Fermenting with the Pickle Press

What is fermentation?

Almost all products with a distinct flavour are fermented. Think of wine, cheese and yoghurt. Fermentation is nothing more than letting food functionally rot with the intention of changing its taste, smell, texture, digestibility and shelf life. This process may not sound like much, but it is a miracle of nature! It requires only micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts. Japanese have been doing this for centuries and have become particularly good at learning how to preserve food and create unique flavours.

Japanese food? Fermented food!

The fact that fermentation has such a big place in Japanese cuisine is due to the characteristics of the Japanese climate: the high temperature and high humidity encourage the growth of bacteria and micro-organisms. Most of our Japanese line also went through a fermentation process at some point in the production process. Japanese are masters at creating special flavours, and fermentation often creates that fifth flavour: umami. Did you know that in shoyu and tamari, all five flavours occur simultaneously? This too happens during the fermentation process, which incidentally takes at least 18 months. Extraordinary, isn't it?

What can you ferment?

With people in Europe increasingly looking for authentic and artisanal food, home fermentation is becoming increasingly popular. It not only makes your food tastier, but it is also much easier than you think! Vegetables in particular are great for fermenting. Think especially of hard vegetables like beetroot, cabbage, carrot, onion and pumpkin. After months of fermentation, these varieties are still delicious! Softer vegetables like cucumber, tomato and spinach get mushy quickly, so ferment these briefly.

The rules of fermentation

Some rules to be aware of are: Usually, a longer fermentation time represents stronger flavours and more acidity. The higher the temperature and the more humid the air, the faster the process goes. Ensure good hygiene of the pickle press and wash your hands well before, during and after the process. Using too little salt makes the products less crispy and in some cases even unsafe due to improper bacterial growth.

Pickle press: a handy help!

With our pickle press (tsukemonoki in Japanese), you make it extra easy on yourself. Because the press has exactly the right materials and construction, it speeds up the fermentation process and allows you to ferment your own food in a hygienic way. As a result, you can have delicious sauerkraut on the table in 3 days! We will soon present our tsukemonoki in a beautiful new look!