If you think you know your pickles, think again.
Microbiologist Kaitlynn Fenley, 24, has taken pickles down to the microscopic level. She knows exactly the weight of salt to add to each 30-gallon barrel to create the perfect batch of fermented veggies. She can walk you through the life cycles of each species of microbe that lives and dies inside the barrels over the course of fermentation.
And she’ll be the first to tell you: There’s no need to fear the microbe.
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Fenley and her partner, 23-year-old photographer Scott Chachere, have launched Cultured Guru, a fermented foods company spearheaded by the success of their blog, Microbial Universe.
The two sell wild fermented pickles, banana peppers and sauerkraut that are “living,” meaning they’re teeming with a species-rich probiotic population that fills your gut with good bacteria—the type of bacteria that keeps your digestive system moving.
Their vegetables are sourced from Mississippi and Louisiana, their herbs are grown at home, their salt comes straight from the Pacific Ocean and Fenley examines every last product under a microscope to ensure the microbes inside the foods are exactly what our guts need.
“We’re touting ourselves as educators in our field. As educators, we can kind of remove the fear or disconnect people have with what we’re making. … Once I explain it to them that these are good bacteria, that 90 percent of the DNA in your body is bacteria or other microbes, they catch on,” Fenley says.
When she’s not teaching classes on fermentation at Red Stick Spice Company and he’s not in his day job at Digital FX, Fenley and Chachere employ friends and family to help them fill their barrels. It’s a small operation, and they like it that way. This way, they can guarantee the integrity of every batch.
Their passion for getting natural probiotics to the masses is huge, but their expertise and attention to detail? Literally microscopic.
For more recipes—and how to use fermented foods to get your daily dose of probiotics— check out Cultured Guru’s website at cultured.guru.
This article was originally published in the December 2016 issue of 225 Magazine.