Sharon Flynn on Ferment for Good: A Love Affair with Fermented Foods

A fascinating conversation with author of Ferment for Good, and Founder of The Fermentary, Sharon Flynn. We discuss discuss Sharon’s love affair with fermented foods, helping her sick daughter get her gut better ,the challenges around making fermented foods commercially, Sharon’s easy Carrot Brine recipe, milk Kefir the probiotic superfood to transform your gut health and much more.

 

 

Bio: 

 

Australian-born Sharon Flynn was living in Tokyo, teaching English at a university, more than two decades ago when she first learned about fermenting. An elderly Japanese neighbour and her family introduced Sharon to the joys of miso, tofu and eventually fermented vegetables. Many city moves later - she married a financier who moved with work regularly - Sharon found herself in Seattle. That's where she really caught the fermenting bug. She belonged to a Community Supported Agricultural Scheme and received so many little cucumbers that she recalls she had to learn to pickle! She moved on to cheese, yoghurt and bread - and was truly hooked after meeting the man regarded as the master of fermentation in the US, Sandor Katz.

 

 

In the background here, her third daughter became quite ill. By this time the family had moved to Brussels and she found that antibiotics had left her daughter's system devoid of essential bacteria. Sharon says she read up more and more on fermenting - every culture has a version of some sort - and her daughter eventually regained her zest and good health. Fast forward a few years and Sharon found herself in Melbourne, this time sans her husband, with her three daughters. She learnt to make kefir, made her own ferments and started sharing these with friends. She tried to teach her friends, but quickly discovered that what they really wanted was for her to make it for them! So began her little business, The Fermentary.

 

 

Her products quickly won a following, alongside acclaim in the restaurant world. Now, with new partner chef Roger Fowler, her business is not so little; they sell both wholesale to leading Sydney and Melbourne restaurants and retailers, as well as direct to their customers at farmers' markets. As well, Sharon conducts regular workshops in Victoria and beyond. Sharon was also fortunate enough to spend a fortnight in late 2015 undertaking an intensive, advanced fermenting workshop with Sandor Katz (described by The New York Times as one of the unlikely rock stars of the American food scene) at his home in Cannon County, Tennessee.

 

 

Topics discussed:

 

Sharon’s origin story

Sharon’s love of fermented foods

The Danish pig farm

The Japanese Fermentation Odyssey

Pickles at the Jewish Neighbourhood in Chicago

Community Supported Agricultural in Seattle- Jubilee Farms

Meeting Sandor Katz

Making Sourdough and Cheese

Science Experiments

Moving to Belgium

A sick daughter and antibiotics

Putting bacteria back in the gut

The GAPS book

Introducing Fermented Foods

"That Drink”- Water Kefir

"Die off" Reaction

Teaching people how to make Water Kefir

Dealing in Ferments

Names on tags

Running a Small Batch Fermenting business

Fake Fermented Foods- Kefir and Kombucha

Getting the real deal- bacterial diversity and real carbonation

Fear of alcohol vs healthy low alcohol 

Health Tinctures

The evolution of fermented foods

Making your Fermented Foods

Clarity in Food Label of Fermented Foods

Challenges around the manufacture of real fermented foods

Pickles vs Fermented Foods

An easy fermented food to start with- Brined Carrots Recipe

Flavouring a brine with herbs and spices

Preventing Kahm yeast

Fermenting with joy and wonder

Bringing back our old traditions

Sharon’s top tip for Gut Health

Functional Peptides in Milk Kefir

Flavouring milk kefir

Tryptophan and Milk Kefir

Milk Kefir before bed

Roger’s heart burn story

Pets and milk kefir

Appetite suppression of milk kefir

 

Brought to you by:

 

Nourishme Organics your online shop for Fermented Food Cultures and Home Fermentation Equipment

 

https://www.nourishmeorganics.com.au/

 

 

Shop fermentation cultures and accessories online today and use code sharon for 10% off

 

Grab a copy of Sharon Flynn book - Ferment for Good

 

 

 

Connect with Sharon Flynn

 

Website- https://www.thefermentary.com.au/

 

Connect with Kriben Govender: 

 

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/kribengee/

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/kribengovender/

Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/c/Nourishmeorganics?sub_confirmation=1

Gut Health Gurus Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nourishmeorganics/

Deuterium Depletion Support Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/347845406055631/

 

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