Lacto-Fermentation

Lacto-fermentation is a fundamental method of preserving in which lactic-acid bacteria (of the genus Lactobacillus and others) convert the natural sugars of a food into lactic acid. Despite the name, the process has nothing to do with milk — “lacto” points precisely to the lactic acid that results from the fermentation.

The mechanism is elegantly simple. The product (vegetables, fruit) is immersed in a salt brine or salted in an oxygen-free environment. The salt restrains putrefactive bacteria, while the salt-tolerant lactic-acid bacteria multiply and begin to produce acid. The acid gradually acidifies the environment, making it unfit for harmful microbes — so the product is naturally preserved without vinegar or sterilisation. It is lacto-fermentation that stands behind sauerkraut, soured cucumbers, kimchi, miso, and many other dishes of the world. Besides long keeping, it enriches the product with vitamins and living probiotics beneficial to the gut flora. It is at once humanity's oldest food biotechnology and a cornerstone of modern healthy eating.