Parkzeit 2021-2 (EN)

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