Time for a little more details to my story...
About a year ago a restaurant owner begged me to make kraut and ketchup for her cafe. She liked the fermented products I had, wanted to provide them to her customers but didn't want to venture into that extra arena. So the idea was born. Instead of going into debt to build the business, I decided to do workshops to teach people how to ferment foods so
that they can do for themselves. The profits would go towards buying equipment and supplies to make the product. The early part of the year saw much success and I was able to get a nice cabbage slicer and other supplies to do more kinds of workshops. We have moved forward and at the moment are at the label stage. I have hired someone to help designed a label so we can move on to inspection with the agriculture department. I hope that by January we will have the first batches of kraut(plain, caraway and garlic flavors) and ketchup(regular and vegan options) ready to sell. I plan on using organic for all or most of the products. There will be a small amount of things not available as organic like salt. I am hoping to be able to use my keen shopping skills to procure the best price and pass it along to the consumer. I really would like to get quality ferments at great prices out there for the busy people who don't have time to make their own or need a jar in a pinch. Really though, I would like my main market to be restaurants. This is an area that most all restaurants are lacking. American culture over all is lacking probiotic rich foods at their meals. It only takes a tablespoon of kraut with a meal to get you the necessary digestive aide. Many other cultures have a ferment available when you are at their restaurants...soy sauce in Asian cultures, as well as kimchi or their version of kraut, Greeks have tzatziki which is a yogurt culture, Jewish delis have pickles though I am not certain they are fermented anymore in this culture...Germans have kraut which unfortunately has ended up getting heated now a days therefore killing the benefits. In all honesty, I don't care to profit from the business. I am dreaming of a way to make it an employee owned enterprise or a non-profit that has a product to sell, a service to offer(workshops teaching all fermented foods) and possible sponsor me to be able to take trips to Africa and spread the word of fermented foods. I have connections in Cameroon, Uganda and Tanzania and possibly Kenya. I would love to go there and learn what ferments they are already doing and if they aren't then teach them all about why they want to do ferment some foods. So many become violently sick because of bad bacteria, I really feel that the beneficial bacteria in probiotics could be the answer to a lot of health issues there. In the olden days, these cultures were given to your sister, daughter, and neighbors...to promote health and food preservation. I really love sharing it in much the same fashion. I almost always have a kombucha scoby, JUN scoby, Milk kefir, water kefir available for free. I also am willing to share viili, matsoni, filmjolk, piima and when available heirloom buttermilk for a small donation to my milk cost. These cultures are all fresh and free locally. Also willing to ship anywhere for the cost of shipping(a donation for the cost of materials happily accepted too). Peace and love to all.
