Why FERMENTED cucumbers top pickles any day!

Join me this Sunday, August 29, when I will be Chef at Market in Historic Greenbelt, Maryland at the Greenbelt Farmers Market. I will be demonstrating the age-old technique of FERMENTING cucumbers...or, shall we say, making REAL PICKLES at 11am.

You may be confused. Pickling is one technique to preserve foods--in this case, cucumbers. Fermentation is another. What's the difference? ONE BIG DIFFERENCE is that fermented cukes are full of LIVE enzymes, and pickled cukes are not. The live enzymes in fermented cukes (or anything fermented) are not only not killed through heat like they are in canning processes. That's why I always say, "Don't 'CAN', 'CULTURE!!'". Read on!

Now's the time to take all those CUKES and put them up with a process called lacto-fermentation. Lacto-fermentation NOT ONLY PRESERVES FOOD, it also INCREASES live enzymes and vitamin content, adds good gut bacteria (aka "probiotics"), aids with digestion, AND tastes GREAT! It is also fast and easy to do! I will be teaching what I call the "jar method" of fermentation.  (and for all you folks with "I don't eat dairy" flags going up, "lacto" does not refer to milk. But you'll have to come to get the whole scoop!) Come and learn how to ferment all those vegetables  bursting out of your garden and at farmers markets right now. And if you insist on canning, at least learn how to lacto-ferment so that you may RE-ENLIVEN what you canned later!

LIVE FOOD COUNTS to your digestive system and your overall health!

I'll look forward to seeing you there! Be well!

Fermented Cukes (aka "pickles") and Salsa!