by Sandor Ellix Katz

Think those sour dill pickles you buy at the store are real pickles?  Not if they’ve been preserved in vinegar.  Cucumbers get the real pickly flavor by being submerged in a salty solution and exposed to the natural ‘good’ bacteria in the air.  The salt protects the cukes from harmful bacteria, and the good bacteria transform the cukes into sour pickle goodness through fermentation.  Turns out, probiotics have been around for centuries. While researching the link between good bacteria and good health, I found Sandor Ellix Katz and his fermentation fetish.   Not quite to fetish level yet, I am making my own yogurt, pickles, and sourdough starter with Katz’s help.  Healthy to eat and a creative outlet to boot!