H! I'm Erica from FarmSteady.
And today I'm going to be answering your most-asked questions
and giving you a primer on all things facto-fermentation.
This video is going to be a deep dive into what exactly lacto-fermentation is and how to do it.
And if you're looking to dive straight into some fermented food recipe check out his playlist.
It's got some of our favorites. Otherwise keep watching and we'll start answering your questions.
Question #1: What are some lacto-fermented foods?
The most common are: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and naturally fermented pickles.
These are things you probable have at least once a week.
Other fermented foods that you know of: sourdough, vinegar, kombucha.
These aren't strictly lacto-fermented, they use a combination of yeast and bacteria.
We're not going to talk about them today.
We're just going to focus on the delicious world of lacto-fermentation.
Question #2: What is the "lacto"in lacto-fermentation?
"Lacto" is short for "Lactobacillus"
If you've ever heard of foods being really high in probiotics or good for gut health
There's a really good chance that it is chocked full of lactobacillus.
What lactobacillus does is turn sugars into lactic acid.
This makes things a little bit sour and also acts as a natural preservative
Which is why when you're fermenting foods, they are fermented and don't rot like they normally would.
Question #3: How do you add lactobacillus to your veggies?
So we often get asked if you have to add a starter (like with sourdough) to make fermented vegetables.
Best answer? No.
Lactobacillus is actually everywhere.
It's on the vegetables, it's on us, it's in the air.
And now that I've totally creeped you out. I gotta let you know: it comes in peace.
Lactobacillus is a friendly bacteria.
So what we're really doing when we're fermenting foods is creating a good environment for that good bacteria to thrive.
Question #4: How do you create a good environment for lactobacillus?
Just like lactobacillus is floating all around us,
other less-friendly bacteria and yeast and molds are in the air as well.
So the trick is to create an environment that lactobacillus likes and other things don't.
We do that in two ways:
1. Adding Salt
2. Keeping Out Air
Adding salt is super important to lacto-fermentation.
Bad bacteria, the kinds that would spoil your food can't handle a lot of salt.
But lactobacillus can handle a little bit.
So adding salt creates an environment where the lactobacillus can really thrive
and other things can't compete.
Air, or oxygen, is something that lactobacillus doesn't need to ferment.
It's an anaerobic fermentation so all the activity is happening below the surface,
away from the air, and it keeps out those molds and bacterias that would need air to do their work.
If the top of your ferment is exposed to air,
mold and other grossies can settle there.
That's why we use fermentation weights to keep everything weighed down below the brine so that doesn't happen.
Oddly enough this is actually a point of contention.
Because it's anaerobic,  anything under the surface is fermenting,
so you actually have to have something totally weighing it down, it will still ferment.
But it's going to create a gross top layer, so if you are cool with open fermentation,
You also have to be cool with peeling off a layer of something kind of gross
Which people are, and that's great.
I'm not, so I choose my equipment carefully.
Question #5:
(high five)
What kind of salt should I use?
Most important rule with salt is choose non-iodized.
Iodine will kind of mess with your ferment, so don't use it.
But kosher salt and sea salt are great.
Question #6
Why do only some recipes call for a brine?
If you are looking at different fermented food recipes
you'll notice that while salt is always used, sometimes it's made into a brine and sometimes it's not.
So what's the difference?
Certain vegetables (like carrots) are really hard. So rubbing salt on them isn't really going to do much.
So with our Lacto-Fermented Carrot Sticks that's something we created a brine for.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, vegetables with a ton of water, like cucumbers
that you want to keep the liquid inside, those you do a brine for so you're keeping them crunchy
and not breaking down those cell walls and having all that water come out.
The other way to add salt to your ferment
Is to add the salt and rub it in.
The most common example of this is sauerkraut.
For sauerkraut, you chop up all your cabbage, sprinkle your salt on, and you massage it
and that actually draws the water out and creates it's own salty brine.
Question #7
Are all pickles fermented?
This is a great question, and something we get asked a lot.
Because pickles are awesome.
And... pickles are awesome.
Unfortunately, no, not all pickles are fermented.
Pickles that are in jars cut into spears or chips, those are going to be refrigerator pickles.
What I mean by that, is that they use a vinegar based brine instead of fermentation to get sour.
When you're using a vinegar based brine, you're normally adding spices and often are adding  a bit of added sugar.
And while they are totally delicious.
You're missing out on all that healthy and fun bacteria that you get from natural fermentation.
Pickles that you get from the deli, that are whole coming out of a cloudy brine,
or that you make yourself,  those are fermented pickles and they are delicious!
Question #8
How do I get started?
And what should I ferment first?
We make great kits at FarmSteady.com
I designed them, and they have my favorite fermentation weight ever.
So I think that's a great place for you to get started.
But if you have an old crock, or have some jars, you can definitely start fermenting.
As for what you should ferment first:
Do what you're most excited about: pickles, fermented hot sauce, sauerkraut are all great places to start.
Maybe don't do something that has a 3 month time  before you get to taste it
Until your 2nd or 3rd batch, but otherwise whatever you want to eat and are most excited about
that's going to be the best thing to ferment.
Question #9
How long do fermented foods keep?
After you're done fermenting something, we tell you to move it to the fridge
What that does, is slow down that fermentation.
It doesn't totally stop it, so it's going but at a very slow rate.
Before your ferment goes bad or mold it's normally going to get just a little too sour, or too soft,
and be unappetizing.
Depending on what recipe you follow, just look at the recommendation
for when you should eat it by, certain pickles are better within a week.
hot sauces do keep for months
Question #10
Your next question!
We covered a lot in this video, but fermentation is a little weird,
and you might run into more questions.
Please like this video, leave us a comment, and subscribe.
Plus we have loads more videos for kraut, hot sauce, pickled vegetables, kombucha and more.
And we'll keep these fermentation videos coming!
Thank so much for tuning in.
So our favorite advice: eat what you ferment and repeat.
Then you're always trying something new.
But hot sauces, those keep for months.
