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Get fermenting: All you need is a cabbage and some salt. Magic will happen

Lilly Higgins: Dip your toe into fermentation to add a healthy twist to your diet

Sauerkraut is simple to prepare. Photograph: Lilly Higgins

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Lilly Higgins
Mon Jan 9 2023 - 05:00

I’m starting the year off with the intention to feed my family and myself as best I can. So, naturally, I’m turning to fermentation.

In 2014, Sandor Katz gave a talk at Ballymaloe Literary Festival. I had already started my fermentation journey and had been tentatively making sauerkraut and water kefir. He spoke so passionately and really brought fermentation to life for me. I realised it wasn’t something to be afraid of, but rather I should embrace it, have fun with it and thrive eating it. He demystified it all and said to give kids fermented foods as much as possible.

Fermentation is the most low-tech thing you can do. All you need is a cabbage and some salt. Magic will happen. There are so many variations and possibilities. Let 2023 be the year you dip your toe into the bubbling Kilner jar of lacto fermentation. I’m sharing my favourite basic recipe here to get your gut off to a healthy start and hopefully ignite a lifelong love for fermenting.

During lacto fermentation, the Lactobacillus bacteria convert naturally occurring sugars in vegetables and fruit into lactic acid. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that helps fight bad bacteria and preserves not only the flavour and texture of food but also its nutrients. Some strains support digestion and immunity, making them a valuable food to have at this time of year.

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Recipe: Red cabbage and fennel sauerkraut

Lilly’s Kitchen Tips:

  1. Serve this with mashed potatoes and sausages or on a hot dog, as part of a salad bowl, as a base for coleslaw or in a cheese sandwich.
  2. Mix it up: Add grated carrot, use white cabbage, cumin seeds, a slice of orange for flavour, coriander seeds, kohlrabi or finely sliced fennel bulb.
  3. There are lots of great Irish brands of sauerkraut. Buy some and get to know the taste; this will help you know what yours should taste like.
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