make it special.
FERMENTED VEG
If you’re keen to try your hand at the ancient art of fermenting, creating a jar or two of sauerkraut is a great place to start. James Strawbridge’s sunshine-bright, tangy kraut is full of flavour and has the additional upside of being good for your gut
WANT MORE FERMENTING IDEAS?
See deliciousmagazine.co.uk/pickling for more fermenting and pickling recipes
delicious. RAINY-DAY PROJECT
James is a Cornwall-based photographer, recipe developer and eco-living expert. He’s written several books and been a regular on TV in shows such as The Hungry Sailors with his dad Dick and It’s Not Easy Being Green. His latest book, The Artisan Kitchen, is out now – see over the page.
THE SCIENCE OF FERMENTING
Sour fermented pickles are tangy condiments fizzing with gut-friendly bacteria. Unlike pickles that rely on vinegar for preservation, sour pickles extend their shelf life and gain their tangy flavours through lacto-fermentation. In a natural process, beneficial bacteria munch away at the glucose (sugar) in vegetables and fruit, drawing on their stored energy by converting the molecules into lactic acid. This partial breakdown of plant sugars, and the acidic by-products, creates a host of palatable flavours that have a near-miraculous ability to enhance the taste of other foods.