OUR STORY · 02
The bacteria do the work. We just give them the right room.
Lacto-fermentation in 60 seconds, the three biotics explained, and the four organisms doing most of the work.
What's actually happening in the jar.
Salt creates a gate
2–3% salt by weight makes the brine inhospitable to most bacteria, moulds, and yeasts. It does not bother lactic acid bacteria (LAB). They can swim. The competition can't.
LAB eat the sugars
Vegetables, fruits, and grains carry wild LAB on their skin. The dominant species — Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus — start consuming naturally-present sugars.
pH drops below 4.0
LAB excrete lactic acid as a by-product. The brine acidifies. By Day 4, pH is around 3.5–3.8 — too acidic for spoilage organisms, just right for LAB.
Probiotic, prebiotic, postbiotic — explained.
Probiotic
The live bacteria themselves — Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Bifidobacterium. They colonise temporarily, crowd out pathogens, train your immune system, and produce compounds that help your gut barrier.
Prebiotic
The fiber that feeds them — inulin, fructooligosaccharides, beta-glucan. Doesn't make it through your stomach digested. The bacteria in your colon eat it. Without prebiotic, probiotic doesn't stay.
Postbiotic
Everything LAB produce — short-chain fatty acids, lactic acid, K2, B12, antimicrobial peptides, GABA. The compounds that do most of the actual physiological good. Stable even after the bacteria die.
WHY SALT BRINE
Vinegar pickles aren't fermented.
Vinegar pickles are preserved in acetic acid. They taste tangy but contain zero live cultures — the vinegar killed them all on contact.
Lacto-fermented pickles produce their own acid (lactic acid) as bacteria metabolise sugars over days. The result: live LAB, postbiotics, and a tang that comes from biology, not a bottle.
If the recipe says "add vinegar," it's not a probiotic ferment. Period.
The four organisms doing most of the work.
The closer.
The most studied LAB on Earth. Tolerates pH 3.5, dominates the late-fermentation phase. Linked in trials to reduced bloating, IBS-symptom relief, and improved gut-barrier integrity. Present in achaar, kanji, kimchi, sauerkraut.
The flavour-builder.
Produces complex aroma compounds and small amounts of CO₂. Responsible for the slight fizz in kanji and the depth in mature kimchi. Also produces GABA, a neurotransmitter linked to mood-axis effects.
The opener.
Starts every veg ferment in the first 48 hours. Heterofermentative — produces both lactic acid and CO₂. Hands off to L. plantarum once the pH gets too low for it.
NEXT
Where the ingredients come from.
If the science checks out, the next question is sourcing — every batch is traceable to a single farm or partner.