As if by miracle the process of lacto-fermentation not only allows food to be preserved for months, without any preservatives and without any external energy input, but it also improves the nutritional quality of these foods while keeping the vitamins and nutritional elements they contain intact. It is surprising that such a simple and effective process is so little known.

Let's discover it in a few lines. The success of this method of preservation requires strict practical conditions and very precise and quality ingredients.

Quality foods (if possible organic) must be rich in sugar (starch, fructose, sucrose, lactose, nutrients essential for the development of lactic bacteria), in vitamins of the B group and in mineral salts. All elements present in a healthy, naturally grown plant or vegetable. By bathing the food or vegetables in water and whey (rich in lactose, vitamins and minerals), and by strictly respecting certain conditions and proportions of these various elements, one will obtain a quality lacto-fermentation.

The process starts with a pre-fermentation of 2 or 3 days, during which many micro-organisms develop. The ingredients begin to break down and soften. These many strains of lactic acid bacteria, such as Streptococcus, Lactobacillus and some Bacillus, develop a lactic acid fermentation phenomenon. When the lactic acid bacteria overtake the other micro-organisms, the acidification process begins, which generates lactic acid as well as vitamins and other interesting compounds. The environment thus progressively acidified, prevents the proliferation of other pathogenic or undesirable micro-organisms. When the acidity reaches a certain level, the harmful bacteria no longer develop and the multiplication of beneficial lactic bacteria stops.

This is the beginning of the food enrichment phase during which new flavors are developed. At the beginning of fermentation, the temperature must be around 20°C and oxygen must be eliminated (by immersion in water for example). The concentrations of salt proportional to the weight of the vegetables must be strictly respected in order to inactivate the enzymes responsible for the decomposition of the vegetables and their proteins. The lacto-fermentation process must be carried out in a meticulous manner to avoid the development of pathogenic bacteria. Under optimal conditions, lacto-fermented vegetables can be stored for more than a year.

Contrary to other preservation processes that deplete and denature food, lacto-fermentation enriches it and
makes it more alive since the microorganisms responsible for this phenomenon synthesize new vital elements.

In the past, it was one of the few ways to consume vegetables and benefit from their advantages by winter. The best known lacto-fermented vegetable is undoubtedly white cabbage, although our ancestors applied this process to many other vegetables, herbs, tree leaves and plants.

Indeed, it is possible to lacto-ferment most of the vegetables and herbs. The aromatics bring flavour and aroma to the preparations, but they also prevent rotting, by promoting the development of lactic bacteria, or they facilitate digestion.

There are various lacto-fermented products on the market. Thus, we can discover fermented preparations based on beans and rice, originating from India and Japan, and named respectively Idli and Bonito. Miso is a fermented paste made of soybeans from Asia and shoyu is a mixture of soybeans and wheat. Nuoc-mâm is a fermented Asian sauce made from fish. Kefir, a very slightly alcoholic fermented milk, is well known in the Caucasus region. Or kimchi is a Korean variant of fermented and spiced cabbage. There are also curdled milk, yogurt, cheese and even soups made from lacto-fermented vegetables, all of which have beneficial properties. A small important clarification, at a time when there is much talk of tissue acidity. Don't be mistaken, if lactic acid is very effective in the fight against pathogenic bacteria responsible for putrefaction, it has no acidifying action within our body. On the contrary, it is said to cleanse the digestive tract and strengthen the immune system. Therefore, do not hesitate to consume lacto-fermented foods, and do not hesitate to absorb their juice, which, thanks to the numerous bacteria it contains, allows the regeneration of the intestinal flora.