Fermenting as preservation

I've heard that fermenting food helps to preserve it for longer, and also makes it nutritionally better than other methods of preservation. I've never tried it personally and wouldn't know where to begin.

Does anyone have any experience of fermentation that they can share?

 

Sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage. This method would be worth studying up on. It is apparently almost a lost art. Some information follows:

"The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anti carcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine."

I think probably raw apple cider vinegar is fermented too. It has amazing health benefits. And it can be easily made at home. I use quite a bit of it and it is rather expensive. So I do plan to start making it myself. Just haven't done it yet.

 

From what I've read this is a good way to preserve food. I think I've had fermented salsa before. I prefer growing food and eating eat fresh for survival purposes. Of course I know you would want your food to last as long as possible, and I can't see where you could go wrong with this. I think it's healthier than canned food.

 

Fermenting food has been a way of preservation for centuries, and it does not have to be a complex business to ferment vegetables. Many places, people simply buried the vegetables in the ground, and they fermented naturally over time.
This is what was eaten during the winter months when fresh food could not be grown and harvested.
Fermenting food actually brings out the important bacteria that colonize our digestive system and this is one of the best ways to get natural probiotics, and well as strengthen our immune system and keep us from getting sick from contagious illnesses.

There are a lot of good fermenting tutorials on Youtube, as well as webpages that have simple instructions for fermenting foods like cabbage into sauerkraut.
I was skeptical when i first tried making sauerkraut because I thought i might ruin it and have a rotten mess instead of delicious sauerkraut. But the directions seemed simple enough, so I tried it, and the sauerkraut turned out delicious.
One great thing about fermenting your own sauerkraut or kimchi is that you can taste it every day and eat it when you like the taste. I found that I like my sauerkraut just when it changes over from a cabbage taste into a sauerkraut taste, and not left for several months like some sauerkraut is made.
I am not a huge fan of kimchi at this point, but I know that it is healthy and I keep making some and eating it, and I am actually getting to like the taste of the stuff.
I found little tops that go on wide mouth quart jars that make fermenting even easier.
They are called Fermenta Caps, and they are just a little soft plastic top that has a slotted "valve" on top that lets gas escape, but keeps any contamination out. You can get them on Amazon, plus the FermentaCap website (just add the dot com) also has a free ebook that you can download with wonderful instructions for fermenting all kinds of different foods.