The way of the future is to remember the past.

Thousands of years ago, before the advent of refrigeration, people learned the art and technique of fermenting a tremendous amount of foodstuffs for preservation. An interesting by-product of this process is increased nutrient content of the fermented foods from root veggies to certain fruits and even dairy products.

For today’s foodies we are heading back the beginning. Organics are on the rise. Buying from local farmers is increasing by demand. People are growing their veggies in personal or community gardens. Conscious consumers and growers are beginning to realize that we need to go back to basics, remove the junk in our food and stop ingesting pesticides. Healthy eaters are buying up cleanses and detoxes in grocery stores now. Cultured veggies have been in demand more and more of late with raw and organic food-conscious people looking for ways to preserve their own homegrown veggies or people looking to boost their immune systems by ingesting the healthy benefits of fermented dark, leafy greens and root veggies. By culturing your own veggies you are experiencing a two-fold successful process of food preservation and heightened nutrition.

Here in Alaska there’s a movement to increase the number of local foods bought by Alaskans from Alaskan farmers.  There’s also an increase in the number of people growing their own. This would stem the ’import’ problem (organics coming from other states or countries using up a ton of fuel to feed us) and help with emergency management during times of crisis if food couldn’t be shipped up in a timely manner. Reliance on Alaskan farmers for Alaskans is imperative.

Many people are growing their own or have considered joining a food co-op or community root cellar. By culturing, you can add roots to leafy greens and even herbs and spices to a mixture that’s healthy and cleansing. The cans can be kept refrigerated unopened for almost a year. If you harvest in the summer and fall, wouldn’t you love to be able to eat your veggies throughout the winter? You can if they’re fermented.

So you’ve heard of fermentation when it comes to brewing beer or sauerkraut. But what if there were a lot of other fermentation options? There used to be. In our society the ancient practice of fermenting root veggies and dairy has been stifled almost to the point of obscurity. But many like us are trying to revive this almost lost art form and are sharing it with as many people who wish to learn. People have been looking for an answer when it comes to eating healthy foods like raw kale, raw collards, raw carrots, raw cabbages, or raw yams. How amazing is it that you can, in one healthy spoonful?