Fermenting Foods 101: How To Ferment Food at Home

Ferment foods at home and enjoy delicious, healthy fermented veggies and other nutritious homemade eats. How to make fermented food, step by step.

Whether you’re looking to add more flavor to your meals or just trying to eat healthier, fermentation is a great way to go.

Fermentation involves using bacteria to break down food into its simplest form, which makes it easier for our bodies to absorb nutrients. It also adds a unique taste that many people enjoy.

Benefits of Fermented Foods

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If you’ve ever had kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt, kefir, or miso soup, then you’ve experienced the benefits of fermentation. You might not realize it, but these foods contain probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that help keep your digestive system healthy.

Fermenter Process

The process of fermentation has been used for thousands of years, and it’s still being practiced today. In fact, there are several types of fermentation, each with different benefits. For example, pickling uses vinegar to preserve food, while lacto-fermentation (also known as lacto-bacillosis) uses naturally occurring bacteria found in milk to create delicious fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, and sourdough bread.

Lacto-fermentation uses live cultures to convert milk into yogurt, while kefir is fermented milk that contains active probiotics.

Sauerkraut is a type of brine-based fermentation that preserves cabbage. And then there’s miso, a salty paste made from soybeans that is often used as a condiment.

Fermentation has been around since ancient times, and it’s still used today to preserve food.

Fermentation Jar

Choose The Right Vessel.
If you choose to use a crockpot, make sure to select one that’s large enough to hold the volume of liquid you’ll need. You also want to ensure that there is plenty of room for air circulation. A good rule of thumb is to allow 1 inch of space between the top of the crockpot and the surface of the liquid.

You can use a glass jar, plastic container, or other vessel. Make sure there’s enough room at the top for air to circulate. If you’re making pickles, put them in a mason jar; if you’re making sauerkraut, place it in a large bowl. Cover the container loosely with a lid or cloth towel and let it sit somewhere dark and cool (like a basement) for three days. After three days, check the liquid level every day. When it has reached the desired amount, transfer the contents to a clean storage container. Store the fermented food in the refrigerator for up to one year.

Here’s how to get started with this ancient technique:

Start With A Starter Culture.
Once you’ve selected your starter culture, you’ll need to prepare a container for it. This will depend on what type of food you’re fermenting. For instance, if you’re making sauerkraut, you’ll need a glass jar with a lid. If you’re making kimchi, you’ll need a plastic bucket with a tight fitting lid.
Add Water And Salt.
After you’ve prepared your container, you’ll need to add water and salt. You’ll also need to make sure there’s enough room for air to circulate.
The process of fermentation is simple. You simply add water and salt to whatever you want to ferment (like cabbage) and let it sit until it ferments. Once it has fermented, you can eat it plain, use it in soups, salads, sandwiches, or anything else you would normally eat.

Great Fermentations

Some common examples include yogurt, kefir, pickles, and wine. You can use these methods to create your own homemade versions of these products at home.
The process of fermentation has been used for thousands of years, and it’s still being practiced today. In fact, there are several types of fermentation, each with different benefits. For example, pickling uses vinegar to preserve food, while lacto-fermentation (also known as lacto-bacillosis) uses naturally occurring bacteria found in milk to create delicious fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, and sourdough bread.

Best Fermented Foods

Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Pickled Vegetables
Kombucha
Yogurt
Cheese
Sourdough Bread
Fermented Cheese
Fermented Ketchup
Miso
Kefir

Fermented Cabbage

Fermented cabbage (also known as sauerkraut) is loaded with vitamins C and K. It’s also a great source of iron and fiber, Sauerkraut contains healthy gut bacteria called probiotics that aid digestion and keep gut microbiome in balance.

1 medium head of cabbage
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Slice cabbage into thin shreds. Combine cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Work salt into cabbage with your hands by squeezing until it softens, after about 5-10 minutes. Pack cabbage and released juices (brine) into a clean canning jar. Use a smaller jar or object to weigh down the cabbage until it is covered in brine. Cover jar with cloth and secure with a rubber band. Store at room temperature and allow to ferment for 3 to 10 days. Begin checking at day 3 and continue to ferment until it reaches your desired taste.