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Sustainable Coffee Drinking: Facts and Tips About Beans, Filters and More.

Filter, espresso, cold brew: coffee is cult – but is it also healthy? When are beans fair trade? What can you do while drinking coffee to protect the environment? Here are the most important facts about sustainable coffee enjoyment.

Is drinking coffee healthy?

100 ml of coffee contains an average of 50 mg of caffeine – a natural stimulant that stimulates our circulation and metabolism: the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises and we become more alert and receptive again. Because of this effect, coffee is one of the so-called “legal drugs” – and is very popular among students, office workers and even athletes.

But like any drug, coffee has all sorts of side effects and can even become addictive: as soon as the body gets used to the regular intake of caffeine, drinking coffee becomes less and less effective – and if you stop drinking coffee, withdrawal symptoms can occur. Those who consume too much often suffer from insomnia, headaches or are generally irritable and nervous. The European Food Safety Authority recommends a maximum of 400 mg of caffeine per day – i.e. no more than 800 ml.

Caution: Pregnant or breastfeeding women should be particularly careful about how much coffee they drink – babies are also supplied with caffeine, but are much less able to break down the substance than an adult.

5 tips: How to drink your coffee more sustainably

In addition to the Fairtrade seal, there are numerous other ways to make drinking coffee in the morning a little more environmentally friendly:

Coffee to go: Many drink their coffee on the way to the office – and buy it in paper cups with a plastic lid at the nearest bakery.
Anyone who brings their own coffee from home saves money and can decide for themselves what kind of coffee ends up in the cup. However, if you don’t want to do without the brewed coffee from your regular baker, you can ask where he gets his beans from.
On the go without a thermos mug? Then keep an eye out for Recup: The reusable coffee mugs are already widespread in many big cities – you can take them with you for a deposit of 1 euro and return them to the nearest branch with Recup mugs. There they are washed and sent to the next customer.
Small regional roasting houses with hand-distilled varieties have sprung up in large numbers in recent years – you can also find them in your big city. The advantage: Here you can drink high-quality coffee, in which the roasters have invested a lot of time and love – and you can taste it too. Most of the varieties are even organic and fair trade. Get your beans from a local roastery and support quality over bulk.
Drinking less coffee is doing the environment a big favor. Coffee cultivation is anything but resource-friendly: 140 liters of water are used for one cup. So only drink coffee occasionally – this way you can appreciate the aromatic drink more and feel the effect more intensively again. Coffee withdrawal will also do your body good.

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Food

Carrots and Their Nutritional Values: Vitamins, Calories and More

Thanks to their nutritional values, carrots are considered extremely healthy: they are rich in vitamins and minerals, but low in calories. The yellow beets not only provide your body with beta-carotene, but also with many other nutrients.

Carrots are versatile in the kitchen: They are popular as raw vegetables and salads, cooked as an accompaniment to many dishes and pureed to make delicious soups. They make a cake particularly juicy. Even more varied than the preparation options offered by carrots are their nutritional values. Carrots aren’t just “good for the eyes,” as you probably learned from your parents – they do a lot more for your health.

The nutritional values ​​​​of the carrot include many vitamins

Carrots are particularly rich in vitamins. Above all, they are known to contain larger amounts of the provitamin beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which plays an important role in seeing things like light and dark. Carrots are also a good source of numerous other vitamins. According to the Apotheken-Umschau, 100 grams provide the following nutritional values ​​on average:
Folic Acid – 15 mcg (micrograms)
Beta carotene – 9800 mcg
Vitamin B1 – 0.07 mg
Vitamin B2 – 0.05 mg
Vitamin B6 – 0.27 mg
Vitamin E – 0.5 mg
Vitamin C – 7 mg
Because they contain vitamin C, carrots can help boost the immune system against pathogens. This is confirmed, for example, by a study on the health effects of carrot juice. Vitamin A, on the other hand, not only has a positive effect on vision, but is also good for the skin. The same applies to vitamin E. Carrots are said to ensure a healthy complexion, improve skin impurities and prevent skin aging.

The nutritional values ​​of carrots also include antioxidants

With vitamins C and E, carrot nutritional values ​​also include antioxidants. Studies have shown, for example, that carrot juice increases antioxidant levels and can therefore play a role in preventing cancer. Antioxidants protect against free radicals. These are substances that damage the genetic material in the cells if they occur in too large numbers and can thus possibly lead to cancer. Beta carotene also has an antioxidant effect.

Carrots are healthy

Whether raw, cooked or as juice: carrots not only provide vitamins, but also a wide range of different ingredients. They are therefore particularly healthy. Their nutritional values ​​also cover a high proportion of various minerals. According to Apotheken-Umschau, 100 grams contain on average:
Potassium – 330 mg
Sodium – 60 mg
Calcium – 35 mg
phosphate – 35 mg
Magnesium – 15 mg
Iron – 0.4 mg
Zinc – 0.3 mg
In addition, carrots are a high-fiber vegetable: raw, they contain 3.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams. Fiber is good for digestion and blood pressure, among other things.

Carrots have good nutritional values ​​but are low in calories

Basically, carrots are considered a low-calorie vegetable. However, the exact values ​​differ depending on how you prepare them – sometimes even significantly.

According to the nutritional table, 100 grams of fresh carrots have an average of 25 calories.
Carrot juice is also low in calories: With 100 milliliters you consume an average of 22 calories.
The situation is different with dried carrots. As is often the case with dry products, the calorific value here skyrockets to 194 calories per 100 grams.

Do cooked carrots have different nutritional values ​​than raw?

In the case of canned carrots, on the other hand, the calorific value even drops to 14 calories per 100 grams. In principle, cooked carrots have fewer calories than raw ones. Nevertheless, they do not necessarily make you slimmer: For one thing, we often prepare them with oil or butter, which of course increases the calorie count of the entire meal.

On the other hand, the so-called glycemic index (GI) is higher in cooked carrots than in raw vegetables. The glycemic index measures the effect of carbohydrate-containing foods on the blood sugar level: the more sugar they bring into the blood, the higher the corresponding value. Raw carrots have a GI of just 16, while cooked carrots have a GI of 49. While that’s still considered low, the difference is still noticeable.

However, the validity of the glycemic index is controversial. For example, the nutritionist Stefan Weigt points out that the measured values ​​always refer to 50 grams of carbohydrates. Because carrots basically contain hardly any carbohydrates, you would have to eat a whopping 800 grams of them to actually get a GI of 49. The measurement results are also often inaccurate and can vary greatly from person to person.

Does Fat Boost Carrot’s Healthy Nutritional Values?

It is often said that carrots can only develop their full health benefits together with oil or butter. It is true that beta-carotene is fat-soluble – which means that the body actually absorbs more of it in combination with fats.

However, a recent study has shown that how thoroughly you chop the vegetables has an even greater impact on the nutritional values. In the experiment, sliced ​​raw carrots released only three percent of their total beta-carotene into the body. Pureed carrots, on the other hand, provided 21 percent and cooked puree (e.g. in the form of soup) as much as 27 percent. However, added oil could increase these nutritional values.

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Healthy Plum: Calories, Nutritional Values and More

Plums are low in calories and very healthy. Because the nutritional values ​​​​of fresh plums are quite good and make the fruit a healthy snack for the summer.

Plums: calories and all nutritional values

Plums are one of the most popular summer fruits. The elongated, violet plums are ideal for preserving and for various dishes (see below). The calories and nutritional values ​​differ depending on whether the plums are fresh or dried.

Nutritional values ​​for fresh plums:
Calories: 46 calories
Protein: 0.7g
Fat: 0.28g
Carbohydrates: 11.42g
of which sugar: 9.92g
Fiber: 1.4g

Dried plums: nutritional table

Nutritional values ​​for dried plums:
Calories: 240 calories
Protein: 2.18g
Fat: 0.38g
Carbohydrates: 63.88g
of which sugar: 38.13g
Fiber: 7.1g
Plums have significantly fewer calories than, for example, grapes (68 kcal/100g) and also significantly less sugar (grapes: 15.4g/100g). This makes the plums very healthy.

At around 86 percent, plums have a higher water content than other types of fruit. You should take this into account when using it, for example when baking a plum cake. Here it can make sense to pre-bake the base, because the plums lose liquid and the cake base may not rise.

Effect of plums on health

In recent years, scientists have repeatedly examined plums and analyzed their effects on health.

Animal experiments in 2005 proved that dried plums are effective against osteoporosis. However, it is still unclear which ingredients are responsible for this (study).
In plums – especially in dried plums – there are larger amounts of sorbitol. This is the natural sugar alcohol in fructose, which can lead to digestive problems.
Plums contain the messenger substance serotonin, which is also known as the “happiness hormone”. It lifts the mood and ensures well-being.
Scientists have also detected the hormone ghrelin in plums, which is otherwise only produced by animals. It stimulates the appetite – also in humans (study).
In a fairly small study, scientists found that plum juice increased cognitive performance in rats. This effect did not occur with dried plums.

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Lifestyle

Create More Feel-Good Atmosphere and Relaxation for Your Home

Everyday life is often characterized by stress and hectic. Relaxation at home and rest are usually forgotten. But with little tricks, you can create a more comfortable atmosphere at home and give your soul and body a break.

Tips for creating a feel-good atmosphere

A feel-good atmosphere prevails in a place where you feel comfortable and can relax. It is an environment in which one likes to linger. To make your home such a place, use simple tricks. Because even small changes in your own four walls can create a feel-good atmosphere and bring relaxation into your home. Especially in a strictly organized everyday life, you need a place where you can relax and wind down. Then the energy tanks are recharged and you are ready for a new day. So now is the best time to remodel your living room. We have put together the simplest tricks for you:

1) Evening rituals provide more relaxation

If you are occupied with everyday life, it makes sense to look for evening rituals after work is done. Because these ensure more relaxation at home and a successful end to the day. This includes the so-called Me-Time. This means that you take time for yourself and do something good for yourself. So read a book, spa at home and take a hot bath with bath salts, use a cleansing face mask or eat delicious food. The main aspect is that you can take time for yourself and switch off without any stress.

2) Feel-good atmosphere through warm apartments

It is not always easy to have a comfortably warm apartment, especially during the cold season. Because high heating costs mean that people prefer to leave the heating off or turn it on the back burner. However, cold apartments promote stress and also lead to health-endangering situations. Therefore, you should not save at the wrong end and cleverly reduce heating costs without having to freeze.

3) Pleasant light warms the soul

The lighting design in your apartment is also crucial for a feel-good atmosphere. You should avoid too bright and glaring light. Instead, provide warm and cozy light sources, for example candles or fairy lights. Indirect light can also be cozy and provide more relaxation at home.

4) Make room fragrances yourself

A smelly apartment does not invite you to relax. Therefore, you should neutralize bad smells quickly. In contrast, beautiful scents have a relaxing effect on our souls. So you can create a pleasant oasis of well-being in your home with a soothing lavender scent or a mild vanilla scent. There are a variety of great fragrances on the market and you can also make your own room fragrance yourself. It’s cheap and sustainable.

5) Create a place with personality

You should enjoy being in your home. So it can help if you give your home a little bit of your own personality. Accordingly, you could decorate your wall with your own photos or pictures you have painted yourself. You can just as well spice up old furniture and give it your personal touch. In this way, you bring your very own feel-good atmosphere into your apartment.

6) Indoor plants provide coziness

You don’t necessarily have to have a green thumb to bring some green into your home. Because there are now many artificial plants that look very real and good. But real houseplants also bring coziness into your home. You can let your creativity run free and distribute the plants throughout the apartment. Placed on the floor or in the corner, hung or on a shelf, they look good anywhere. But remember that different plants require different care, you should consider this when watering the plants.

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Food

Rice Germ Oil: Application and Effect in The Kitchen, Cosmetics and More

Rice germ oil is still relatively unknown in this country. The sustainably produced oil can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen and cosmetics.

How is rice germ oil obtained?

Rice germ oil is obtained from rice bran. Rice bran is the seed coat, embryo and pericarp of the rice grain. The rice bran is the part of the rice grain that is husked away in the production of white rice. By processing the rice bran into rice germ oil, the actual waste product can still be recycled.

Depending on the rice variety, rice bran contains between 16 and 32 percent oil, which can be either pressed or solvent extracted. It is important for the production of high-quality rice bran oil that the oil manufacturer processes the rice bran as quickly as possible after it has been husked.

Rice bran naturally contains fat-splitting enzymes, lipases. Lipases release individual fatty acids that give the oil a rancid taste. To prevent this, the rice bran is briefly heated to 130 degrees Celsius to deactivate the fat-splitting enzymes. Not only do enzymes decompose at this temperature, vitamins are also lost.

What are the ingredients of rice germ oil?

Native rice germ oil is rarely found commercially because it has a very distinctive smell. Refined rice germ oil, on the other hand, is almost odorless with a slightly yellowish hue. In the course of refining, the oil manufacturer removes the unwanted free fatty acids from the rice germ oil.

But ingredients that are said to have a positive health effect are also lost in the process. For example, refined rice germ oil has less than five percent of its original gamma-oryzanol content. As an antioxidant, gamma-oryzanol protects the body from free radicals and is used to improve blood lipid levels due to its cholesterol-lowering effect. The proportion of vitamin E also decreases in the course of oil refining.

The composition of rice germ oil is similar to that of argan oil. The dominant fatty acids are oleic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid. All of these fatty acids are saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Rice germ oil has only a small proportion of oxidation-prone polyunsaturated fatty acids, so it can be kept for up to twelve months.

Where is rice germ oil used?

The cosmetics industry often uses rice germ oil in sunscreens and skin protection creams. For this purpose, the refined rice germ oil is again enriched with the y-oryzanols lost during refining. These protect the skin from the sun by absorbing UVA and UVB rays. The likewise high proportion of phytosterols ensures that rice germ oil is also effective against skin irritation and itching. Rice germ oil can also be used to make soft soaps with a creamy foam.

You can also use rice germ oil in the kitchen as frying oil. Because it’s refined, it can be heated to high temperatures, so you can use it to sear and deep-fry food. Rice germ oil is relatively tasteless and is therefore particularly suitable for the production of mayonnaise.

From a sustainability point of view, rice germ oil is recommended because it is a recycled waste product. In order to avoid long transport routes, you should make sure that the rice used was grown in Europe and processed into oil there. Despite everything, domestic oils such as rapeseed oil remain better than rice germ oil.

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Food

Corn Starch: Uses, Specifics, Substitutes, and More

You may be familiar with cornstarch as the main ingredient in custard powder. But the tasteless white powder can do much more than just thicken the pudding. You can find out more here.

What is cornstarch?

Cornstarch is a white powder that is also commonly sold under the name cornstarch. As the name suggests, corn starch can be obtained from corn cobs. To do this, the corn is first placed in a saline solution for several days. It is then finely ground and the cornmeal is passed through a silk fabric. This allows the bran and other flour components to be filtered out. Starch is not soluble in water, so over time it settles to the bottom of the remaining starch-water mixture. The excess water is then drained off and the starch dried.

Cornstarch is just one of many forms of starch. Starch powder can be obtained from all plants with a high proportion of starch. In addition to corn starch, potato, wheat and rice starch are widely used. All are tasteless white powders that are similar to use.

The only difference between the different forms of starch is their composition. Starch is a mixture of two carbohydrates, amylopectin and amylose. Corn starch is characterized by a comparatively high amylose content of 27 percent. Amylose is less able to bind and hold water than amylopectin. Because of this, pastries made with cornstarch tend to stale faster than those made with tapioca or potato starch.

How to use cornstarch in the kitchen

You can use cornstarch in a variety of ways in the kitchen. Puddings and creams can be made with cornstarch, since starch forms a firm gel after cooling. Supermarket custard powders typically consist of cornstarch mixed with sugar, salt, and flavorings. You can also easily make your own pudding at home by thickening gently simmering milk with cornstarch and seasoning to your liking. In the refrigerator, the thick sauce then thickens into a firm pudding.

But cornstarch is not only suitable for desserts: You can also use it to thicken sauces. To do this, mix the corn starch with a little water and then stir the starch water into the gently simmering sauce. Always make sure to add the starch gradually. If you stir in too much cornstarch, your sauce will take on a pasty and gummy consistency.

Cornstarch keeps dumplings in shape and protects them from drying out

Corn starch is also suitable as a binding agent for dumplings and meatballs. The starch binds water and holds the dumpling mass together. The starch molecules in the cooking water or frying fat then gelatinize and form a protective layer through which water can only escape with difficulty. This keeps the dumplings and meatballs juicy and fluffy.

In Asian cuisine, sliced ​​meat is marinated with starch in almost every dish. Sliced ​​​​meat is usually gently pre-cooked or fried in hot oil before frying. As a result, the starch on the surface of the meat becomes gelatinous and the meat remains juicy when it is subsequently fried with the remaining ingredients. Tofu can also be turned in starch before frying so that it becomes particularly crispy.

You can easily replace cornstarch with any other cornstarch. If you are looking for a different binding agent, you can find out in our article on cornstarch substitutes which alternatives are available and how you can use them. The alternatives presented there include psyllium husk, locust bean gum, agar agar and guar gum.

Waste paper can be recycled with the help of cornstarch

Corn starch is also an important raw material for the production of paper and cardboard. Paper contains about 0.15 percent starch. Starch is used as a filler in paper production: it must always be added when working with waste paper. As more and more waste paper is processed, the demand for corn starch continues to rise.

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Soy Milk vs. Cow’s Milk: Which is Healthier, More Sustainable, More Ethical?

Cows are destroying the climate and soy is destroying the rainforest. Cow’s milk makes you fat and soy milk causes allergies. Or? Anyone who wants to consume milk responsibly or is looking for alternatives will encounter many rumours. We did our research: is soy milk healthy, sustainable, animal-friendly compared to cow’s milk and other milk alternatives?

Milk is one of the most common foods and one of the most controversial at the same time – for several reasons. While for decades it was considered essential for our health, today many people doubt the health benefits of milk or are even convinced that it is unhealthy. Others want to do without milk because of their poor climate balance or because they find animal husbandry unacceptable.

But how healthy soy milk (correct: soy drink) is is also the subject of wild debates. The popular milk substitute not only has fans: in addition to possible health side effects, the environmental impact of cultivation and transport and the use of genetic engineering are also criticized.

In the following, we will therefore take a very close look at soy milk and cow’s milk – and also show how healthy soy milk is in comparison to other milk alternatives.

Which is healthier: cow’s milk or soy milk?

From “cow’s milk is important because of the calcium” to “cow’s milk causes allergies” to “soy milk is so healthy that it helps against cancer” – there are tons of claims, rumors and half-truths circulating about the health effects of cow’s milk and soy milk. Some things are true, some aren’t.

Calcium: Is it missing in the soy drink?

Cow’s milk is actually high in calcium (or: calcium). Calcium is a very important substance for building and maintaining our bone mass. A lack of calcium can lead to or worsen osteoporosis. Sufficient calcium intake is particularly important for growing children.

However, we do not depend on milk for this. Calcium can also be obtained from other foods. There is a lot of calcium in green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, rocket, chard and spinach as well as in beans (including soybeans) and some nuts and seeds such as hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and sesame.

Conclusion: Soy milk contains less calcium than cow’s milk. However, there are alternative calcium-fortified soy drinks and other plant-based foods that help meet calcium needs.

Vitamin Content: Is Soy Milk Healthy Enough?

Both cow’s milk and soy milk contain some important vitamins. However, soy milk lacks the important vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 occurs naturally almost exclusively in foods of animal origin – and is very important for our bodies. A vitamin B12 deficiency can have serious health consequences.

However: Many soy drinks and other plant-based milk alternatives contain the additive vitamin B12 (also found on the labels as cyanocobalamin or cobalamin).

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Food

Seed Potatoes: Difference to Ware Potatoes, Varieties and More

Seed potatoes are also known as seed potatoes because they are used to sow new potato plants. Here we explain what distinguishes them from conventional ware potatoes and what is important when buying them.

Seed potatoes form the basis for potato cultivation: new potato tubers develop from their sprouts. They are therefore also called seed potatoes or seed potatoes. But doesn’t every potato sprout and can be used for sowing? In fact, it’s not that simple.

In this article you will find out where the differences between seed potatoes and ware potatoes are and what you should consider when choosing seed potatoes.

What is the difference between seed potatoes and ware potatoes?

At first glance, seed potatoes and ware potatoes look alike. But looks are deceptive – seed potatoes are grown and treated differently:
Since seed potatoes are not meant to be eaten, the size of the tubers is not that relevant. The plants are placed closer together. This creates more but smaller tubers.
So that the ability to germinate is preserved as well as possible, seed potatoes are stored at two to a maximum of six degrees Celsius. This is not necessary for table potatoes.
Conventional ware potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors such as chloropam. This allows them to be stored longer without expelling. Since seed potatoes should germinate as well as possible for cultivation, they are not treated with such agents. For this reason, they are in principle also suitable for consumption. But because of the higher price and the smaller tubers, this is rather unusual.
Before seed potatoes can be sold, they are tested for viruses and bacteria, as well as other diseases and pests. Some viruses and bacteria damage the roots during growth, while they are harmless to health due to the high temperatures when cooking. The focus of the test is primarily on pests such as potato nematodes.
Potatoes that are designated as seed potatoes are always of the same variety. This means that the variety you bought as a seed potato and planted in your garden will also grow back. In principle, you can buy seed potatoes in all varieties that are also available as ware potatoes.

Are seed potatoes necessary?

Are seed potatoes really necessary when potatoes sprout anyway? So that you can plant potatoes in your garden, it is usually sufficient to plant sprouted ware potatoes. On the other hand, if the harvested potatoes are intended for sale, you must use seed potatoes.

These are the disadvantages of using regular table potatoes as seed potatoes:
Potato plants from ware potatoes are often less productive.
If you keep taking a potato from the harvest to plant it next year, the plants usually become weaker and more susceptible to diseases.
You should pay attention to this if you want to use table potatoes as seed potatoes:
Be sure to only use untreated potatoes. Treated potatoes must be labeled. The packaging then says: “Treated after harvest.” Potatoes from organic farming must not be treated with germicides or chemical pesticides.
It is best to use a particularly strong potato with several eyes, i.e. starting points for new shoots.
Larger potatoes with enough eyes can also be divided before planting.

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Vinegar and Aceto Balsamico: More Than Just Inconspicuous Heroes of The Kitchen

Aceto Balsamico (balsamic vinegar for short, sometimes also called balsamic vinegar) is something special for gourmets, belongs to fine dining and is better than normal vinegar. At least that’s what you might think – but the truth is quite different.

We took a closer look at this unfairly underrated food. It has been with people for thousands of years. Vinegar has only recently disappeared from people’s consciousness, and we’re bringing it back to the front of the curtain.

The Story of Vinegar: Coincidences, the Bible, and Soft Drinks

The earliest traces of vinegar are found in Babylonian clay vessels from around 6,000 BC. At that time, vinegar was probably discovered by accident, when the wine stored in the jars came into contact with acetic acid bacteria. The wine continued to ferment and became sour – and the first wine vinegar was born. It is not known when the intentional production of vinegar began.

The fact is, however, that the ancient Egyptians mixed vinegar with water and regarded it as a refreshing drink. The same was true of the Roman soldiers who mixed vinegar in their drinking water and drank it as “posca”. So the sponge of vinegar mentioned in the Bible at the crucifixion was actually a kind gesture. The vinegar-water mixture was a popular drink until modern times and was only recently replaced by lemonades. However, adding vinegar to drinking water had a serious background: acetic acid kills germs. Adding vinegar often made the water drinkable in the first place.

Acetic acid, the health secret

The knowledge of the healing power of acetic acid is also thousands of years old. Even in ancient times, soldiers’ wounds were cleaned with vinegar to prevent infections. Back then, doctors didn’t know what an antibacterial effect was, but they did know that vinegar could heal wounds better. When the plague raged in Europe in the Middle Ages, doctors used cloths soaked in vinegar as face masks, and the plague houses were cleaned with vinegar.

Today there are better disinfectants, but most of them are not suitable for consumption. Vinegar, on the other hand, is not only harmless, but even promotes healthy digestion. The acetic acid only survives the “good” bacteria, bad ones are killed and inflammation of the digestive tract is alleviated. This also gets the metabolism going – vinegar also helps with weight loss and can lower excessive cholesterol levels.

Probably the oldest preservative in the world

In addition to the treatment of drinking water and a certain healing effect, vinegar has always had one main purpose: the preservation of food. There were no refrigerators, ice chambers were rare exceptions and reserved for the rich.

So ways were sought to preserve the fruit and vegetables harvested in autumn until the next harvest. This was done by drying (mostly fruit), salting (mostly meat, less often vegetables) or just putting it in a vinegar solution with various spices.

Make vinegar yourself or rather buy it?

The basic principle of vinegar production is double fermentation. To do this, fermented fruit juice, wine or another alcoholic liquid is left open in an earthenware, glass or wooden container or covered with a cloth. Contact with air causes the so-called mother of vinegar, a slimy layer with acetic acid bacteria, to form on the surface of the liquid. These are responsible for the second fermentation, which lasts about six to twelve months. You can also make vinegar yourself this way – but the production process takes a long time and the result is uncertain because the unfinished vinegar spoils easily.

Commercial vinegar production has therefore developed the submerged process, in which the vinegar fermentation takes place without mother of vinegar and can therefore be better controlled. With around 30 to 60 hours for the vinegar to mature, this type of production is not only much faster, it also delivers consistent quality. If you pay attention to the organic quality and origin of the vinegar, buying vinegar is a healthier and safer option than making it at home.

Endless varieties: Vinegar and Aceto Balsamico

Even if the assortment in the supermarkets seems to be limited to three, maximum four varieties, there is an almost infinite number of varieties. Fruit vinegar can be made from more or less any fruit juice by double fermentation (first to alcohol, then to vinegar). The same applies to wine – theoretically, any wine can be further fermented into wine vinegar. So for vinegar gourmets there is a wide selection, with fruit vinegars for example from:
Apples (apple cider vinegar is the most common fruit vinegar)
pears
figs or dates
currants
plums
cherries
or flavored with strawberries, raspberries and many other fruits.
The wine vinegars include:
red wine vinegar
white wine vinegar
sherry vinegar
champagne vinegar
Noble vinegar from high-quality wine.
In addition, there is also vinegar made from beer, honey, rice and similar raw materials that are suitable for fermentation. And of course the Aceto Balsamico (balsamic vinegar), a very special form that comes from Italy, should not be missing from this list.

Aceto Balsamic in the kitchen

As with the production of vinegar, the Aceto Balsamico is also a special case in the kitchen. Due to the dark color and the viscous consistency, it is not really suitable for traditional dishes. Wherever it comes from, it has its place in Mediterranean cuisine. Tomato and mozzarella salad with fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil is probably the best-known example. The Aceto Balsamico is just as suitable for sauces in Mediterranean dishes, such as lamb chops. And if you like something unusual, you can serve vanilla ice cream with pumpkin seed oil and balsamic vinegar for dessert. The combination, which at first glance seems rather strange, is a delicious culinary surprise.

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health

Fermenting – More Than Just Preserving

Fresh vegetables in the dark winter when supplies from the garden are dwindling and colds are on the rise? How do we save the harvest surpluses in this time? In addition to preserving, drying and freezing, we have (re)discovered fermentation and would like to invite you into the world of sparkling, spicy and crispy fresh vegetables from the jar.

The process of “living preservation” through fermentation is uncomplicated, resource-saving and the result is always a tasty, crispy, fresh surprise. The advantage for your health: The fermentation creates healthy lactic acid bacteria, which offer a cure for the intestinal flora and thus strengthen your immune system.

What is fermentation and what foods are fermented?

What sauerkraut is to the Germans, kimchi to the Koreans, soy sauce to the Japanese, kefir to the Russians and surströmming, which smells unpleasant to our noses, to the Swedes – all these products are fermented foods.

Fermentation refers to the microbial conversion of organic substances by probiotic bacteria and fungi. Acid, gases or alcohol are produced during this natural process.

Buy fermented products or make them yourself?

Many industrially fermented foods are pasteurized after the fermentation process, i.e. heated to high temperatures. This pasteurization enables a hygienically and tastefully standardized process.

What is practical and efficient for industrial processing, however, also destroys beneficial bacteria produced during fermentation, including cultures of lactic acid bacteria that can be beneficial for your intestinal flora.

When you make your own fermented vegetables (also called ferments), you can be sure that nutrients, enzymes and lactic acid bacteria will be preserved. You can vary your fermented vegetables with many different spices and herbs and thus have a new taste variation in the glass every time.

The own fermentation of vegetables brings you a spicy variety on your plate and is worth trying out!

The advantages of fermentation at a glance

It promotes a favorable intestinal flora through the proliferation of healthy intestinal bacteria. This improves digestion and absorption of nutrients.
During fermentation, vitamins are created that are only found in a few non-fermented foods. Among them the important vitamin K. This vitamin is essential for your bone and heart health. It also has a reputation for preventing some types of cancer.
A good three quarters of the immune system takes place in the intestines. They strengthen the immune system. If the intestinal flora is weak, the susceptibility to various diseases increases.

The wild fermentation

Fermenting vegetables at home is called wild fermentation. You can compare the fermentation with a cure for your vegetables. The vegetables enjoy a bubbling salt bath for a few days and emerge strengthened. In the wild fermentation of vegetables, you take advantage of naturally occurring bacteria. These are mainly found on the (organic) vegetables themselves or have previously come into contact with the vegetables through the air, soil, water or your hands.

The right accessories for fermentation

You only need a few accessories to ferment your vegetables. In addition to your favorite vegetables, the most important utensils and ingredients are:

Salt
Glasses or other suitable vessels
pounder
weights / smaller glasses
grater

The best vegetables to ferment

The best veggies to ferment are clearly your favorite veggies! Through the fermentation you will rediscover this taste in a completely new way. Organically grown vegetables are particularly suitable for fermentation, because the low level of treatment with pesticides and fungicides results in fewer pollutants but a greater variety of microorganisms.

Classic vegetables for fermenting are cabbage such as red or white cabbage, but also carrots, beetroot and radishes. Vegetables with a high water content such as tomatoes, cucumbers or lettuce can also be fermented, but they quickly become very soft as a result of the fermentation – it is important to explore your own taste there.

The fermentation process depends on the size of the pieces and the water content of the vegetables, as well as the salt content and the ambient temperature.

Salt when fermenting

The vegetables are either whole or chopped up in a jar and covered with salt. The vegetables are now swimming in a salty environment that is as airtight as possible. Many bacteria that are naturally found on the vegetables cannot survive in this and their growth is restricted. Others, such as the lactic acid bacteria, which are beneficial for us humans, begin to live and multiply in this salt water. The breakdown of macronutrients creates acids, which you can perceive as a sour taste and smell.

A salinity of 2% is ideal for wild fermentation. For example, 1 kilogram of cabbage requires around 20 grams of salt to ferment.

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