Eating Fermented Foods Keeps us Healthy

Valerie Steimle

Last week I had the opportunity to teach a workshop on fermentation for an Emergency Preparedness organization in which I belong. Fermentation: the process of a chemical reaction to break down on form of food into a simpler substance to create other foods. For example you can ferment bread dough, vegetables and make yogurt which creates probiotics. Part of my presentation was to show how probiotics can help many health issues. In our modern society we deal with many health issues which were not present 100 years ago because of the change in our diet. By bringing back some of these eating habits (eating fermented foods) we can live healthier lives and feel a lot better.

As women and mothers we bake, cook, fry or create food in some way or another to feed our families. The following is a recipe for sour dough bread which can help those with gluten issues. No yeast is used! The recipe was taken from some website over 10 years ago so I'm not sure of the author but the recipe is from Mrs. Norma Condon of Los Angeles.

Enjoy!

Amish Friendship Bread

This is more than a recipe - it's a way of thinking. In our hi-tech world almost everything comes prepackaged and designed for instant gratification. So where does a recipe that takes ten days to make fit in? Maybe it's a touch stone to our past - to those days not so very long ago when everything we did took time and where a bread that took 10 days to make was not as extraordinary as it seems today.

The recipe comes to us from Mrs. Norma Condon of Los Angeles. Amish Friendship Bread is a great bread for the holidays. When you've made your bread, you can give your friends a sample and the starter that made it! Then your friends can make their own and pass it along to their friends. This is why the bread is called "friendship bread". It makes a great homemade birthday and Christmas present. Church groups and hospitals have spread a lot of love and cheer by making Amish Friendship Bread for their members. Many people make it regularly just because it tastes so good!

Amish Friendship Bread is a genuine starter bread. If you know someone with a starter, you are in luck. For those of you without access to a starter, we've done our research and found a great option. It's a special starter in powder form that can be activated with flour and water; it's safe, very inexpensive and we can send it to you.

The Recipe

Important Note: Don't use metal spoons or equipment. Do not refrigerate. Use only glazed ceramic or plastic bowls or containers.

Required Main Ingredient

1 cup live yeast starter (see above)

Day 1:

Do nothing with the starter.

Days 2-5:

Stir with a wooden spoon.

Day 6:

Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a wooden spoon.

Days 7-9:

Stir with a wooden spoon.

Day 10:

Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three friends. To the balance (a little over one cup) of the batter, add the following ingredients and mix well.

1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding