Mercola Kinetic Culture is a very nice culture starter for vegetable fermentation. I’ve used this starter many times for small and large batches and with many different vegetables. This review confirms that Kinetic Culture is a superb culture starter.
Dr. Mercola Kinetic Culture
Kinetic culture is a further development of the Complete Probiotics supplement and has been adapted to ferment vegetables.
A unique feature is that it’s designed to produce much more vitamin K2 (menaquinone). The amount of K2 present in fermented foods depends on the bacteria species involved in fermentation.
A test batch
Kinetic Culture is powerful and my batch developed lots of bubbles faster than normal. It seem the bacteria is very active.
After seven days of fermenting, I transferred this batch to the fridge and the next day we started consuming them. The veggies were nice and crunchy with a fresh, appealing acidic taste and a hot ginger punch. Loved this batch!
Cost
One box contains 10 packets with 2 grams in each for around $30-35. That’s enough for 20 1-quart jars (1 g starter/quart of vegetables). So the average cost is pretty low per jar and not bad for a high-quality starter. Even if you consume fermented vegetables daily, one box lasts for a long time.
The packets are very practical and easy to use. One packet is used for 2 quarts of vegetables even though some people claim they ferment 3 or 4 quarts using only one packet. I don’t recommend this as you lower the amount of good bacteria in your batch.
Verdict
Dr. Mercola Kinetic Culture is highly recommended. It’s an excellent and easy-to-use culture starter that produces great-tasting vegetables. It contains high levels of potent probiotic bacteria.
More features
Designing a high-quality culture starter to produce vitamin K2 involves DNA sequencing and you have to determine which bacteria strains will dominate during the different stages of the fermentation process. This work is done by microbiologists and reflects a high degree of dedication of those who created this starter.
This culture starter contains the following bacteria:
- Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1
- Bifidobacterium Lactis
- Lactobacillus plantarum
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Lactobacillus casei
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Lactobacillus brevis
- Bifidobacterium longum
- Streptococcus thermophilus
- Lactobacillus salivarius
Acidophilus DDS-1
The first bacterium in the list is L. acidophilus DDS-1; a potent probiotic. Kinetic Culture is unique for including the DDS-1. I mention this because L. acidophilus DDS-1 has some unique properties:
- Produces vitamins, folic acid, vital enzymes and acids
- Produces natural antibiotic-like substances
- Promotes digestion of proteins and carbs
- Suppresses harmful microorganisms
- Support absorption of calcium
- Stimulates the immune system
- Reduces cholesterol
No matter if you’re new to culture starters or an experienced user, you cannot go wrong with Dr. Mercola Kinetic Culture.