The Greenhouse

A little gem. Hidden down an alley near Boston Stump and Market Place.

Not a greenhouse. I learnt so called, because the owner has or once had an allotment.

I recommended try The Allotment at Collingham.

I had looked in earlier, was intrigued by kimchi cheese toastie. I said I would return later.

Meal deal, tomato soup with kimchi cheese toastie.

A fascinating discussion with the owner on fermented foods. He said adverse reaction from the good folk of Boston. I suggested, ask do you like beer? Fermented malted barley. Wine? Fermented grape juice. Cheese? Fermented milk. Yogurt? Fermented milk. 

I came away with two jars of preserves, chili jam and Seville marmalade.

• PHOTOS The Greenhouse

I returned the following day, briefly popped in, suggest to customers, try the fermented food experiment, each day, three different fermented foods for 21 days. Start on 1 February, note how feel during the trial. Zoe carried out this experiment on 5.000 volunteers. Stanford, with five different fermented foods.

books on ferreted foods

• Ferment – Kenji Morimot
• Ferment – Tim Spector

Polish kefir

For people who dislike kefir, try a Polish kefir.

kefir #Poland #kefir

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp.bsky.social) 2025-11-25T14:06:44.772Z

I came across in an ethnic supermarket in Scunthorpe. A choice of half a dozen. I picked two at random, Romania and Poland. Creamy, acidic. The best tasting I’ve encountered.

Label claims microbes and kefir grains.

I’ve contacted the dairy for more information, but no response.

Little Korea kimchi pancake

Little Korea, always dark and gloomy during the day, appears to be closed. Maybe that is why always empty.

kimchi pancake Little Korea #kimchi #pancakes #Korean #Lincoln

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp.bsky.social) 2025-11-25T14:34:14.221Z

Little Korea #Korean #Lincoln pic.twitter.com/mtcYQrEhPB

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) November 25, 2025

Door sticks on walking in, floor sticky, water in plastic carafe (very bad for micro-plastic contamination), plates always cold.

Why therefore visit?

Kimchi pancake, kimchijeon, is excellent. Generous portion size.

Kimchi is the Korean version of sauerkraut, the difference, slightly spicy.

Kimchi is fermented, when buying always look for live kimchi.

Eat at least three ferments a day: Greek yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut . Also cheese, sourdough bread, bean-to-bar craft dark chocolate, specialty coffee.

The Stanford study showed five fermented foods a day, positive impact on immune system and gut microbiome.

• Kimchi acts as a ‘precision regulator’ for the immune system, 12-week clinical trial suggests

Three week trial supplement diet with three different fermented foods reset

Last month a  three week trial, consume three different fermented foods each day, note the effects on mood, hunger, energy levels.

I noticed no difference.

muesli blueberries blackberries banana Greek yogurt #breakfast pic.twitter.com/PWvHP159ni

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) October 30, 2025

kimchi pancake Little Korea #Korean #festaurant #Lincoln #kimchi #pancakes pic.twitter.com/GrenZAP88N

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) November 1, 2025

Saturday 1 November, reset, run the trial again

Kicked off with kimchi pancake at Little Korea. For breakfast, muesli, Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit.

Week four of three week fermented food trial

No, it does not make a lot of sense. How can it be week four of a three week trial. I decided to continue. 

For three weeks, each day, add to diet, three different fermented foods. Note for each day, mood, energy, hunger.

Day one of  the three week trial Wednesday 1 October 2025. Date chosen, day of the month tallies with day one of the trial.

I’ve not noted each day, thus is a summary for the third week.

Breakfast, muesli with fresh seasonal  fruit, Greek yogurt, kefir Followed by peanut butter on corn biscuits or sourdough toast.

Day one, kimchi pancake at Little Korea kicked off the trial.

Tried in the third week, making kimchi pancake. Disaster. Went wrong, don’t know why. Tried again a couple of days later. Better, but not as good as my first two attempts.

A couple of times, kimchi pancake at Little Korea.

Each day, yogurt, kefir, kimchi kombucha, not each one every day. Not tried sauerkraut. Also cheese, wine, coffee, chocolate, sourdough bread.

Before the trial, dizziness, pain across the shoulder. Dizziness not last week, the week before, dizziness worsened, resulting on Friday a visit to A&E. Blood tests and brain scans, all clear, but none the wiser the cause.

Dizziness eased, only to then return worse. Losing sense of balance.

Over the weekend, very poorly, maybe a Coronavirus variant, many of the symptoms.

I posed for the previous three weeks, would these symptoms be worse if not taking three fermented foods a day? Moot point, impossible to know. I can partially answer. Following a visit to A&E a couple of weeks ago, MRI brain scan and blood tests, and follow up appointment with a doctor, the dizziness may be caused by microscopic crystals rattling around in my ear, may last for weeks, but should eventually subsidise.

I will reset the beginning of November.

Kimchi pancake tutorial

Excellent kimchi tutorial.

Add chopped spring onion. The green leaves, leave, add around the pancake in the pan.

Week three of three week fermented food trial

For three weeks, each day, add to diet, three different fermented foods. Note for each day, mood, energy, hunger.

Day one of  the three week trial Wednesday 1 October 2025. Date chosen, day of the month tallies with day one of the trial.

I’ve not noted each day, thus is a summary for the third week.

Breakfast, muesli with fresh seasonal  fruit, Greek yogurt, kefir Followed by peanut butter on corn biscuits or sourdough toast.

Day one, kimchi pancake at Little Korea kicked off the trial.

Tried in the third week, making kimchi pancake. Disaster. Went wrong, don’t know why. Tried again a couple of days later. Better, but not as good as my first two attempts.

A couple of times, kimchi pancake at Little Korea.

Each day, yogurt, kefir, kimchi kombucha, not each one every day. Not tried sauerkraut. Also cheese, wine, coffee, chocolate, sourdough bread.

Before the trial, dizziness, pain across the shoulder. Dizziness not last week, the week before, dizziness worsened, resulting on Friday a visit to A&E. Blood tests and brain scans, all clear, but none the wiser the cause.

Dizziness eased, only to then return worse. Losing sense of balance.

This kimchi bloody Mary.

Would these symptoms be worse if not taking three fermented foods a day? Moot point, impossible to know.

End of three week trial. No noticeable improvement in health.

To continue? Maybe.

Jarr kombucha

There are now a huge range of commercial kombuchas available in most countries, ranging from the increasing number of artisan varieties in the UK, such as Momo, to industrially  made pasteurised kombuchas full of artificial sweeteners and flavourings that are more like a synthetic iced tea that can last years.  — Tim Spector, Ferment

Kombucha is a healthy fermented food.

Kombucha with additives is ultra-processed food.

Jarr kombucha Kombucha is healthy fermented food.Kombucha with additives is ultra-processed food. #kombucha #ferments #health

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp.bsky.social) 2025-10-17T20:39:43.898Z

Jarr kombucha

Jarr kombucha Kombucha is healthy fermented food.Kombucha with additives is ultra-processed food. #kombucha #ferments #health

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp.bsky.social) 2025-10-17T20:47:27.820Z

Jarr kombucha with additives

Artisanal producers, can send fresh samples in batches which will have a shelf life of a couple of weeks in a fridge before they turn too sour. When scaling up, large scale production, not possible  to maintain quality and long shelf life especially when transporting a live product across the country, not when  in sealed bottles or cans. Corners are cut.

Jarr is an industrial facility in Belgium , part of a larger Belgium brewery. 

Momo ferments kombucha in the traditional way in large glass jars , then bottles in 330ml bottles.

I recently had a Momo bottle explode. Rare, but it happens. I noticed a wet patch in the corner of a paper carrier bag. Bottle leaking? I picked up the carrier bag. The bottle fell through, hit the ground and exploded, foam gushing out as though I’d set off a fire extinguisher.

Jarr adds additives to its kombucha, turning a healthy fermented drink into an ultra-processed food.

• vitamin C
• soluble fibre

Neither additive is required. Artificial supplements are bad for our health.

Eat 30 plants a week (Five a Day is dated), eat the rainbow. 

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is fermented tea, consisting of four ingredients, tea, water, sugar and a  symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The yeast breaks down the sugar forming alcohol. The bacteria break down the alcohol. After ten day, the kombucha is ready, chilled to slow down further fermentation.

The proof of the pudding in the eating. Kombucha in the drinking.

Taste test, Jarr kombucha very poor quality kombucha.

Week two of three week fermented food trial

For three weeks, each day, add to diet, three different fermented foods. Note for each day, mood, energy, hunger.

Day one of  the three week trial Wednesday 1 October 2025. Date chosen, day of the month tallies with day one of the trial.

I’ve not noted each day, thus is a summary for the second week.

Breakfast, muesli with fresh seasonal  fruit, Greek yogurt, kefir Followed by peanut butter on corn biscuits or sourdough toast.

Day one, kimchi pancake at Little Korea kicked off the trial.

Tried in the second week, making kimchi pancake.

kimchi pancake Little Korea #Korean #restaurant #Lincoln #kimchi #pancakes

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp.bsky.social) 2025-10-14T16:25:24.102Z

End of second week, kimchi pancake at Little Korea.

Each day, yogurt, kefir, kimchi kombucha, not each one every day. Not tried sauerkraut. Also cheese, wine, coffee, chocolate.

Before the trial, dizziness, pain across the shoulder. Dizziness last week has worsened, resulting on Friday a visit to A&E. Blood tests and brain scans, all clear, but none the wiser the cause. Would these symptoms be worse if not taking three fermented foods a day? Moot point, impossible to know.

Week one of three week fermented food trial

For three weeks, each day, add to diet, three different fermented foods. Note for each day, mood, energyzv hunger.

Day one of  the three week trial Wednesday 1 October 2025. Date chosen, day of the month tallies with day one of the trial.

I’ve not noted each day, thus is a summary for the week.

Breakfast, muesli with fresh seasonal  fruit, yogurt, kefir Followed by peanut butter on corn biscuits or sourdough toast.

Day one, kimchi pancake at Little Korea kicked off the trial.

Twice, kimchi bloody Mary. Re used kimchi in its own, on tosstm Did not like.

Each day, yogurt, kefir, kimchi kombucha, not e every day.

Before the trial, dizziness BB eds, tired,  nothing has changed.