Greetings from Zest News!
This week we’re doing a deep dive into Kohlrabi, otherwise known as a German Turnip or Turnip cabbage and Fermented foods – why they are beneficial and how to make them at home.
The name of a film is hidden in plain sight somewhere in this article, just for fun and the answer to last week’s is at the bottom.
Belonging to the Brassica family, Kohlrabi shares its heritage with broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower and sprouts.
It originated in Germany around the 16th century where it is still common today in soups, stews and salads, but has since spread around the world and is particularly popular in India and China.
In the UK kohlrabi comes into season between July and November, although you can now get the vegetable at most times of the year.
Like most vegetables of its kin, it provides a healthy supply of vitamins and minerals, which includes high levels of vitamin C and B6, good for cell protection against free radicals and the conversion of food into energy, respectively.
Kohlrabi also contains good amounts of potassium, which helps to maintain fluid levels, blood pressure, nerve impulses and muscle contractions.
The vegetable comes in two colours, light green and purple, although these hues can change slightly after harvesting and some other colours are specially grown including white and blue.
It can be eaten raw or cooked and added to dishes or made into soups. The leaves can be ripped off the stem and then cut up and eaten raw in salads if not too tough.
However, the bulb is the most used part of the plant and by stripping off or peeling the outer shell, you then have multiple options.
Thinly sliced or grated kohlrabi makes an excellent addition to salads and coleslaw mixes due to its mild, slightly sweet, peppery taste and crunchy texture.
Alternatively, you can boil, steam or roast the blub to utilise in cooked dishes. If you boil it you then have the further option to mash or puree it and add it to dips or soups.
If you prefer, you can season, then roast the bulb and serve it like you would other cruciferous vegetables on the plate.
Furthermore, if you sauté sliced kohlrabi in a little olive oil and garlic, it makes a great inclusion for stir-fry dishes, stews and soups – you can even fry cut slices into fritters as well.
Now you’ve been given some tasty recipe ideas for kohlrabi, why not try the veggie out for yourself ?
Try it on your next roast dinner as an alternative to broccoli, cauli or cabbage or slice it up into a delicious stir fry or soup.
Fermented foods have a rich history that stretches back over 5,000 years across cultures and civilisations.
Some of the earliest records found, detailed how in ancient Mesopotamia around three millennia ago, fruits and grains were fermented to create alcoholic drinks – for example, beer, which was a staple of Mesopotamian life.
The process, act and benefits of fermentation are currently experiencing a comeback, as more and more people become aware of their gut health and how fermented products can have beneficial effects on the individual gut microbiome.
To create fermented products you add microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast to a food source and over time the sugars are broken down, preserving the food and flavour.
Probiotics are foods that contain living microbes and these travel to your gut to provide health benefits. These organisms require food to survive and do their job, so prebiotics are the foods that feed the ‘bugs’.
It’s taken a few thousand years, but we’ve now circled back around and fermenting has moved back into sharper focus.
We now know that these bacteria in our gut can help alleviate and improve digestion and lower the chances of contracting chronic diseases in the future like diabetes type 2 and heart disease.
So if we know more about fermented products, let’s list a few of the well-known ones:
Kefir – Fermented milk drink
Yoghurt – Bacteria in milk
Cheese – Aged Swiss cheeses, cheddar, parmesan etc
Kombucha – Fermented sweet tea
Kimchi – Fermented vegetable & spices mix
Sauerkraut – Fermented cabbage
Sourdough Bread – Fermented flour, water & Salt
Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple juice with yeast
Miso – Soybeans, fermented rice & salt
You can make all of these fermented foods at home, often utilising leftovers and scraps.
Here is a guide for making kombucha at home and is a relatively simple process.
To start, we would recommend buying a Scoby in the first place, rather than making it from scratch. And the same goes for the starter liquid, as it’s impossible to produce this from scratch.
You can get starter liquid by asking for some from a friend that is already brewing Kombucha or you can buy a bottle of raw, organic and unflavoured kombucha from a shop. It should make up 10% of your new batch.
Ingredients to make 1 litre, increase all ingredients by the same factor for a larger batch:
1. One Small Kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast): You can obtain this from a friend who brews kombucha or purchase it online.
2. Black or green tea bags: 1 bag per litre for a standard batch.
3. White sugar: About 50-100g per litre of water.
4. De-chlorinated water: Chlorine can hinder the fermentation process, so it’s better to use naturally filtered water.
5. Large glass jar: To brew the kombucha.
6. Cloth cover: A breathable cloth (like a muslin or a coffee filter) secured with a rubber band to cover the jar.
7. Flavorings (optional): Fruit, herbs, or spices for flavouring your kombucha during the second fermentation.
Filtered water can still contain chlorine, so boil and cool the water you need or leave it out in a bowl overnight to let the chlorine naturally evaporate.
Instructions:
1. Make the Tea Base:
a. Boil 250ml water and steep the tea bag for 5-7 minutes.
b. Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir to dissolve.
c. Add 750ml water to cool down the tea to room temperature.
2. Add the SCOBY:
a. Pour the sweetened tea into the glass jar.
b. Add the SCOBY to the jar, along with any starter liquid that came with it.
3. Fermentation:
a. Cover the jar with the cloth and secure it with a rubber band. This allows the brew to breathe while keeping out contaminants.
b. Place the jar in a warm, dark place for about 7-14 days. The fermentation time can vary based on factors like temperature and personal preference.
4. Taste Test:
a. After 7 days, start tasting your kombucha. When it reaches the desired balance of sweetness and tartness, it’s ready for the next step.
5. Remove the SCOBY:
a. Carefully take out the SCOBY with clean hands or utensils.
6. Bottling:
a. Optional: Add fruit, herbs, or spices to the bottles for flavour.
b. Transfer the liquid to bottles, leaving about an inch of space at the top.
7. Second Fermentation:
a. Seal the bottles and leave them at room temperature for 2-7 days. This helps build carbonation.
8. Refrigerate and Enjoy:
a. Once the desired carbonation is reached, move the bottles to the refrigerator to slow down fermentation.
b. Enjoy your homemade kombucha!
Remember to keep your equipment clean and practice good hygiene throughout the process to prevent contamination. Additionally, be cautious when handling the SCOBY to avoid introducing unwanted bacteria into your brew.
Quick update on vegetable supplies for the coming week:
Currently, Dutch strawberries come with a hefty price tag, so brace yourself again for potential double-digit increases in the cost of a punnet.
Dutch tomatoes are no longer available and there might be a shortage in the next 2-3 weeks as Spanish supplies take over before the seasonal transition to Moroccan tomatoes for winter.
Mangetout and sugar snaps are likely to go up, as are cauliflowers, broccoli and icebergs, so as always we will try our best to protect our customers as much as possible.
Send your thoughts about this newsletter and any other feedback here. And keep the jokes coming, if they’re bad enough they’ll be featured and as you can see, they can’t be any worse, infact this weeks is probably the worst ever!
Community Spotlight – if your business or someone you know is having an event or has achieved something in this industry and we can promote or even sponsor it, let us know.
Thank you for being a part of Zest News. We look forward to sharing more exciting updates and content with you in the coming weeks!
What do you call Peter Parker after he drinks fermented apple juice?
The Amazing CiderMan
Answer to last weeks film question:
Dazed & Confused (1993)
Zest regards,
The Zest Team