SALT (Part Three): The Living Pantry – How Fermented Foods Heal the Gut and Feed the Soul
- Michelle Myrick
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
There’s something downright magical about watching a jar of cabbage turn itself into kraut. No flame, no fridge, no rush—just salt, time, and the invisible world of microbes at work.
That’s fermentation. Or more specifically, lacto-fermentation—a process so old, every culture on Earth has their version. Kimchi in Korea. Sauerkraut in Germany. Pickled herring in Scandinavia and Salt cod right here at home in Newfoundland.
In simple terms? You mix salt with vegetables (generally 2% salt of the weight of the fruit and/or vegetables) and let the friendly bacteria already living on these plants go to work.
The salt keeps the bad bugs and pathogens out, and the good ones get busy transforming sugars into lactic acid—a natural preservative that gives fermented food its signature tang and sparkle.
So, how is this important for gut health?
Fermented foods are important for gut health because the gut is a bustling little ecosystem of microbes (bacteria and yeast) and fermented foods feed these beneficial microbes. When your belly is full of diverse, happy microbes, your whole body will benefit. Better digestion, stronger immunity, improved mood, clearer thinking, great looking skin—it all starts in the gut.
Modern life though has not been so kind to those microbes. Stress, antibiotics, and processed foods have thrown your natural inner balance off-kilter. Fermented foods are the answer in restoring your gut microbiome to its natural state.
Fermentation is Folk Medicine
It’s not fussy. It’s not sterile. It’s not perfect science—it’s tradition. It’s slicing up a cabbage, salting it with care, and trusting the process. It’s what our ancestors did without fancy labs or probiotic pills.
It’s making food with nature, not against it. It’s building up your medicine cabinet, one jar at a time.
And the best part? You can do all of this in your own kitchen. No special tools, no degree required. Just salt, clean jars, and a bit of patience.
It may sound a little overwhelming, but I promise you it is not. It’s easy to do. It’s just something that you haven’t learned yet, that’s all.
📣 So……Come Learn With Us!
Curious to try your hand at this slow and beautiful process?
Join us at The Keeper’s Kitchen Inn for our next Gut Health & Fermentation Workshop—a hands-on, story-rich experience where we teach you the old ways of making your own medicinal and delicious foods.
In our workshops you will:
taste your way through two different kinds of kraut, two different kinds of kefir, as well as two different kinds of kombucha, and let’s not forget about the jars of cultured fruit and veggies
all while learning the science behind the magic of lacto-fermentation
then take home recipes so that you can make these wonderful food and beverages yourself—and start resetting your gut microbiome with a variety of powerful probiotics.
we'll also share stories, laughter, and a deeper understanding of your own digestion and how to improve it.
Next Workshop: Wednesday, July 23rd at 9:30am-11:00am
Location: The Keeper’s Kitchen Inn, St. Shotts
Registration: Call Michelle (709-730-1708) or email: info@thekeeperskitchen.com to reserve your space.
Spaces are limited on purpose so we can chat about your specific needs.
Stay tuned for Part Three in this blog series where we’ll dive into the art of flavour layering—how fermentation, herbs, acids, and salt, all come together to create unforgettable meals that nourish body and soul.
Comments