Fermented Lemonade

Last week I made some fermented lemonade.  I used a recipe that I got from Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist.  In the recipe she used lemons and limes with hers being a majority of limes.  When I made mine last week I added half limes and half lemons.  When it was done it had more of a limeade taste, which was fine if you like more of a lime taste.  


A little while ago I made another batch of fermented lemonade, but this time I added the majority of lemons and only one lime.  So we will see how it tastes.


From the book "Nourishing Traditions - The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats" by Sally Fallon.  Sally talks about people ages ago figured out how to preserve vegetables for long periods without the use of freezers or canning machines.  This was done through the process of lacto-fermentation.  Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits putrefying bacteria.  Starches and sugars in vegetables and fruits are converted into lactic acid by the many species of lactic-acid-producing bacteria.  These lactobacilli are ubiquitous, present on the surface of all living things and especially numerous on leaves and roots of plants growing in or near the ground.  The ancients understood the fact that important chemical changes took place during this type of fermentation.  Their name for this change was "alchemy."  Like the fermentation of dairy products, preservation of vegetables and fruits by the process of lacto-fermentation has numerous advantages beyond the simple preservation. The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels.  These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances.  Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.  For a copy of Sally's cookbook check it out.  Nourishing Traditions Book on Amazon.


Some other foods that you might not realize are fermented are: sauerkraut, soy sauce, kimchi, tempeh, miso, vinegar, and kombucha just to name a few.


Here is the recipe for the Fermented Lemonade:

Juice of 6-8 Lemons or Limes (or a mix of the two)
1/2 cup sucanat (whole cane sugar) or rapadura (sugar cane juice) ***
1/2 cup liquid whey (must come from a quality source - you CANNOT use commercial whey)
1/2 Tsp grated organic nutmeg
2 quarts filtered water

Mix all ingredients in a 2 quart glass container.   Cover and leave on the counter for 2-3 days.   Skim off and discard any foam that comes to the top after fermenting and then refrigerate.

***These can be found in a health food store