Why would you ferment potatoes (apart from to make alcohol – but I’m not going there!)? By fermenting potatoes, it makes them easier to digest, since fermenting is essentially like predigesting food. Depending on the method, or at which stage you ferment the potatoes, you can also add extra probiotics to your diet.
A firm favourite is mashed potatoes, so why muck with them? Because they taste delicious! Simply boil diced potatoes in lightly salted water (peeling optional) until they are tender, then mash and cool to room temperature.
For each cup of mashed potato, add ½ cup Greek yoghurt and ¼ tablespoon salt.
Mix together well and cover with a cloth, secured with an elastic band. Leave on bench for 1-3 days, stirring twice a day, with a very clean spoon/fork. The potato is not covered by brine, which would ordinarily protect it from mould growth, stirring helps here. Taste after stirring to see if it has gone to the right tangy-ness for you. This is where I think it tastes the best.
Keep in a sealed container in the fridge, discard if mould starts to grow. I have kept this for a month in the fridge in a sealed glass jar, no mould formed, but it did taste like blue cheese. Eat either cold or warmed gently – heat will kill the good guys!
The next way of fermenting potatoes is to ferment them before cooking. This seasons the potatoes, and makes super crunchy chips or roast potatoes.
Make a brine using 2 tablespoons salt per 1L water – make as much as you need to cover potatoes.
Peel and cut potatoes – into chips, wedges or chunks, depending preference.
Add a tablespoon of whey or a clean cabbage leaf to the bowl. This acts as a starter for the fermentation process.
Put potatoes into a glass bowl or jar and cover with brine. Make sure potatoes are fully submerged.
Cover with a cloth to keep out bugs and leave to ferment, making sure potatoes are completely submerged. Potatoes can be kept in the brine for up to a week, but can be used after two days to get the super crunchy effect.
Remove from brine, rinse and dry, toss in a little oil, just to coat, and put into a hot oven or in the air fryer. The potatoes can also be frozen in an airtight container after rinsing and before cooking.
