Fermenting herbs

[Jackie BourgStudent]

I was just wondering.

I ferment alot of my garden and use herbs in them. Do the herbs retain there medical quality?

I ferment garlic alot to use in Salads some time I just pop a fuw as a snack do I get the benefits of the garlic?

[Shirley BurnsStudent]

Hi Jackie,

Yes!  I do a lot of garden fermenting as well but have never added herbs to them (except for garlic and dill because I love those!!).  I make a large batch of honey fermented garlic every fall to divide among my children and grandchildren.  This is how I preserve the majority of my garlic.  I did make a batch of lacto-fermented garlic as well the honey fermented garlic a few years ago since I had a bumper crop.  It is my understanding that fermentation adds good gut bacteria but does not reduce the medicinal benefits as long as you do not cook it before use.

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Jackie Bourg

[Jackie BourgStudentTopic Author]

Thank you Shirley🙂

I use pickling herbs when doing, cabbage, cucumbers, Carly flower, tomatos onions, garlic and peppers. Use a combination of  vegetables the herbs depend on the flavor I am looking for. I may try some more herbs this year I think some mite be good. I don’t cook my Sauerkraut I bring it to room temperature then add a meat on the top and serve.

I make Kumbucha I add ginger and fruit may start adding lemon balm or mint befor I bottle it. Can’t wait!

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Anna Bonde

[PaigeStudent]

A popular functional medicine doctor that has his own line of supplements, ferments almost all of his herbs.  I asked him about why he did it, and he replied that it was because the fermenting made the herbal constituents more bioavailable.  I am planning to ferment as many as I can this summer to see if i can tell the difference.

PMR

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Jackie Bourg

[SharonStudent]

Interesting topic – following.  Are you guys talking about fermenting THEN tincturing – or instead of?  If instead of, how are you taking and what would the shelf life be?

[Shirley BurnsStudent]

Hi Sharon,

Fermenting would be instead of tincturing.  The alcohol in a tincture would not allow the lactobacillus bacteria in a ferment to live thus killing the ferment.  My lacto-fermented veggies must be refrigerated and keeps for months (3-12?) while tinctures keep for years when properly stored.  Refrigerating the ferments considerably slows down fermentation process but does not stop it completely. The only exception, that I know of, is honey fermented garlic which I do keep at room temperature inside a dark cabinet.  There is some disagreement about how long the honey fermented garlic lasts.  Most reports say up to a year but there are several homesteaders that I follow that describe their grandmothers keeping these for years.  I’ve never had a batch go bad on me yet but I usually make a large batch and share it with family so I rarely have any one batch longer than a year.  I’ve never fermented herbs but am interested to research and try some this summer.  🙂

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Jackie Bourg

[Author]

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