Fermenting foods has been around for centuries. The first fermented foods can be traced back to 6000 B.C. in the Fertile Crescent. Almost every civilization has had at least one fermented food. The starter kit from Fermentools allows families to bring this ancient practice into their homes with ease.
Fermentools was started in 2013 my Matt Gross. In 2019, Alex and Cassie Deputie joined the Fermentools family. Alex and Cassie have been married eleven years and are parents to seven wonderful children. They are a fellow homeschool family. They are passionate about teaching others all about healthy eating and a lifestyle that helps people achieve their best health. With all their knowledge and experience, the family works together to teach others about the power of food and proper nutrition.
What are the Advantages of Fermented Foods?
We've all heard of probiotics. You can't turn on the TV or open your computer without seeing some type of endorsement for them. Our guts are filled with live bacteria (good guys and bad guys) and yeast that help protect the lining of our stomachs and intestines. They literally help with the absorption of food and nutrients. Many of us have guts so out of wack that our bodies are not getting the nutrients we need. When our systems are out of line, we weaken our immune system and reek havoc on our bodies. Food intolerance and autoimmune diseases can occur. We become tired, cranky, have bathroom issues, brain fog, can't sleep, gain weight, etc. The list goes on and on.
Fermented foods are a great dietary source of probiotics!
1. They improve gut health.
2. They help restore the proper bacteria balance in the intestines.
3. They help aid in digestion.
3. They improve heart health.
4. They help improve the immune system.
Besides all the health benefits, fermenting foods is a great weigh to preserve fruits and vegetables. It can help families save money by preserving foods from the garden or foods that were bought in bulk on a good sale.
What is the Starter Kit from Fermentools?
The Starter Kit is provides all the tools you will need to start fermenting your own food at home. No more expensive fermented foods from the store! The starter kit cost $21.49. The tools can be used again and again.
The starter kit comes with...
~1 Stainless Steel Lid~
It's made from 304 surgical stainless steel and is corrosion resistant. It will last a lifetime.
~1 Glass Fermentation Weight~
It's made to fit inside your standard wide-mouth mason jar and it won't react with your foods like other weights currently on the market.
~1 Air Lock~
The air lock inserts into the lid and allows for "burping" during the fermenting process.
~2 Rubber Stopper~
One has a hole for airlock and one is solid.
~1 Rubber Canning Gasket~
~Himalayan Powered Sea Salt~
The ancient sea salt has over 80 trace minerals. It's ground so fine that it mixes easily with cold water. The bag is 1 pound and is plenty for multiple fermenting processes.
~Instruction Booklet and Cloth Storage Bag~
~ Recipe for Basic Fermented Sauerkraut~
The only other items needed that are not included are a wide-mouth glass canning jar and whatever foods you wanted to ferment. The kit allows you to work on one fermenting project at a time. If you want to have multiple projects going at one time, you would need to purchase additional tools available on the Fermentools website.
~My Experience~
This was not my first attempt at fermenting foods. In the past, I've made fermented pickles, fermented salsa, and kerfir water. I don't consider myself a newbie, but I definitely don't consider myself a pro either.
The system with the starter kit was quite different from the ways I had tried before. My previous recipes had come from a friend who was, what I would call, a pro in the area of fermenting. I will admit her recipes where easier to follow and easy to execute.
My first attempt with the starter kit was not a success, but neither was my first attempt with my friends way too. As with anything, you have to expect something to go wrong the first time you attempt something. At least I do.
I tried the basic sauerkraut recipe. I'll be honest and admit I can't stand the stuff! However, I made it with the hopes that my hubby would like it. When it was ready, it just didn't smell right and there was some mold growing on the top. Of course, my hubby declined to give it a try. I honestly can't blame him. After reviewing what I did (or didn't do correctly), I feel I messed up. I don't think I packed it down tightly enough. My plan was to give the simple, spicy sauerkraut recipe a go next, but the store was out of cabbage. Our stores have been very hit or miss with all the issues going on.
So since I couldn't find cabbage, I decided to give the ginger bug recipe a try. I already had everything I needed on hand.
The ginger bug recipe was very simple. All you needed was water, ginger root, and sugar!
I grated 3 tablespoons of ginger root, added 3 tablespoons of sugar, and then covered with water. I mixed everything together until the sugar was dissolved.
I then placed the Fermentools air-lock system on the mason jar. I did have to add more ginger and sugar every 24 hours. Our mixture is almost done and I can't wait to give it a try!
After the ginger bug recipe is done, we'll begin the recipe for the ginger soda pop recipe. I figured everyone would be able to give this one a taste test.
The ginger bug recipe was very simple. All you needed was water, ginger root, and sugar!
I grated 3 tablespoons of ginger root, added 3 tablespoons of sugar, and then covered with water. I mixed everything together until the sugar was dissolved.
I then placed the Fermentools air-lock system on the mason jar. I did have to add more ginger and sugar every 24 hours. Our mixture is almost done and I can't wait to give it a try!
After the ginger bug recipe is done, we'll begin the recipe for the ginger soda pop recipe. I figured everyone would be able to give this one a taste test.
I also found a recipe for fermented cinnamon apples that I want to try out..
For me, I found the brine/salt calculator thing a little difficult to get. It was a little confusing. Other recipes I had been given were not hard to figure out. It could be my friend had already done the calculations and saved me the headache. Looking at some of the recipes, I found them to be lacking in some instructions. They seemed to be written for someone who knows what they are doing. For someone new to the process of fermenting, I felt they were a little confusing.
I definitely think with practice and the more you ferment your foods, the easier it will become.
I definitely think with practice and the more you ferment your foods, the easier it will become.
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If you would like to give fermenting a try, Fermentools s offering a discount code for 15% off your order through June 30th. Just use code: CREW2020
Till Next Time,
Monique
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