Freestone Fermentation Festival

Spring is Here!

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:46:16 GMT

As another month goes by and Spring arrives, I would like to call for all of us to think intently about the fermented and cultured products in your life. I am sure many of you already do this, but really look at each product and ask questions. Does this kombucha still contain living cultures? Is this bacteria or yeast that is turning this milk into yogurt? Does coconut water need to be pasteurized? Why do some beers taste sour and some sweet and why does champagne have bubbles and pressure in the bottle?

There is a lot of new information out there. I encourage everyone to read about different common bacteria yeast and other strains of fungi that are used when producing the fermented foods we eat everyday. The more about foods that you know, the more you will understand them. When you understand them, you will be able to not only potentially make them, but you will understand how to better preserve them and how to confidently make variations of these products. You will understand which processes require which level of sterilization and this will maximize your success.

By investing some time researching these things prior to the symposium and festival we will provide ourselves with the tools we need to learn a great deal with one another. I also encourage everyone, exhibitor or attendant, to experiment prior to the festival. If you haven’t become familiar with fermentation, start simple. If you are an avid producer of fermented products, try something different, expand your knowledge. For instance, my household has started a batch of ginger brew this week to have bottled and ready to taste by May 21st. We are experimenting with new ingredients in our home krauts and kimchis for discussion. I hope others bring their experiments, both successes and intriguing failures, as well.

Chopping ginger in Santa Rosa,
Nicholas Janson

8 Reasons to Eat Fermented Foods

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:55:20 GMT

1. Fermented foods improve digestion.

Fermenting our foods before we eat them is like partially digesting them before we consume them. According to Joanne Slavin, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, “…sometimes people who cannot tolerate milk can eat yogurt. That’s because the lactose (which is usually the part people can’t tolerate) in milk is broken down as the milk is fermented and turns into yogurt.”

2. Fermented foods restore the proper balance of bacteria in the gut.

Do you suffer from lactose intolerance? Gluten intolerance? Constipation? Irritable bowel syndrome? Yeast infections? Allergies? Asthma? All of these conditions have been linked to a lack of good bacteria in the gut.

3. Raw, fermented foods are rich in enzymes.

According to the Food Renegade blog, “Your body needs [enzymes] to properly digest, absorb, and make full use of your food. As you age, your body’s supply of enzymes decreases. This has caused many scientists to hypothesize that if you could guard against enzyme depletion, you could live a longer, healthier life.”

4. Fermenting food actually increases the vitamin content.

According to the Nourished Kitchen blog, “Fermented dairy products consistently reveal an increased level of folic acid which is critical to producing healthy babies as well as pyroxidine, B vitamins, riboflavin and biotin depending on the strains of bacteria present. [1. Vitamin Profiles of Kefirs Made from Milk of Different Species. International Journal of Food Science & Technology. 1991. Kneifel et al]“

5. Eating fermented food helps us to absorb the nutrients we’re consuming.

You can ingest huge amounts of nutrients, but unless you actually absorb them, they’re useless to you. When you improve digestion, you improve absorption.

6. Fermenting food helps to preserve it for longer periods of time.

Milk will go bad in the fridge but kefir and yogurt last a lot longer. Sauerkraut, pickles and salsa will keep for months. And if you’ve got a huge batch of produce in your garden that you don’t know how to use up — ferment it!

7. Fermenting food is inexpensive.

There’s nothing fancy required for this hobby. And many of the foods required to make these recipes are very cheap. You can use inexpensive cabbage to make sauerkraut, or get yourself a kombucha scoby and with just pennies’ worth of water, sugar and tea, you’ve got a health elixir slash soda pop.

8. Fermenting food increases the flavor.

There’s a reason humans enjoy drinking wine and eating stinky cheese. There’s a reason we like sauerkraut on our hot dogs and salsa on our tortilla chips. It tastes good!

The temperature is rising in Freestone

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:35:08 GMT

As the sun comes out this year and the temperatures begin to rise, I can almost smell the gases liberating. Whether we like it or not, humans cannot escape the reality that when things warm up, microbial activity speeds up. Many things speed up. Our lives speed up, the days get longer, the atoms that make up the molecules speed up, and our beloved ferments speed up. The result is not always what we want. What is that smell? Or, why are all my home wine bottles popping their corks? Why is there a funny greenish-blue film on my sauerkraut? Often there is a known reason for fermentation problems, but sometimes there isn’t and we want to figure out the answers to these questions with your help.

It is known that thousands of years have passed since humans have learned to harness and enjoy the products of fermentation. Certainly we inadvertently consume the preliminary stages of unwanted bacterial colonization. We do this when we eat just about anything with sugar that has had a significant period of time to gather “inhabitants”. In my mind, and those of many, the line between “fermented” food and “non-fermented” food can quickly become grey. For instance, if I leave a cut up melon out for a day in the hot sun, at which hour does it officially become “probiotic”, a product that is both “living” and “beneficial”. How big does a bacterial or fungal colony need to get before it has some effect, positive or negative, on the human body. So much of these ideas and the integrity of these products rely on the control of a particular fermentation or the lack of control of a particular fermentation. As much as we do know about these processes, we still have a whole lot to learn.

My name is Nicholas Janson, I studied chemistry in college, but I did not follow a traditional chemist’s pathway. I didn’t go and work for Pfizer for an insane pay check, I didn’t go deeper into academia. Instead, I moved across the country and I landed in Sonoma County. As I took a job as a wine chemist, I quickly learned more than most about wine making. I then immersed myself in ferments. I experimented with kombucha and fine tuned my ideal version of a wild fermented ginger brew, I furthered my knowledge of baking with yeast and now I am anxious to see what inspirations I receive this spring. I am excited for the upcoming season of growth here in Sonoma County.

The Freestone Fermentation Festival seems like the perfect place to learn. Whether you are a brewer, a baker, or a beginning cheese-maker you will learn something valuable at this event. There is a ferver of ferments starting to brew in Freestone and you do not want to miss it. Join me in welcoming Sandor Katz, proclaimed author of “Wild Fermentation", who will be speaking and mingling along with a great many local artists who will be surely sharing their vast knowledge of the edible microbial world.

May the fermentation be with you,

Nicholas Janson
Chemist
Fermenter
Lover of fine and healthy foods

The crocks, bottles, and jars are being filled for the 2011 festival...

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:43:24 GMT

To Freestone's Annual Faire of all things fermented. This year you must prepare for your pulse to pound with excitement as you enter the gates of the 2011 Freestone Fermentation Festival. We are planning the most effervescent affair of the year! Your senses will be spiked at the thrills from the smells, tastes, textures, and feelings you will experience as you sample the wonderful world of fermented foods.

Check back for more updates regarding our exhibitors, speakers, and musical acts. This year we are thrilled to announce that SANDOR KATZ will be joining us! This is not an event to miss!

In Celebration of All Things Fermented - New Freestone Fermentation Blog is Launched

Tue, 11 May 2010 15:57:37 GMT

Just one day before the 2nd annual Freestone Fermentation Festival!

Seems like lots of folks around Western Sonoma County are talking about it with lots of anticipation. Its very exciting to see folks from all over the Bay Area and as far away as Colorado buying tickets online for the festival. Part of the dream here is to have the festival be a springboard to create conversation and community among fermentation fans. There is so much valuable information to exchange and connections to be made. It is our hope that the festival can help serve to build ongoing connections.

We have also set up a place to share your pictures of the festival online at photobucket-- It’s a wonderful way to share the visual impressions of the gathering.

If your photo is selected to use to promote the festival next year you will receive free passes to next years event. We look foreword to seeing you all in just a few days.

-Michael Stusser

Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary