Adding probiotics???

[Yami]

Hello

Can I add any type probiotics brand to my fermented vegetables??

Gracias
Yami (From Sinaloa México)

[fermented-vegan]

Hello Yami, :)

Why would you want to do that? Naturally fermented foods that are raw, meaning not pasteurized, already have healthy bacteria in it. If your thought was that perhaps it might decrease the ferment time, then I don't know. I'd wonder how it might flavor the ferment. Generally it is accepted that adding some brine from a previously successful ferment is a good way to decrease the amount of time a new ferment takes to be ready. Although, I have yet to try this technique. Perhaps clarifying why you want to do this would help us give you a better answer.

Peace & Love from a vegan :)

[Yami]

Hello Fermented-vegan,

There aren't organic vegetables in the city where I live in Mexico; so, I always have to desinfect my vegetables before eating.
Do I have to use probiotics in order to ferment my vegetables?
What can I do if my vegetables are non-organic?

Many thanks.
Yami (México)

[Tim Hall]

Yami, out of curiosity, how are you disinfecting them, and are you concerned about pathogens or chemicals on the produce?

[fermented-vegan]

Hello Yami, :)

I wasn't aware that it mattered whether you use organic or non-organic produce in your ferments. Either way, it is not necessary to use probiotics. And I've never heard of anyone doing so.

Peace & Love from a vegan :)

[Technophobic]

Hello, Fermented Vegan:

I can attest to your earlier post as to the success of using a brine "starter" in a successive ferment; I have cut approximately a week's time off of a batch of sauerkraut I am working on right now. I was switching from a green to a red cabbage and initially wondered if I would have to start all over when doing my next green batch. Given the results of the red kraut, I may never go back!

[fermented-vegan]

Hello Technophobic, :)

If your talking of using a bit of the brine from a previous successful ferment, or using some whey if your not vegan, then yes, as I understand it that can be helpful to reduce the amount of time needed to ferment and make sure the correct bacteria take hold.

The way I interpret the word probiotic, is a dietary supplement capsule used to re-establish the flora in the digestive track. Perhaps I made the wrong interpretation. But if not, I would think this would be a bad idea. As it is my understanding that these capsules contain different strains of bacteria than what naturally occurs in a vegetable ferment. Besides the added cost. That's my take on it. But perhaps someone has actually tried this and would care to tell us the results?

I think though that regardless, a starter of any sort may be helpful, but is not necessary.

Peace & Love from a vegan :)

[MalliePickleFace]

I added some miso to my last batch of kraut on the advice of a friend, and while it did seem to go a leeeeeetle bit faster, I did not like the flavour that the miso imparted at all! So I think that's the end of using 'probiotic' kick-starters for me; there's plenty going on in the air around me...