In Ferment, bestselling author and the original pioneer of microbiome research, Tim Spector unlocks the latest cutting-edge science on the health benefits of fermentation, offers handy tips on what to look out for in supermarkets and throws in some of his favourite recipes for getting started on your own fermenting journey at home.
'My hope with this book is to persuade you to try fermenting at least one food or drink yourself, even if it’s just sticking some garlic cloves in a pot of honey. I will show you how ferments work in your own body and can improve your health, and why we should all aim to consume at least one fermented food every day. And even if you never plan to experiment yourself, I will help you spot the best (and worst) products in shops, and at the very least increase your admiration for the humble microbes – inside our bodies and in our food - that do all the work' Tim Spector, Ferment
SIMPLE KIMCHI
This is a short cut for those who want a faster recipe, cutting out the traditional two-stage salting process (see other kimchi recipes in the book).
You can use any whole cabbage, Chinese/napa cabbage and/or daikon ( Japanese radish) for this recipe.
makes 1 jar
• 1 cabbage or Chinese/napa cabbage
• 1 daikon
• Sea salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
• 1–2 tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (or fermented miso paste for vegans)
Trim the cabbage and cut it into 4–5mm thick slices.
Trim and peel the daikon and cut into thin half-moons.
Weigh the combined vegetables, tip into a bowl and add 2 percent salt of the total weight.
Using your hands, massage the salt into the vegetables until they are starting to soften, then cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.
Combine the garlic, spring onions, chilli flakes, soy sauce and fish sauce in a food processor and pulse to combine.
Add to the vegetables and mix well to thoroughly coat them.
Pack tightly into a clean jar ensuring that the vegetables are submerged beneath the brine. If necessary, add a little 2 percent brine (i.e. 2g salt for every 100ml water) to cover.
Press weights on top and loosely cover with a lid, then leave in a cool, dark place for 5–10 days until fizzy.
Transfer to the fridge and eat within 1–2 months.
HONEY FERMENTED GARLIC
This is probably the easiest vegetable ferment you can make – garlic comes complete with its own microbiome starter and chemicals such as allicin, which deters other microbes.
You will need raw honey for this recipe – honey that has been extracted without the use of heat and is unpasteurised, untreated and unprocessed and retains all the nutrients
makes 1 jar
• 2–3 heads of garlic
• About 300g raw honey
Peel enough garlic cloves to fill a clean jam jar or Kilner jar two thirds full. Spoon over the raw honey to cover.
Close the lid and give the jar a good shake to combine the honey and garlic.
Sit the jar on a plate and store in a larder or cupboard at room temperature and out of direct light.
Turn the jar and ‘burp’ the lid every few days for 7–14 days and watch the garlic ferment and transform the thick honey into a clearer, runnier liquid. The garlic may discolour, but don’t worry – this is normal.
Once the garlic has fermented it will keep for months in a cool place or the fridge. You can then use either the garlic or honey separately as standalone ingredients or try blending them together.
Add some good olive oil and apple cider vinegar to make an amazing salad dressing. The honey can be used as a marinade, a glaze for meat, fish or vegetables or do as I often do and nibble on a whole honeyed garlic clove, which in some cultures is believed to have health benefits such as warding off colds.
variation: try adding other herbs too such as sliced fresh turmeric root, ginger or a sprig of lavender to the infusion.
