Fermentation is one of the oldest acts of trust in nature there is — you simply create the right conditions and let things transform. This is true not only of the food we eat but it is also true of our lives. We must take personal responsibility for creating the right conditions and then let things transform. Every time we choose to make or buy something truly nourishing, it builds trust within us — trust that we are showing up for ourselves, rather than relying on those external to us. October feels like the right month for this: the earth is closing in, and so are we. Warmth, fermentation, spice, candlelight.
Why fermentation
We are meant to live with the seasons — this is so hardwired into our systems that even the modern day reduction of time into some ubiquitous free-for-all doesn’t erase the primal response we have when we appreciate and observe and acknowledge the seasons.
Our gut health is fundamentally the most important focus for our overall health. A healthy gut means a healthy immune system, a supported nervous system, a clearer head. Fermented foods are probably more common in other cultures than in Ireland (happy to be corrected on this!!!).
I believe that as a nation we generally do not take personal responsibility for our health and rely heavily on conventional medicine and pharmaceuticals to “cure” us. I also believe in science and modern day medicine. But it’s not an either-or situation. We still bear our own personal responsibility to nourish ourselves with real food, to treat common colds with food and plants and rest first before looking for the antibiotic. It’s a privilege to have the cushion of modern medicine. It’s also a privilege to have been taught or picked up practices from long ago which are more intuitive for our bodies. How many people grew up in houses where a hot poultice would be applied over abscesses or infections, or where carrageen moss was a household staple?
“The act of choosing to make this nourishing powerhouse for yourself and your family in place of an expensive supplement is rebellion and personal responsibility all in one.”
What you’ll need
- An organic cabbage, locally grown — Ireland has the best cabbages! (White or red are easier to work with; half a cabbage if you want to start small)
- Good sea salt (not table salt)
- A glass jar with a lid, a big bowl, a tea towel, and a small empty glass jar, clean stone, or glass weight
How to make it
Wash a glass jar in hot soapy water and rinse. Then place it in a pre-heated oven at 100c for 10–12 minutes to sterilise. Keep a couple of the outer whole leaves of the cabbage aside for later.
Shred the cabbage — using a food processor with a grater attachment or just simply slice finely with a knife. Weigh your cabbage (minus the weight of the bowl!) and work out what 2% of that cabbage weight is. EG: 2% of 500g cabbage is 10g. Weigh out that much salt, mix it with the cabbage in a big bowl so the salt is dispersed well, and leave for 20 minutes covered with a tea towel.
Start massaging the salt and cabbage — you’re trying to get the cabbage to release the water it holds. When you see juice gathering at the bottom of the bowl then you’re probably done. It will feel really wet in your hands.
Fill your sterilised jar with the cabbage, stopping every so often to pack it down and reduce air pockets. The goal is to have the juice cover the cabbage when the jar is full. Place the saved whole leaves on top and use a small jar or weight to keep everything submerged. Put the lid on, place it on a wee plate, and leave it on your worktop where you’ll see it every day.
Every day “burp” your jar — just open the lid and let the fermenting gases out. Skip this at your peril! There won’t be much action for a couple of days. Start tasting from about 7 days; if you like a stronger ferment, leave for 2 weeks. When it’s ready, place it in the fridge if the jar fits — otherwise split into smaller jars, share with your friends, and enjoy a spoonful or two with every meal.
Ways to introduce it (for the not-yet-converted)
- On a sandwich with your usual favourites. It’s an undercover introduction!
- Sprinkled on a salad.
- Sprinkled over a baked potato with your other usual fillings.
Before I finish
Give it a go. Don’t be afraid of failing — if it doesn’t work first time, you try again using the knowledge and experience of what you learned the first time. Slowing down is not just slowing down your life enough for you to get intentional and enjoy it — it also means giving yourself grace to try things even if they don’t work out “perfectly”.
If you’d like space to slow down together, our next Rooted Connection gathering — guided meditation, healing, and guidance on living according to purpose and joy — is Wednesday 28th October. Come as you are.
Taking personal responsibility for ourselves can look like us taking steps to slow down the pace of our lives. It is within this environment that we then take further steps of personal responsibility — like an act of nourishing ourselves with a simple ferment. This is a good first ferment to start with. It’s one I still make often.
Until next time,
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