Oh the joys of fresh veggies from the farmers market. This seasonal bounty inspires me to juice, prepare, ferment and pretty much rejoice in these perfect gifts from mother nature. My weekly CSA bounty always helps me to stretch my knowledge of veggies and branch out to experience new and fun ways to prepare them for my family.

Fermentation is a great way to prepare these fresh veggies that enhances nutrients and imparts beneficial bacteria to your gut. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is sorely lacking the cultured foods of our forefathers. These cultured foods restore and revitalize our intestinal flora. Most people have heard that eating yogurt is good for you gut and it is, but most people are not eating fresh yogurt without sugars or colors. These sugars and dyes pretty much negate any goodness that could have been gained by the good microbes in plain yogurt.

What many people do not realize is that humans really benefit more from vegetable sources (sauer kraut, kimchi, pickles) of probiotics more than animal sources (yogurt, keifer). If you look at all the native populations around the world the common thread in their food preparation is lacto fermented foods. These fermented foods have helped worldwide cultures restore and revitalize their intestinal flora, which in turn help their culture live a longer and healthier life.

Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

Love & Pickles…. Coastal Chiropractic Style

Crunchy Lacto Fermented Dill Pickles

• pickling cucumbers- enough to fill 1/2 gallon glass jar
• 4-5 T Dixie kosher salt
• 8 cups of chlorine free water
• 4-6 grape leaves- (fresh, for the tannins that keep pickles crunchy )
• 2-4 garlic cloves
• fresh dill with flowers and seeds
• pepper corns
• 4-5 cloves
• 1-2 bay leaves

Create a brine by heating water and salt until the salt is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Place 1/2 of the spices and a few grape leaves in the jar then add cucumbers. (I quartered mine) place the rest of the spices and dill flowers in the jar and add cooled brine to cover the cucumbers. Cover the top of the brine with grape leaves to create a seal on the brine. Leave about 1-2 inches of air space at the top of the jar and put the lid on tightly. Let sit on the counter for about a week…… Watch it bubble and morph into probiotic goodness… Otherwise known as Kosher dill pickles!

Eat as soon as a week or put in the fridge for a month or more.

Love & Healthy Guts – Dr. C

We also carry probiotics in  capsules in both of our offices for those of you who are just now starting to find your love of lacto fermented veggies:)

How do you balance your body?