31 days of Probiotics and Fermenting

I’m so excited (yes, that’s how geeky I am)!! This month is all about probiotics and fermenting here on Almost Bananas.

I’m taking part in 31 Days, a writing challenge to write every day for the month of October. Take a look – it looks like there are some amazing month long topics.

I’m not off to a very good start – between puking kids and falling asleep putting toddlers to sleep, I’m already behind. But, something is better than nothing, no?

I’ve long known that probiotics are good for you, in a sort of general that-nice type of way. In a ‘you should take a probiotic supplement when you take antibiotics’ type of way.  Increasingly, however, we (as in science and nutrition) are discovering how important probiotics really are and how fundamental they are to health in ways that we never thought of. Who would have guessed that probiotics could effect behaviour and food allergies?

Fermenting food is one of the best ways to ingest probiotics. Fermentation is an ancient practice of preserving everything from vegetables to milk to meat. Fermentation began simply as a practical solution to a food storage problem but actually has amazing, and necessary, health benefits.

In North America, we’ve become a germaphobic society. The idea of leaving food out at room temperature terrifies many people, who are afraid of getting sick from some big bad bacteria. Hopefully in future posts I’ll be able to provide enough instructions, scientific research, and encouragement to dispel the fear.

Another problem is that we no longer appreciate the taste of fermented food, finding it too sour, or too strong, or just gross. I hope to provide recipes, both to make fermented food and what to do with fermented food, to ease one into the world of fermented food. Taste buds do adjust, and once you start to like real pickles or white yogurt, hopefully you’ll be hooked on fermented food as much for the taste as for the health benefits.

So, for the rest of the month, we’re going to be talking probiotics, fermenting how-tos, recipes, etc. I’ll update this post as an index with the new posts.

Don’t forget to sign up for updates so that you won’t miss out on this fascinating series!

What do you want to see? What are your burning (or not so burning) questions related to probiotics and fermenting? Any recipes that you would like to see? Write below in the comments!

 Day 2: A Scientific Look at the Benefits of Probiotics

 Day 3: Baek (White) Kimchi

 Day 4: Fermented Red Onions

 Day 5: Bryndzove (or Feta) Cauliflower

 Day 6: Super Easy Sauerkraut