On Tuesday, members of the Grow Wise program learned about fermentation during one of their food preservation classes. Andrea Haubner, the FCS agent for Lee and Scott Counties, led the class. Quite a few folks throughout the county were interested in participating. Those that attended learned about the fermentation process through making sauerkraut. Before the hands-on learning, we learned about the history, science, and food safety of vegetable fermentation. This process has been used for thousands of years to preserve vegetables. Interestingly, it works by using salt to kill off harmful bacteria while allowing probiotic bacteria to grow and ferment the food. During this, the bacteria break down the carbohydrates in the vegetables, causing them to become more acidic. This results in a unique flavor profile and increases nutritional benefits.

For the workshop, members of Grow Wise followed a food safety-approved recipe. Additionally, they were provided with several reliable resources for other fermentation recipes. The attendees participated first by chopping their cabbage and massaging salt into the cuttings. These cuttings were then placed in a wide-mouth mason jar filled to the top with water. Once home, we were instructed to cover the jar with a cheesecloth or loose lid and place a weight on top (in our case, we received a smaller mason jar). I enjoyed learning about the fermentation process, and I’m excited to see how my sauerkraut turns out in the next few weeks.