That's wonderful Vanessa!! I love it when people share their stories of success. It helps everybody. Happy Fermenting!

I literally felt that bounce into my core when I read that. Have you ever tried the core of a lettuce? Sooo goood... 🌿💦👣🐝

I find lettuce cores too bitter, but I think the core/root of celery is the tastiest part!

@@sandrastreifel6452 I haven't tried it. Will keep an eye out thanks

Wow thanks.. I always cut the core out.. !

apples have over a hundred million healthy bacteria (Atlantic scientific) and many of them are in the core and seeds. takes over 200 seeds to make a healthy adult sick so don't worry about a few in your creation, they have a ton of healthy bacteria health benefits :)

Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate you taking the time to spread kindness! I'm so glad you liked the video!

Kathleen Gustafson check my vacuum sealed kraut

It is always good to wear gloves and sterelize the gallons you put your Kraut into prior to fermentation.

Water will not rot the kraut. I use water every single kraut and cultured veggie I make, been doing it for 16+ years. This way you get a brine which is also extremely beneficial and easy to consume on top of the kraut itself. If you do not use a starter and want to just use salt you just add more salt then what I mention in my recipes to balance out the ph. The kraut will have its own natural probiotics. But the starter will increase them and it will last for longer in your fridge. You can find that information here: www.culturedfoodlife.com/do-cultured-veggies-need-a-starter/ That being said I want people to make these foods however they can. If you don't have a starter that is perfectly fine! Just add more salt :)

Aww thank you!! I'm so happy to hear this! I hope I make things seem easy to you. Sending you all the love from my kitchen!

Donna Schwenk 1 second ago I personally don't use weights, because I want to make this easy and inexpensive for you guys. I found them more work and some of the veggies can still float. You dont have to use an airlock (although I love them) I simply open the jar every day or every other day and push down the veggies so the ones floating rotate. Been doing this for 16+ years :)

Thanks Donna, I appreciated your response, my wife is not a fan of my interest in, the microbiom. I know that items like kamboocha, fermented food and kyifer are the answer to so many things.

Thank you very very much! I happy to have you on board and I hope you enjoy these foods as much as I do, once you get started!

I'm fully committed to bringing these foods to the market, when I've finished my current work and after I've studied/practised them to proficiency - I have family help. When the time comes I hope we may call on your expertise and advice ? I have no interest in money Ma'am, I only work to be the best I can be and do the best I can do for other people; however, that does not mean that you have to follow suit, or that you can financially afford too, so we can talk about money later if you were then interested to get involved in any way. I'll speak to you again. Kindest regards.

There are some local "market" stores in areas across the country that do this! We really love the Fermentation Farm here in Southern California!

Yes, this is the 3rd video of hers that I've watched, and I just keep thinking "wow, her skin looks great!" She's a walking advertisement for the skin benefits of probiotics.

And super smooth vocal tones. If you know anybody with hyperacusis or sensitive ears, Donna's vocals are a fantastic frequency.

You are most welcome Mariam! I have a lot more information on my website culturedfoodlife.com as well. Also you should look for Dr. John Bergman on KZfaq he talks about Ulcertive Colitis and many other health issues and has amazing health talks

The cultured veggies are oh so powerful. I always have some in my fridge. Glad you've found the benefits out for yourself. Thanks for watching Angelika!

Jill Long I

cool I didn't know u can use kefir culture to ferment veges,i have some kefir culture in my freezer.

Sheldon Scott She said you could but should actually keep them separate to get the most benefit of the good bacterias from the cultured vegetables

Yes it is! Sometimes it will still be bubbly and sometimes it wont .The bacteria mostly goes dormant in the fridge. But it can last several weeks if not months in the fridge.

Elena, did you ever figure out what was going on with you? Did your issues resolve?

Agreed, background music can go... Great video and information though

I agree as well

Unfortunately the video was regorded years ago, so unless it gets updated and re-recorded it's stuck

Why these so many please. It is just rude

I don't have tinnitus, but feel like I have with this video. I see what you mean. Great video otherwise.

My kitchen? This is the kitchen from my old house. I have an extra pretty new kitchen at the new place I moved to in California. But I haven't filmed a video in this style yet!

I ferment most krauts for about 6-7 days. Almost all other cultured veggies I ferment for 2-4 days. They continue to slowly ferment in the fridge as well. Carrots have a higher sugar content then cabbage so 3 days should be perfect.

Hi Amani, I only ferment my kraut for 6-7 days. Longer isn't necessarily better with fermentation. The good bacteria will run out of food if the veggies are fermented for a very long time, which means the probiotics will start to die and the veggies will turn more into a vinegar ferment. This isn't harmful and will preserve the veggies still, but you'll get the most benefits with shorter fermentation times. I don't have many recipes on all fruit ferments. This is because fermenting just fruit will create more of an alcoholic ferment. There is so much sugar in fruit that fermenting in closed container will create a higher alcohol content and the fruit is soft so it will just become mushy and no longer be sweet. I do add fruit to cultured veggie recipes, but i almost never ferment all fruit.

@@CulturedFoodLife that was really helpful, appreciate your answer. But how about apple cider vinegar, I mean isn't consider ferment fruit? Does it go close to alcohol? And yes, my purpose beyond fermenting fruits is to get red of the suger in it. But your answer was clear. Thank you Donna.

So in my case, and because i don't have starters and i live in a cold country , so does it need like 3 weeks to be fermented? You made me think again of the life of these probiotics when they don't have food.

@@amanis3614 Apple cider vinegar is made from apple juice and starter culture. It turns into vinegar and is still a raw ferment, but it's not probiotic in the same way that the other cultured foods i speak of are. If you aren't using a starter culture for your cultured veggies you just need to use more salt to help balance out the ferment. If you are following my recipes you'll need to double or triple the salt if you aren't using a starter culture. I still suggest the same amount of fermentation time. (around 6-7 days) if your home is exceptionally cool you can go a little longer. But I would still do a shorter ferment overall.

I would make a different cultured veggie if you have trouble with cabbage. Spinach and kale and sprouts do not ferment very well because they are already soft veggies and fermentation cause them to be more soft, so they just turn to mush. But here are a bunch of other cultured veggie recipes to try: www.culturedfoodlife.com/recipes/#pw+recipe-category:cultured-vegetables

Hi Paulette! I have HUNDREDs of recipes on my website and in my books. A lot of them are for meal type foods. I make dressings, dips, desserts, I eat them as sides, I drink smoothies! There are so many ways to eat cultured foods.I always eat the cultured foods cold or room temp as high heat will kill the probiotics. I do eat a "normal" diet as well. I do eat meat and regular meals but also try to eat healthy (lots of veggies!) I try to eat organic when I can. You can find most of my recipes here :www.culturedfoodlife.com/recipes/ There are more in my books as well.

Not always. I do when I can, but I often use non organic as well. I have used all kinds of water. Mostly spring or lightly filtered water that retain minerals. I don't use distilled. I've used brita filters, pur filters and i've gotten local mountain spring water as well :)

Hi Donna, I would like to buy the Kefir grain. Where can I get? I am very impressed from your video. I would like to buy your receipt book. Thank you.

Hi So sorry just now seeing this! Yes you can use whey. I have the amount of whey needed in all my cultured veggie recipes. No need for video as you are just substituting whey for the starter. But keep in mind that it can change the flavor of the veggies and will also have different bacteria similar to kefir (since you are using whey) so you wont be getting as much diversity. But still good for you and a great option! www.culturedfoodlife.com/recipe/cultured-vegetables-using-kefir-whey/

Hi Shaila, I actually reccommend my website for getting started: www.culturedfoodlife.com/ We have a start here section and a free getting started ebook for signing up for our emails!

I haven't ever done this. I know you can some fish. But I dont have any research on it sorry!

If a recipe requires sugar and vinegar (or heat) it is not lacto fermented. This is a canning method designed to make things shelf stable. The vinegar and sugar act as a preservative. Which you natural get when you do lacto fermentation the way I talking about above. While all cultured foods are fermented not all fermented foods are cultured. Meaning the canning method using vinegar, sugar and high heat has no probiotic benefit. But is technically still fermented. Same goes or traditional ketchup and canned foods etc. This is one reason I use the term cultured more often. I have a whole blog on this: www.culturedfoodlife.com/what-are-cultured-foods-restorative-foods-for-the-body/ PS: Sorry for the late response! We are a very small company and doing our best to keep up with the hundreds of questions I get every day.

With the airlock it usually keeps everything under the brine but also has taken out the air so no mold growth. If you do not have that, you will have to weight it down (usually with an outer cabbage leaf). I hope that helps

Ah, ok thanks!

Hi Kerry! Do you mind answering some more questions? I would really appreciate it! (Or anyone else who can answer!) I posted this on a fermenting group on facebook, but haven't gotten an answer yet: Aaaargh!!! More ruined krauts! =( I post pix a few weeks ago and it was determined that it was mold, likely due to Not washing the zucchini (I mistakenly thought I wasn't supposed to wash it, if I wanted to do wild ferment). So this time I washed them thoroughly in filtered water, then shredded, and added the brine AND even added a starter culture, as per the instructions, that I learned about from Donna Schwenk. In the past I added the salt to the veggies and used the veggies' own juices, but this time I followed Donna's instructions and just added the brine and starter culture, with precise measurements. She doesn't even use a weight at all, but does use an airlock lid. Well, I used the Pickle Pipe system this time, with the glass weight and the little silicon lid with the nipple. I understood that it would create an airlock and when the gases expand, the nipple would let it out. I did a really big batch of zucchini I got from the farmer's market, and out of about 10 jars, 2 have a layer of kahm, another 3 have MOLD!!! YIKES! Only 1 looks bubbly, and the rest I can't tell if they're good or not. One looks dried out on top because all the veggies floated to the top, despite the weight. Yes I know you are supposed to tuck all the veggies down under the water, but Donna doesn't do that at all! So here are my questions: 1. Am I understanding correctly that if you use an airlock (like the Perfect Pickler) then you do NOT have to use a weight or tuck the veggies under the water? 2. If so, then do the Pickle Pipes count as an airlock? I thought they were, but maybe they only work with the weight/tuck system? 3. If the kahm is covering the whole surface, is it ok to skim it off and keep on going? I read that it is, but does that apply only if it's a little bit? How much is too much? 4. What about the one that looks dried out? Is it ok as long as it's not moldy? 5. On the ones that look a little frothy but not bubbly, how do I know if they're ok? 6. Since I didn't tuck all the little pieces of veggies (since I thought I didn't have to), should I switch to the Perfect Pickler airlock instead of the silicone Pickle Pipes? 7. Any ideas as to why only 1 is bubbly and causing the silicone lid to expand, whereas the others aren't? If they aren't causing the gases to expand, does that mean they aren't fermenting enough? ie. could they still be good even if they aren't bubbly and causing the bulge? Sorry for all the questions but I am feeling very frustrated, disappointed, and despairing right now because this is the THIRD bad batch and a huge waste of organic veggies! (not to mentio the cost of the starter, oh and TIME!)

Is discouraging that Donna is not answering your questions; I was interested in fermenting but maybe not now.

Rene' Witt I emailed my question from her website and they messaged me back.

Hi Sabin! Well weight gain and weight loss are caused by many many different factors. But Cultured foods absolutely will help with cravings and the overall health of the body which helps with weight. However keep in mind that with something like kefir when you add kefir into your diet , you are adding in more calories. So if your normal have eggs and toast for breakfast and now you are having eggs, toast AND Kefir you are eating more food. So I would reccommend replacing something. For example I usually have a kefir smoothie for breakfast instead of eggs etc. That being said kefir can help you manage cravings as a lot of cravings come from an imbalance in the gut. Which kefir and other cultured foods can help! But keep in mind that EVERYTHING you eat , drink and the way you sleep, amount of stress, amount of exercise all effect your weight and overall health. These foods are just one great way to help assist the body to it's natural state of well being. But for example if you are constantly eating fast foods, sugary foods and drinks, overly processed foods and not getting very good sleep then the cultured foods can help you as much as they would if you were more balanced overall. Still always beneficial and helpful but the better your lifestyle is the better your life 💕

Catherine Christie get smaller jars and look up pickle pipes. I use balls mason wide mouth jars and the pickle pipes.

I have 5 fridges haha. But here are some helpful ways to store them: www.culturedfoodlife.com/six-easy-ways-to-store-your-cultured-foods/

Hi Wendy! Yes you need 1/3rd of the amount of salt if you are using a starter culture. This helps to ensure proper fermentation and will give it more benefits as well. Check out this article: www.culturedfoodlife.com/cultured-vegetables-made-stronger-cutting-edge-culture/

Wendy, did the homemade sauerkraut with less salt help your mother in law better?

I’m sure it would have. Unfortunately, she sad an aversion to the firmer cabbage in homemade sauerkrauts. No matter how thin or tiny I slice them, she prefers the softer commercially made ones over my homemade batches.

@@wendybachman6224 I see. Well, that's too bad she didn't take to the homemade. You tried. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. 🙂

Cuisinart!

Donna Schwenk Is there a particular model

@@babymacbean Mine is quite old, I'm not sure on the model. But it's a larger one so it can hold more veggies. Any food processor should work great though!

Donna Schwenk Thanks

I prefer lightly filtered or spring water. distilled water has had the minerals removed and you need the minerals from the water just as much as from the salt. Your body need them too! Brita or Purr filter or spring water work great!

SBS man I

Hi Your cultured veggies (and you) need the minerals in the water as well as the salt to function properly. Your cultures will turn out better if you use lightly filtered or spring water. Been doing this for 16+ years and happy as a clam.

You need the salt to keep the fermentation balanced and the veggies crisp. So less salt is not usually recommended. But make sure you use good salt like Celtic sea salt or Himalayan which is not overly processed and is very high in minerals.

Donna Schwenk Thank You 😊 that is what I thought, but was hoping for a different answer. 😂