Sourdough rising in a bread basket
When things get chilly-willy or real hot, I like to go with the temperature and absorb the extremes. Then comes another season when I can tap this Climatic Storage Memory (CSM) for a soothing and balancing effect.
As the winter chills glide down on us and knees are toastin' by Norwegian woodstoves, many of us Dancing Rabbits are stoking our internal fires in another simple and miraculous way––with the Flames of Fermentation.
Ancestors and Modern Helpmeets
Just about every crook-and-nanny of this world is teeming with microorganisms. These little critters kicked off the whole "life on earth" deal way back when and they have evolved and shaped this world into the great biosphere party of the present.
Bacteria and yeast are not only our ancient ancestors, but also our partners in myriad symbiotic relationships. From the black dirt hugging a wild parsnip to the upper reaches of the stratosphere, from my rumbling belly to the second stomach of an ox in China––microorganisms play a dynamic and vital role in the interdependent systems of life.
Miso: the Bliss of Exothermic Reactions
When these wild fermentative beasties team up with the bounty of the harvest, the resultant tastiness can warm a body like nothing else. Take a steamy bowl of miso, for example: all sorts of grains and beans cultured with salt and the amazing mold, Aspergillus oryzae, create very nutritious and probiotic stuff.
Like raw garlic or artist's conch (Ganoderma applanatum) mushroom tea, you can feel the soothing sustenance coursing through your blood with the first sip. When making the starter for miso, called koji, the mixture of steamed rice and mold quickly goes exothermic and can put out a tremendous amount of heat. (Supernova Narwahl [Nicole] and I have taken to snuggling overnight with the cozy colonizing bundle.)
Yarrow: Grow it for Gruit
A fermenting jug of dark herbal ale can sure get to bubbling and frothing. Peering through the glass, I feel a certain kinship with the brewer of the middle ages who hunkered over the "smiling spirits" and fancied the vigorous actions of the yeast as a special kind of boiling.
Gruit, a drink from way back then and the predecessor of hopped beer, is brewed from malted grains, yeast, water and a host of good herbs. Marsh rosemary (Ledum palustre), sweet gale (Myrica gale) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium) are a favoured few.
Unlike the soporific, somewhat dulling sensory effects of hopped beers, gruit (pronounced "groo-it" but hopefully slurring the two syllables together in guttural manner) makes for an uplifting and inspirational ale. (Cecil and I love to brew-it and see how many words we can rhyme to-it.)
Lactic Acid: Beyond Grandma's Gherkins
Lactic acid-producing bacteria hold a delicious place in the crocks of Dancing Rabbit. From the salty depths of miso or crisp sauerkraut to the light tang of soy yogurt or crusty chewy sourdough bread, these special micro-allies thrive in and preserve a variety of our most beloved foods.
Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album) leaves prepared like kraut turned out excellent, and somehow smelled like raspberries. Alyson fresh-packed some basil pesto into jars this summer, and that too has fermented into a gourmet condiment.
Long winter nights present a fine opportunity to explore even more in the world of rot, and fermented foods and drinks are easy to make. These friendly microorganisms glue us to the rhythms and cycles of life and provide us with delectable good health. So now––let's invite them into our kitchens and guts, celebrate traditions and connections, and experiment with a free culture. Cheers my friends!
Additional resources from the Young Thomas Kortkamp 'N' Friends Booklist:
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz
The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition by Bill Mollison
Keeping Food Fresh by Vivante Terre
Sacred and Healing Beers by Stephen Harrod Buhner
Intentional Community Bookstore