A food scientist has explained how people can make a super-easy ingredient which they can add to make vegetables taste amazing – and is brilliant for gut health. Clinical studies show fermented foods can support health by boosting nutrients, reducing inflammation, and supporting digestion
Fermented food consumption may increase gut microbiome diversity and reduce inflammation. Research also suggests they may improve digestive health and lower the risk of conditions like type 2 diabetes.
In a new Instagram video he said:”I’m going to show you the easiest ferment in the world. There’s absolutely no excuse to say I can’t do fermentation because all you need is some garlic bulbs and a jar of raw unpasteurized honey and any old jar to put it in. That’s it. Let’s get going. Basically, you get your garlic, ideally organic if you can get it, but it doesn’t matter otherwise. They’ve still all got plenty of microbes on them.”
He explained: “And just break them into their bulbs. I’m doing it in a bowl because you’ll find this is a special hack that means you don’t have to peel your garlic. Now we take the lid of the other one. And this is the bit of magic. And voilà. See? Magic. And now we just got to put them into the jar. You don’t do anything with it. Don’t have to cut them. Right. So there we have our garlic nicely peeled already. And we’re going to add the raw unpasteurized honey. And give it a stir. There you have it. The simplest ferment in the world. Fermented honey garlic. It’s delicious.”
He said that all people need is a jar, some peeled garlic cloves, and raw honey. People need to cover the garlic completely, seal the jar, and leave it somewhere out of direct sunlight. “Give it a gentle turn every day to keep the cloves submerged and remember to open the lid every few days to release the gases produced during fermentation.
“As the weeks go by, the honey becomes thinner, the garlic softens, and the flavour develops into something quite different from either ingredient on its own. The fermentation will continue slowly over time and can last for many months, often well over a year, without refrigeration.”
Prof Spector said both ingredients bring something unique to the process. Garlic contains prebiotic fibres, particularly inulin, which help feed beneficial gut microbes. It also contains compounds that have been studied for their antimicrobial and antiviral properties. In one randomised controlled trial, people taking garlic extract experienced around three times fewer colds over a three-month period compared with those taking a placebo.
He added: “Honey has also been investigated in human trials and has been shown to improve both the frequency and severity of coughs. You can spoon it over roasted vegetables, whisk it into dressings, add it to marinades, or eat a little straight from the jar if you enjoy the flavour.
“If you’ve been curious about fermentation but never known where to begin, this is one of the easiest places to start.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
