Sandor Katz's Wild Fermentation

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"- Gil Scott-Heron

IF there is a person who has gotten my generation into fermented foods its Sandor Katz. His book Wild Fermentation has inspired countless people to do wild fermentation.

 Sandor got me into Wild Fermentation as a way to bring fermented foods into my diet. His enthusiasm, green philosophy, and love of living has meant a lot to me. In fact, I really should send this book out to everyone I know. He's been living in an intentional gay community since they 80s and he credits fermented foods for surviving AIDS for so long.

He transformed my thinking about our diet and led me to other locavore alternatives to the main stream greenwashed powder diets and chocolate flavored wares shipped from 2,000 miles away made by people whose existence are easy to ignore.

The book is part common sense treatise against our germ phobic culture and industrial food system, as well as filled with information about why we should reincorporate an over 2,000 year old tradition of unpasteurized and wild fermented food back into our lives. It's a why and how explanation of fermenting in one.  It's good for our digestion, Sandor asserts. Scientifically hard to measure the benefts but indications are good, people have reported  including myself  included an improvement in their digestion from incorporating fermented foods into their diet.

There is emphasis on wild unpasteurized foods because when pasteurized all those beneficial bacteria die.

I have to thank Sandor for the curious expressions I have gotten from homebrewers when I have suggested making wild fermented beer or drinks. However, they are getting fewer and fewer as many brewers are trying wild brewing and making unpasteurized cheeses. There is a revolution from local food makers and people that will never be appreciated in the NYtimes.

Being programed that all germs are bad, Sandor spends considerable time to explain how you won't be food poisoned by the process if you have any common sense. If your food is submerged in liquid than it fosters the grow of  good bacteria. There is a more in depth explanation in the book, but basically, the fermentation of beneficial bacteria kills the bad bacteria.
 
DIY is a great way to do learn to sustainable how techniques and Wild Fermentation is recommended reading for anybody interested in techniques related to sustainable how.