Fermenting Potatoes page

[Samtop]

I'm a self styled food mad scientist. There ain't a food out there that I wont try to ferment just to see what happens. I've been hacking up white potatoes and fermenting them for a week or more before cooking. The idea being to convert some of the starch to whatever good stuff my little microbial buddies decide to make.

They're not very versatile (they turn into mashed potatoes no matter what), but they are delicious. They don't need salt, since I reuse sour kraut brine (1 cup fancy sea salt per gallon of pre-boiled or filtered water, then poured over cabbage to sit for a week or 4) and they also require no sour cream cause they're already sour. Just add a bunch of butter and you're good.

Here's the thing: I can't find any good research on the effects of fermentation on the glycoalkaloids. I assume it breaks them down, as fermentation seems to kill most antinutrients to some degree. Only reference I can find is to the fact that it's not practical to implement on a commercial scale, hence not done. Thanks capitalism, you never fail to disappoint.

[PaleoMom]

So is your end product a mashed potato type texture then? Are you heating it back up when you add the butter before eating? and if so doesn't that kill the probiotics?

[Samtop]

Oh, yeah, they're dead, but I get plenty of probiotics besides that. I ferment the potatoes raw, then cook them as normal. That doesn't mean there's no benefit. Probiotics make a bunch of nutrients like B and K vitamins, loosen up minerals for my absorption, make digestive enzymes (some of which are destroyed in cooking, but still a net gain) and convert sugars and starches into forms that parasites don't really care for. And, I can only assume, break down the antinutrients.

Therein lies my frustration; not a lot of good research on the effects of probiotics on toxins and antinutrients. There's anecdotal stuff out there about people accidently fermenting poisonous things and surviving or gluten eliminating sourdough cultures, but nothing solid on which to hang my hat. I know that probiotic cultures can do some amazing things. I've take food that I KNEW had gone bad and fermented it then ate it. Tasted terrible, but I was fine afterwards. I REALLY don't recommend that. I was doing a test to see the limits of fermentation for a potential starvation situation where non spoiled food is hard to come by. I've even heard that lacto fermentation can kill botulism, but I don't quite have that kinda balls to brains ratio.

[Paleobird]

Oh. Sounded for a minute there as if you were making Primal vodka.

[Samtop]

Not a bad idea, though alcohol ain't much of a passion of mine. Since I lack a still, I wonder what potato wine would taste like. Pretty bad would be my guess.

[zizou]

Oh, yeah, they're dead, but I get plenty of probiotics besides that. I ferment the potatoes raw, then cook them as normal. That doesn't mean there's no benefit. Probiotics make a bunch of nutrients like B and K vitamins, loosen up minerals for my absorption, make digestive enzymes (some of which are destroyed in cooking, but still a net gain) and convert sugars and starches into forms that parasites don't really care for. And, I can only assume, break down the antinutrients.

Therein lies my frustration; not a lot of good research on the effects of probiotics on toxins and antinutrients. There's anecdotal stuff out there about people accidently fermenting poisonous things and surviving or gluten eliminating sourdough cultures, but nothing solid on which to hang my hat. I know that probiotic cultures can do some amazing things. I've take food that I KNEW had gone bad and fermented it then ate it. Tasted terrible, but I was fine afterwards. I REALLY don't recommend that. I was doing a test to see the limits of fermentation for a potential starvation situation where non spoiled food is hard to come by. I've even heard that lacto fermentation can kill botulism, but I don't quite have that kinda balls to brains ratio.

Neat little experiments you got going. Regarding antinutrients, are you concerned about whether or not the potatoes hoae less gylykaloids or whatever its called, post fermentation? Do you notice problems with nightshades in general, or problems with other veggies which youve tested by fmenting and noted any differences? Thats the sort of stuff im interested in and would like to dip my hands in regarding fermentation.

[Damiana]

Oh. Sounded for a minute there as if you were making Primal vodka.

I thought the same.

[LauraSB]

They're not very versatile (they turn into mashed potatoes no matter what), but they are delicious. They don't need salt, since I reuse sour kraut brine (1 cup fancy sea salt per gallon of pre-boiled or filtered water, then poured over cabbage to sit for a week or 4) and they also require no sour cream cause they're already sour. Just add a bunch of butter and you're good.

They do sound good. I've been pouring the brine from fermented pickles over steamed, slightly cooled white potatoes because it's tastier than just drinking the brine straight. I may have to try adding butter as well, though I like them fine without.