lacto-fermentation

Salt-brine food preservation

Lacto-fermentation is a preservation method in which beneficial bacteria convert sugars into lactic acid, creating an acidic environment that prevents spoilage.

The process requires no vinegar or heat—just salt, water, and time.

Sauerkraut, kimchi, and traditional pickles are lacto-fermented.

The "lacto" refers to lactobacillus bacteria, not dairy.

foods

sauerkraut

Lacto-fermented cabbage

dill pickles · kosher pickles · escabeche · achaar · chutneys · relish · giardiniera · pickled vegetables · beets · carrots

dairy

kefir

Cultured milk drink

skyr · cultured butter · clabber · whey · curds · probiotics · thermophilic · cultures · strains · incubation

science

lactobacillus

Acid-producing beneficial bacterium

gut health · enzymes · bioavailability · nutrients · vitamins · preservation · antimicrobial · acidity · anaerobic respiration · colony

process

brine

Water saturated with sodium

culturing · curing · submerging · inoculate · starter · temperature · acidification · crock · airlock · vessel

equipment

crock

Ceramic storage container

tamper · mandoline · thermometer · pH strips · cheesecloth · water seal · stoneware

Categories
Opposites
preservation method

lacto-fermentationsterilization

Complete elimination of microbes

pasteurization · chemical preservation · freeze-drying · dehydration · irradiation

food transformation process

lacto-fermentationcooking

Preparing food with heat

blanching · boiling · microwaving

Family

ferment, effervescent, fermentation, lactose, lactic, lactate

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G