Fermentation - Embodying What I Want to Be in 2025
aligning my actions with who I want to be
In today’s post you’ll find:
how fermentation is an aligned action for me in 2025
my fermentation projects
a recipe for apple-carrot-beet sauerkraut
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A lot is happening below the surface
Fermentation is the result of microorganism activity. Eating fermented foods is good for our digestive health because we are increasing the diversity of our microbiomes. Our microbiomes help us to digest food, absorb nutrients from our food by breaking it down in, help to regulate our immune response, body temperature, and a ton more physiological systems. Our soil has a microbiome of its own and it’s virtually the same as the one that lives in our gut. It helps nourish the soil, regulate fertility and temperature, uphold structure, and more. This connection between fermentation and our soil is one of those undeniable truths for me that we are nature.
I have a very spiritual connection to fermentation. It’s a source of mythic time for me - a ritual that connects me with both the past and the present, a time-bound task that seemingly bends time. I know that it’s science, the transformations - whether it be bubbles, the creation of a SCOBY, that quirky, undeniably fermented flavor or changes in colors, it feels like magic to me.
I’m seeking a lot of magic in 2025. Similar to fermentation, I’m seeking the kind of magic that’s really not magic at all, but an unleashing of expectations around who and what I am. I hope I’m as awed by the transformation as I am with each batch of sourdough, kombucha or pickles I make.
Fermentation is a practice that embodies the following things that I am actively working to strengthen in my life:
slowness; a reminder that good things take time
present; a reminder that while most of the work is happening below the surface, it requires focus
coexistence; a reminder that we are nature
intuitive; a reminder that the magic is within us
passionate; a reminder of how it feels to do something you love
My Current Fermentation Projects
I don’t have too much going on at my fermentation station right now, but it’s always changing. On any given day, I could be fermenting pickles, making fruit-scrap vinegar, sourdough, or brewing kombucha. Right now, I’ve got my sourdough starting active and am taking the first step to brew kombucha - making a SCOBY.
A SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Cultures of Bacteria and Yeast. It’s the “mother” used when fermenting kombucha. Most ferments use a “mother” which jumpstarts fermentation. In sourdough, that’s your starter. Simpler fermentation recipes like sauerkraut and pickles don’t use a “mother”, instead they use the bacteria present on the food itself. You can easily find and buy a “mother” for your fermentation projects, but they can also be made at home with a bit of time.
I’m making a SCOBY by combining 2 cups of cold sweet black tea (16 ounces black tea with 1/4 cup of cane sugar) with 2 cups of raw apple cider vinegar, with the “mother”. The jar will sit at room temperature for a few weeks with a cloth secured on top with a rubber band to allow air to flow, but no bugs to go in. After about 3-4 weeks, a thin membrane should form on the surface of the liquid, this will be my SCOBY. I’ll share more about kombucha brewing as I continue this process - I used to make gallons each week, but took a break when I was pregnant with my son.
Apple-Carrot-Beet Sauerkraut
I just finished off my jar of sauerkraut from the fall - a blend of apple, carrot, beets, and cabbage, that I enjoyed in hummus, on sandwiches, on vegan sausages, and honestly, pretty much everything I scrounge together for lunch when I’m home with my kids. I’m at a stage of motherhood where I am actually trying to get them to not eat my food. When my daughter started eating solids I would gladly share my food with her, but now that I have 2 kids that will sometimes *only* eat from my plate, I use tricks like topping everything I eat with sauerkraut to ensure I get the calories I need.
Sauerkraut is a great beginner recipe for new fermenters. You slice everything up into thin strips, toss it all in a huge bowl, and massage salt into it until the natural juices start to run down your hands when you squeeze it. You pack it in clean jars, add a fermentation lid, and leave it on your kitchen counter for a few days to a week.
The addition of the apple, carrots, and beets to this recipe makes it slightly sweeter than traditional sauerkraut, but it’s still a very savory food. Plus it’s a beautiful pink color!
The Recipe:
4 cups shredded cabbage (I used about 1/3 of a green cabbage and a small head of savoy)
1 cup shredded beets (about 3 medium beets)
1 cup shredded carrots (about 1 bunch of organic carrots)
1 cup shredded apples (about 1 large apple)
2 tablespoons salt
*reserve a couple of full cabbage leaves
Rinse the veggies, but don't peel them. Shred using a knife (cabbage) or cheese grater (beets, carrot, and apple). Add the salt and massage with your hands until you can squeeze liquid out of it. Sauerkraut uses a dry fermentation method, which means the liquid used to ferment the kraut comes from the vegetables themselves.
Clean and sanitize a large jar or crock (this amount fit in 2 quart jars or 1 half-gallon jar). Pack the mixture into the jars, pushing down to submerge the vegetables in the liquid. Use the reserved cabbage leaves to cover the vegetables and use a fermentation spring or weight (I sometimes just use a smaller jar) to keep the solids submerged.
Leave at room temperature (somewhere you will see it daily) for 5-10 days to ferment. Burp the jar daily to release any gases and make sure that the solids are submerged in the liquid. After 5 days, begin tasting the sauerkraut. Refrigerate when you are satisfied with the flavor. The sauerkraut will continue to ferment in the fridge, but much more slowly. You can use it right away, or give it some more time to ferment.
In case you missed it, learn more about my mindset for this month and 2025 as a whole: January is Frozen