Eating pickled or fermented foods is good for you

Why eating pickled or fermented foods is good for you

Daikon radish

Ever wonder why eating pickled or fermented foods is good for you? I am always looking up information to learn more about different topics. When making recipes (testing them to see if they are easy to fix and how they taste), I also check out the history or information about the recipes.

One of the topics I have been reading about is fermented food.

Fermentation of food has been around for a very long time. It may have been done for two reasons. One to prolong the "shelf life" of the food. Another reason it may have been done is for the taste of the food.

I remember as a child being served sauerkraut when our family was the guests of people who had lived in Germany. The sauerkraut was "piled" onto the plate. I took one bite of it and immediately told my mom, "I can't eat this. It is yucky." Of course, my mother was mortified. Said to me, "you will eat that."

The hostess was very understanding. Sauerkraut had never graced our table at home. She quickly said "it is okay."

I have "dipped" my toes into fermented foods again as an adult. Came across a recipe for pickled radishes, which I am going share in this post.

Health benefits of fermented foods

1. Introduces beneficial bacteria and/or feeds the current bacteria in your gut

   1. This introduction of beneficial bacteria can lead to an increase in the beneficial gut bacteria and lead to a balanced levels of gut bacteria

2. Can help to support the intestines barrier/wall to prevent harmful bacteria and toxins from entering the bloodstream

3. May help reduce inflammation in the gut and potentially in the body

https://www.loveandlemons.com/quick-pickled-radishes/

Quick Pickled Radishes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 bunches red radishes, tops removed

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 1 cup water

• 2½ tablespoons cane sugar

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon mixed peppercorns

• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

Instructions

• Thinly slice the radishes (or halve them, if you prefer), and divide between 4 (11.5-ounce) jars or equivalent. The amount of radishes and brine used may vary based on the size and shape of your jars and how you slice your radishes.

• Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Pour the brine over the radishes, then divide the peppercorns and mustard seeds among the jars. Let cool and chill until ready to use. Pickled radish slices will be ready to eat in about 1 hour, radish halves are best when pickled overnight.

Notes

Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

I like using the daikon radish. With this radish you need to peel the radish before cutting it up to put it in the pickle brine.

If you want to do a quick jumpstart to improve your gut health, adding fermented foods may just a start to that.