When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, the word “fermented” prompted scrunched noses, sickly frowns and gagging. Synonyms might as well have been “putrid” or “gross” — conjuring old, decaying food ...

Lacto-fermentation occurs when the starches and sugars in vegetables and fruit are converted to lactic acid by friendly bacteria, called lactobacilli. Lactic acid is a naturally occurring preservative ...