Lactic Fermentation and Koji / 乳酸発酵と麹

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With almost everything in short supply, I tend to stock up more fresh food than usual, which makes fridge space short in turn💦. I assume this is a common sight in UK household at the moment. Well, I would propose an ideal and very simple solution, which A: frees up fridge space, B: is good for your body as well as C: makes your life easier when you prepare meal. Lacto-ferment them!

All you need is a jar, salt and water. You make the salt content of pickles 2.5%. To make task easier (although it sounds a bit complicated 😅), I prepare 2.5% salt solution beforehand. Mix the vegetable with 2.5% of salt in weight and place them in the jar and then pour saline solution you prepared. Leave the jar in the room temperature. The rest  is done by lactic bacteria which dwells on the vegetables. You  just need to wait for a few days while they work hard for you day and night. When it bubbles and starts to taste sourish, it is ready. You might think what this is to do with koji🤔. Well,
koji is a good friend of lactic bacteria and accelerates the fermentation as they kindly provide food to them, making the whole process much safer as well. Good guys, aren’t they? So if you have koji, sprinkle some of them in the jar.

Benefit A is quite obvious, isn’t it? How about benefit B? Lactic bacteria is called a cleansing bacteria, because it produces lactic acid which makes it difficult for unwanted bacteria to survive inside and outside of your body. Koji and lactic bacteria together make food tastier. Having lacto-fermented food ready means you have less work when you prepare the meal (benefit C).
Have I convinced you to try out lacto-fermentation (You can do without koji. It just takes longer (3% of salt content would be recommended).

いろいろな食材が品薄になる中、ついつい生鮮食品を買いすぎて冷蔵庫パンパン、なんてことありませんか?パニック買いに走らずとも、ちょっと多めに食材仕入れてしまうこと、あるあるですよね。そんな時におすすめなのが、乳酸発酵。乳酸発酵は、冷蔵庫のスペース作りに寄与し、体にもよく、そして食事の準備を楽にしてくれるお助けマン。I ♡ 乳酸発酵。

必要なのは、容器、塩と水。私は、野菜と合わせた全体の塩分濃度を2.5%にします。作業を容易にするために最初に2.5%の食塩水を用意しておきます。野菜と野菜重量の2.5%の塩を混ぜて軽くもみ、容器に入れて、用意しておいた食塩水を注ぐだけ(室温放置)。あとは野菜に住み着いていた乳酸菌が一生懸命お仕事をしてくれます。I♡乳酸菌。ちょっとブクブクして、酸っぱくなったらできあがり。 ここで「麹はどこに関係するの?」って思われるかもしれません。麹は乳酸菌と仲良し。乳酸菌のおやつを提供してくれるので、乳酸発酵がスムーズにすすみます。だから安全性も高まる。麹のストックがあれば、麹をパラパラと容器に入れてくださいね。

冷蔵庫のスペース作り、この効果は明らかですね。健康効果。乳酸菌は乳酸菌を作って場を酸性にし、悪い菌の居心地を悪くしてくれます。そんなことが体の中でも外でも起こります。そして、麹と乳酸発酵で食べ物が美味しくなるので、乳酸発酵食品があれば、それだけで食事の一品に(私はそれだけで数品にしてしまいますが、笑)

乳酸発酵してみたくなりませんか?(ちょっと時間がかかりますが、麹がなくても乳酸発酵はできます。でも安全のため塩分は3%がおすす)

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