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Well done, Bev. Fermentation is both so complex and so simple, and you have written a good introduction. I'd like to see a follow-up article on fermenting something many of us could easily do, step by step.
Darius, Thank you. Your opinion means a lot! Depending on the interest, I would like to do a couple follow up articles on the fermenting of specific foods. There are already several good DG articles using vinegar to pickle produce, and one on sauerkraut making. I hope readers found the links at the bottom of this fermentation article.
Yes, but...! Even if you did an article on fermented cucumbers or sauerkraut, the nutritional value of the product would not be the same. For example, I read that the lactic acid in fermented sauerkraut has been shown to eliminate polyps... not so in pickled sauerkraut. I realize that we cannot give medical advice, nor would I want to... so even if you just looked at lactic acid and the effects on nutrition... lactobacillus in yogurt, used to recolonize the good bacteria in the intestines after a round of antibiotics comes to mind...
What you say about the difference between natural fermentation versus pickling with vinegar is absolutely true. The vinegar imparts flavors and preserves the food. It does not ferment, thus no change in the nutritional value of the food itself. BUT, vinegar, being a fermented food with exceptional nutrition and health benefits, adds those qualities to the product. If I could not have a food preserved by natural fermentation, I would readily accept it preserved in vinegar for the additional benefits. Vinegar is a good second best and better nutritionally than other means of preservation (canning, drying, freezing) where some nutrients are lost in processing.
