Parkzeit 2021-2 (EN)
Guest magazine Park Igls
Guest magazine Park Igls
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Preserving, drying and pickling: What once<br />
belonged to the kitchen ABCs of our grandmothers<br />
is now trendy like never before. Old, almost<br />
forgotten methods have been rediscovered in<br />
recent years by young avant-garde chefs. These<br />
experimental cooks have literally dusted off this<br />
old trend while giving the technique a fresh new<br />
look. What’s currently being celebrated at the<br />
highest level in award-winning restaurants is now<br />
also finding its way into local kitchens. For example,<br />
instead of buying sugary jam from the supermarket,<br />
organic fruit is canned at home with vegetable<br />
gelling agents. Apple slices for muesli are dried,<br />
and herbs are desiccated and processed into salt.<br />
DR SONJA SCHOTTKOWKSY<br />
“Regular consumption of<br />
fermented vegetables<br />
creates order in our gut”<br />
The large head of cabbage is fermented to produce<br />
sauerkraut, while Chinese cabbage is fermented<br />
to make kimchi. Once again, delicious homemade<br />
products are being made and preserved just like in<br />
grandma's day.<br />
Dr Sonja Schottkowksy is not only a Mayr<br />
doctor at Park Igls, but also a phytotherapist. She is<br />
an expert in the field of medicinal herbs and plants<br />
and their effects. Dr Schottkowksy recognises a<br />
deep-seated desire among people to rediscover<br />
old methods of preparation. "The last few years<br />
have already demonstrated that many people are<br />
once again more interested in food, its origins and<br />
preparation. Baking bread is a recent mega-trend<br />
as well as getting involved with herbs or home<br />
farming. The desire for transparency is just as great<br />
as the longing to try out new things for oneself. In<br />
the past year, many have taken advantage of<br />
lockdown and the home office to spend more<br />
time cooking, but also gardening – on the balcony,<br />
for example," says the doctor.<br />
The traditional methods of preservation fit<br />
perfectly into the values of sustainability, climate<br />
friendliness and generationality. Not to mention<br />
the demands of regionality, seasonality and zero<br />
waste. In short, everything that the Fridays for<br />
Future movement stands for, for example.<br />
One of these preservation techniques is<br />
fermentation, which is experiencing a veritable<br />
renaissance: "In our area, we also know fermentation<br />
as 'lactic acid pickling’. The best-known local product<br />
that results from fermentation is sauerkraut.<br />
After harvesting, the cabbage was traditionally<br />
pickled in order to have it handy for the winter<br />
months," explains Dr Schottkowsky. "Today,<br />
packaged sauerkraut is available in the supermarket,<br />
but it no longer contains the ingredients that we<br />
actually want from fermented vegetables. This is<br />
because industrially produced sauerkraut – like<br />
many other products – is pasteurised, i.e. heattreated.<br />
Unfortunately, this largely negates the<br />
effects of fermenting."<br />
Fermentation is considered to be the oldest<br />
form of preservation known to mankind. The term<br />
goes back to the French chemist Louis Pasteur<br />
and means something like ‘fermentation in the<br />
absence of oxygen’. "The fermentation of<br />
vegetables involves lactic acid fermentation.<br />
Carbohydrates contained in fresh vegetables are<br />
converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria<br />
and their enzymes, so-called ferments, in an<br />
oxygen-poor environment. In this case, it has<br />
nothing to do with milk, but with the lactic acid<br />
bacteria that are found in the soil and therefore also<br />
on plants. These bacteria convert carbohydrates<br />
contained in fresh vegetables into lactic acid,"<br />
explains Dr Schottkowsky.<br />
"From a medical point of view, the lactic acid<br />
bacteria are interesting. These are already present<br />
in our intestines but are often pushed aside by<br />
unhealthy diets that contain too little fibre, too<br />
much sugar and meat, causing harmful bacteria to<br />
colonise. This is called dysbiosis, i.e. a deficient<br />
colonisation of the intestine, which can have<br />
health effects not only on the digestive tract, but<br />
also on other systems such as the immune system,"<br />
she continues.<br />
"Regular consumption of fermented vegetables –<br />
in addition to a balanced diet – creates order in<br />
our gut and helps the right bacteria to re-colonise.<br />
If you eat fermented vegetables regularly, you can<br />
save on expensive probiotics."<br />
However, the digestive system needs time to<br />
get used to this supply of bacteria. Many are<br />
familiar with the side effects of sauerkraut, which<br />
can stimulate digestion and, in some cases, even<br />
cause diarrhoea. Therefore, the recommendation<br />
is to first consume fermented vegetables in small<br />
doses (just a forkful every day) and then slowly<br />
increase consumption.<br />
Fermented vegetables are lactose-free, but<br />
some caution is advised for histamine intolerance:<br />
The longer fermented vegetables are stored, the<br />
more histamines they contain. "However, in<br />
histamine intolerance, it is especially important to<br />
sanitise the gut and support the body's own<br />
microbiome. Thus, in mild cases of histamine<br />
intolerance, one should also regularly consume<br />
small amounts of fermented vegetables –<br />
starting with one teaspoon per day," advises<br />
Dr Schottkowsky.<br />
When preparing kimchi – the Korean version<br />
of sauerkraut – fish sauce is added, which has a<br />
very high histamine content. This can also be<br />
omitted, which leads to lower histamine content<br />
and improves tolerance.<br />
"If you want to try fermenting yourself, start<br />
with white, red or Chinese cabbage or carrots," the<br />
Mayr doctor recommends. "And don't be afraid to<br />
make mistakes! If you work cleanly, deficient<br />
fermentations rarely occur with the vegetables<br />
mentioned, because the absence of oxygen<br />
means that problematic germs can hardly multiply."<br />
Should mould nevertheless form during the<br />
fermentation process, the contents of the jar must<br />
be disposed of. In the case of creamy yeast, on the<br />
other hand, which can be visually distinguished<br />
from mould, the top layer is simply skimmed off. <br />
A SHORT GUIDE TO FERM<strong>EN</strong>TING<br />
1 Almost all vegetables are suitable for fermentation:<br />
white cabbage, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage and<br />
carrots are particularly recommended for first<br />
experiments. To do this, cut or slice the vegetables into<br />
strips about 3 centimetres wide.<br />
2 Mix the vegetables with salt (2% of the weight of<br />
the vegetables, which is equivalent to 20 grams of salt<br />
per kilogram of cut vegetables) and knead well until<br />
the vegetables soften and leave liquid. The addition of<br />
flour or sugar to stimulate bacterial growth is not<br />
necessary!<br />
3 Put the vegetables into clean, preferably sterilised<br />
preserving jars (for example, Weck or Rex jars), pressing<br />
down firmly so that they are covered by their own juices.<br />
Ideally, the vegetables should be weighed down with<br />
a glass weight: this prevents the vegetables from being<br />
pressed above the liquid level during the fermentation<br />
process and starting to mould. Jars and lids can be<br />
sterilised very easily by placing them in a pot of boiling<br />
hot water (100 degrees Celsius) for about 10 minutes.<br />
Drain the jars and lids briefly and do not touch the inside.<br />
4 The fermentation process takes one to two weeks:<br />
To do this, leave the jars in a dark place at room<br />
temperature until the desired fermentation begins.<br />
5 After opening the jar for the first time, the vegetables<br />
should be stored in the refrigerator.<br />
6 Unopened, the fermented vegetables will keep for<br />
many months if stored correctly (cool, dark).<br />
26 FERM<strong>EN</strong>TING<br />
FERM<strong>EN</strong>TING 27