Hello, fellow gut health lovers! My name is Chris Frost McKee, I am the co-founder and fermentation enthusiast of Local Culture Ferments. I am excited to share my take on natural fermentation and how it became the focus of my life. Let's start at the beginning.

Ancient Roots

The roots of fermentation go back thousands of years and are linked to many cultures, traditions, and civilizations. Fermentation for all cultures had a similar function: to preserve food through the long winter months while fresh crops and vegetables were not readily available. Fermentation enables food to be stored for long periods of time — years in fact — without refrigeration or proper food storage that we are used to today.

The health benefits of eating these fermented foods were not the main reason for fermentation, but many civilizations did recognize the correlation between eating them and being healthier. For example, eating sauerkraut on long voyages overseas helped ward off scurvy because of the high vitamin C levels that sauerkraut contains.

While refrigeration changed food preservation, fermentation continued to thrive as a cultural and culinary staple. The kimchi we know today traces its roots to Korea and neighboring regions of East Asia, while sauerkraut emerged from Eastern Europe & China — each born from tradition, necessity, and bold regional flavor.

If we are truly connected with our body and our diet, we genuinely crave fermented foods for a reason.

Full of Life

Our palates and our bodies have learned to crave the sour or the umami flavor that makes up most fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, sourdough bread, miso or soy sauce. For me, if I think of taking a bite of a real kosher dill on an empty stomach, my mouth begins to salivate.

Fermented foods are full of life! Literally — full of beneficial microorganisms that are essential to support a healthy microbiome. It is no new news that naturally fermented foods contain one of the greatest diversity of beneficial probiotics and microorganisms for our intestinal tract, and sauerkraut and kimchi have some of the highest levels of these out of all fermented foods. They are also very high in prebiotic fiber to feed the healthy microbes already in our gut.

I am not attempting to make any medical claims here but the daily consumption of small amounts of fermented foods can drastically change the health and vitality of many people.

Some people say that it can aid in healthy bowel movements, digestive issues, strengthen the immune systems, nutrient absorption, and even cognitive function.

A Re-Awakening

It may seem like fermented foods are a fairly new trend in the US, which is true in a way. But the more we learn about it, it is actually a re-awakening of our inherent roots as most of our lineages have deep connections with eating fermented foods. I believe that this is just the beginning of this "food trend" and that fermented foods will eventually find a permanent place in the diet of this country to help heal the current imbalance that is so present in the food system.

My Journey

My passion for fermented foods began far before there was a trend. I was immediately inspired by Sandor Katz and his first book, Wild Fermentation, in 2003 as I was traveling endlessly through Mexico and Central America. I never really had refrigeration available to me so I saw this as a perfect opportunity to cram jars with any kind of veggie, sprinkle some salt, and have some form of fermented foods on every meal. I noticed an immediate difference in how I felt, and it was clear that I wasn't getting as sick as all the other travelers around me.

I first experimented with making sauerkrauts, kimchis, and hot sauces, and later ventured into ginger beers, jun and noni elixirs. My body craved it and there was no going back. Over the years, my passion for fermentation continued to grow — so when my sister came to me with her incredible sauerkraut idea for farmers' markets, I was 100% on board.

There is a great sense of fulfillment that comes from feeding the population real, nutritious foods.

Local Culture Is Born

In 2018, this began a fun side hustle for my wife and me as we raised our kids. It was a way to connect with our local farmers in Grass Valley, CA and turn the abundance of fresh produce in our area into vibrant ferments. We quickly saw that we had something bigger happening and Local Culture Ferments was born onto the shelves of quality natural groceries up and down the West Coast and, eventually, over time, Nationwide.

We are now a flourishing ferment company with a unique and tasty variety of quality organic sauerkrauts, kimchi, and sauces. I wouldn't call any of our ferments traditional, however. We took the roots of the traditional ways of fermentation and brought in the culinary experience that we had gathered over the years to make our products fun, tasty and approachable to the consumer.

Why Plastic-Free

At Local Culture, we take fermentation seriously — which is why we commit to plastic-free fermentation and packaging. We ferment exclusively in high-quality stainless steel vessels, while most brands rely on plastic alternatives. This is because the beneficial lactic acid bacteria naturally present in fermented foods are highly active and responsive to their environments. By avoiding plastic during fermentation, we reduce the risk of unwanted chemical leaching and ensure the purity of our product from start to finish.

We also ferment for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks in a very strict temperature-controlled environment to ensure that our customers get the freshest and most biodiverse ferments possible.

And another fun fact: we run an on-site composting program that turns our kitchen scraps into rich, biodiverse compost at our facility. That compost goes straight back into the soil, feeding the seasonal cabbage we grow each year for our ferments.

You can order our products directly through our website, localcultureferments.com, or reference the "locations" page on our website to find a retailer near you.

Try It at Home

Simple Red Beet Kraut

All you need is a clean glass jar, preferably a wide-mouth 32-oz or 64-oz mason jar and a rust-proof lid.

700 grams finely chopped green cabbage
100 grams grated red beet
16 grams quality salt of choice (not iodized)

Optional: add a tablespoon of fresh ginger for a little kick — it's delicious!

Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. With clean hands, thoroughly massage all ingredients until they get softer and feel wet to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
Cram it all into a clean 32 oz glass jar and pack it down as tight as possible — so tight that the juice starts to cover the vegetables.
If you have a fermentation weight, place this on top. If not, fold a large cabbage leaf to fit tightly on top. Leave an inch or two of headspace for expansion.
Place your clean rust-proof lid on top and tighten, but not too tight so the ferment can offgas. Place the jar in a bowl to capture overflow.
Find a dark, warm place in your pantry and let the magic happen. Ferment for 7 to 21 days.
Try it periodically with a clean utensil, pressing it down firmly. When it tastes good to you, toss it in the fridge and enjoy. It will last many months.

The Roots of Fermentation