Dear Lisa,
As I understand it, fermenting cabbage properly involves the use of salt. The
brine that's created by breaking down the vegetable's cell wall and combining
its released water with salt acts as a kind of mild 'antiseptic' in a way, and
keeps too many potentially harmful pathogenic bacteria from proliferating,
while still allowing beneficial organisms to gradually reproduce and thrive.
This balance between the 'good' bugs and the potentially 'bad' bugs that's
achieved via the process of fermentation, along with the fact that the bacteria
eat sugars and convert them to lactic acid, are what serve to preserve
fermented foods for a very long time. These processes are what make ferments
safe to consume even after long periods of time have passed after their initial
preparation.
So...if you just shredded your cabbage and stuck it directly into the fridge,
rather than adding some salt and leaving it at room temperature for at least a
few days to ferment, I couldn't really say if its really and truly fermented,
thereby ensuring that it was properly preserved and therefore safe to drink
after all this time.
Personally, I'd probably lean toward being safer rather than sorry, and put
that old shredded cabbage in the compost. On the other hand, if you're not so
inclined to let this food go to waste, you can always let your eyes and nose be
your guides in making your decision. If you don't see any visible mold or other
signs of decay, and if it passes your own personal sniff test, you could give
it a sip and see what you think.
Good luck and I hope this helps,
Elan
>>>
Hi Elan,
I ask you this as it appears that you know
a bit about fermented foods: but awhile ago (couple weeks now) I took some
cabbage and “blenderized” with the thought that I’d drink it
over a few days to increase my gut flora. I did use some, but one of the
bottles wound up in the back of my fridge and I am hesitant in drinking it at
this point. The bottle must’ve been the last part of it as it’s
mostly just cabbage juice, which I’m sure is quite fermented. Could it
have gone bad? Is it ok to drink at this point?
Lisa>>>
