all on this journey together. We learn from one another and challenge one another.
Because Jesus is my Lord, I desire my whole life to be a reflection of Him and my body to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12). Because of that, I am on a journey to improve my health. I'm on this journey to grow strong, healthy children. It is important!
10 years ago, I was standing in the kitchen at the doctor's office I worked at eating a row of Oreos. 5 years ago, I was spending $4 a box on Kashi cereal because it was labeled Organic. 2 years ago, we put in a garden. 1 year ago, we starting avoiding all things processed except for Mrs Braggs products. This year, we started lacto fermenting AND I had a bowl of Breyer's Neopolitan ice cream last night. It's not about perfectionism.
Please don't worry if you just ate a Swiss Cake Roll or haven't planted a garden. Visit our local farmer's market and pick up some locally grown, organic produce. Stop at that road side stand. Spend a little more on food and less on entertainment. Just be on the journey of seeking and following Christ and allow Him to lead you. It's an amazing ride!
In His Grip,
Daniel and Laura
