I have recently been on a new and interesting journey. Realizing that our commercial foods are so nutritionally depleted, and desiring to grow my own foods, I naturally contemplated methods of preserving foods. Not just preserving the foods, but preserving the nutritional density of the foods. So I began contemplating how it's been done for eons of time. Canning has only been around for about 150 years. What did they do before that?

Canning kills food enzymes. Enzymes are living entities (so to speak) and the life of the food and assists in digestion of that food. To can is to kill anything that could possibly spoil. It is heated to high temperatures, for long periods of time. Nutrients are lost. It has to be done perfectly or you could wind up with botulism, which is deadly. I have not learned the art, but was just beginning to when I was made aware of these issues.

So, back to the original question: What are ancient preserving methods? They are salting/brining, lacto-fermenting, smoking and pickling in vinegar. In evaluating these methods, I thought immediately about nutrient density. Smoking meats preserves the heat labile amino acids, B-Vitamins and other nutrients. Wonderful. Lacto-fermentation activates the enzymes instead of killing them, helping to render the nutrients more bio-available to the body. Excellent. Salting or brining preserves the nutrients, but can be overwhelming. Vinegar is good, providing only raw apple cider vinegar is used.

The next question has to be safety. Many people are concerned about the safety of lacto-fermentation because to ferment, foods are left unrefrigerated for periods of time. U.S. Department of Agriculture research service microbiologist Fred Breidt says properly fermented vegetables are actually safer than raw vegetables, which might have been exposed to pathogens like E. coli on the farm. "With fermented products there is no safety concern. I can flat-out say that. The reason is the lactic acid bacteria that carry out the fermentation are the world's best killers of other bacteria," says Breidt, who works at a lab at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, where scientists have been studying fermented and other pickled foods since the 1930s. Breidt adds that fermented vegetables, for which there are no documented cases of food-borne illness, are safer for novices to make than canned vegetables."

Lacto-fermenting foods, such as homemade yogurt, sauerkraut and pickles is not only fun, but healthy too. These foods are high in enzymes and help digestion and supply the beneficial bacteria for the gut - healthier than buying probiotics in a bottle!

Lacto-fermentation is experiencing a renaissance as people are searching for greater nutrient density from their foods. Learn more by attending our upcoming health class, "Food Preservation through Fermentation 101," at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Instructor: Barbara Geatches, North Idaho Chapter, Weston A. Price Foundation. Fee: $14. RSVP: (208) 765-1994.

Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with more than 30 years of experience. Dr. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d'Alene clinic. Visit Dr. Carling's website at www.vitalhealthandfitness.com to learn more about Dr. Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Dr. Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.

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