Traveling with Culture

Summer is here, and you may have plans to go to faraway (or not-so-faraway) places. How do you plan to keep your gut healthy? Many is the time that I’ve returned from vacation to find myself: bloated, constipated, and broken out like a teenager (TMI, right?). Vacation sometimes leads to excess. But if you have ACCESS (to probiotic cultures) it will help balance the effects of EXCESS.

Of course, these days, you can find fermented foods almost anywhere – even in those “big box” stores that I shall not name 😉 . But if you want maximal good bacteria with minimal additives, your best bet is always to make your own.

You CAN opt bring a small amount of your live cultures with you. As long as you have your culture, it’s pretty easy to resource your ingredients anywhere. A Kombucha SCOBY, Water Kefir Grains, Milk Kefir Grains, or a bit of Yogurt can be started up wherever you land. I am no stranger to weird looks from airport security-haven’t been put on the no-fly list yet! If you’ll be staying more than a couple of days, you can easily jump in & start producing goodness right away.

Faster Alternatives

Another option is using a Direct-Set Culture. Dried Yogurt Starter & Kefir Starter can be added to various milks or juices and within hours you’ll have your cultures without any continued maintenance of grains or starters.

You can also start a batch of fermented veggies. The smaller they are cut, and the smaller your fermentation vessel, the quicker they will ferment. Also, warmer temps will help speed the process. Besides salt, you can jump start things with vegetable starter culture or whey, when available.

There are many options. With a little planning ahead, you can not only impress your traveling companions with your MacGyver-ness, but keep them and yourself healthy in the process!

Happy travels 🙂