Hi folks, hopefully this isn't a can of worms.
I'm trying to increase my fermented food intake to boost my gut microbiome and my health (based on the work of Erica Sonnenberg etc). I've been making my own ferments for a long time anyway, I often make a huge batch of something (kraut or kimchi etc) and then consume it over the following months or years.
My question is: are the bacteria still alive? for how long? Is my 12 month aged kraut tasty but 'dead'? presumably they run out of food to eat after a while, and leave behind a tangy taste (acid byproduct) and fibre texture, but perhaps I'm just eating bacteria corpses?
Any insights welcome.
Happy fermenting y'all
Tom