A deep history exists between humans and fermented foods – in fact fermentation may be the earliest form of food processing our ancestors engaged in. Our ancestral interaction with fermentation provides a platform from which to explore the lessons that fermentation can offer in the contemporary attempt to create a food system that is ecologically sustainable. The simple interaction between people, food, and the environment during prehistoric fermentation represents a human/environment interaction that is characterized by a simple, subtle, and sustainable manipulation of ecological processes for human benefit.
Dr. Bill Schindler introduces students to beer making, preparation of a traditional beverage as part of a multi-course meal in his “Food, People, & The Planet” class.
Home fermentation has been gaining popularity in recent years, and it’s no surprise; this ancient form of food processing has the ability to improve flavors, increase nutrient availability, detoxify food, increase shelf life, allow bread to rise, and produce alcohol. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the varied fermentation processes that produce lacto-fermented vegetables, cultured butter, and sourdough bread. Bill Schindler offers a variety of custom tailored courses that can range from a survey of vegetable, dairy, grain, alcohol and meat ferments to courses focused specifically on any one of the above. The primary foci of these courses are wild fermentations.
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