FERMENTED FOOD WASTE - What's that?
by Shig Matsukawa
We're not talking about pickling food extras or leftovers to preserve them for later consumption. We're talking about pickling scraps, inedible parts like lettuce stumps or banana peels, as well as, leftovers that won't last for later. But we're also talking about all food waste, including meats, fish, all types of bones, dairy, fatty and oily foods.
Naturally Preserve
Just like pickling a cucumber or lettuce (sauerkraut, kimchee), it will naturally preserve the food waste. This is important in the recycling process for two reasons: antioxidants are produced to help preserve and stave off decay, and the preservation makes it possible to keep the food
waste (for instance, in air-tight containers) for months or longer (just like pickled foods) until they can be used. Otherwise, food waste would rot, cause odors, and attract pests.
Promote Good Microbes
Pickling will also increase the number of beneficial, good microbes. The good microbes are the key players in the preservation producing the antioxidants and enzymes. The enzymes, among many other functions, help to break down lignin. Good microbes are also necessary when the food waste end up in the soil. Among the many factors necessary for rich, healthy soil, is the presence of a vibrant population of microorganisms.
Break Down Lignin
Most important, though, is that the pickling or fermentation process actually helps to break down the lignin, the fibers and stringy structure, in foods: vegetables, fruits, as well as, seeds and seed shells. This makes it easy for the food waste, once fermented, to quickly break down when buried in soil or added to a compost pile or added to a vermi-compost bin where the worms can go through the food waste much more quickly.