DIY Fermentation: Over 100 Step-By-Step Home Fermentation Recipes

by Katherine Green

Simple DIY Ferments that Prove Homemade is Always Better

Fermentation has given us some of the food world’s most treasured delights, and with DIY Fermentation, making delicious probiotic foods in your own kitchen has never been easier. Accessible overviews of fundamental fermentation techniques and step-by-step recipes provide the basic skills you will turn to again and again as you experiment with nourishing ferments at home. Work your way through a wide range of do-it-yourself fermentation projects with:

• 100+ recipes to make your own sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kefir, yogurt, vinegar, kombucha, hard apple cider, and more
• Recipes ranging from beginner to advanced to put your skills to the test
• Detailed troubleshooting guides to ensure fermentation success
• Insider tips and anecdotes from fermentation experts
• Step-by-step illustrations to stay on track
• A bonus chapter integrating homemade ferments into everyday cooking

Enjoy all the health benefits and delicious flavors of naturally fermented vegetables, fruits, dairy, beverages, breads, condiments, and much more with this invaluable guide to unleash your inner DIYer and master your fermentation skills.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 2, 2015

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book on the different foods you can make that use fermentation. There is a lot of historical and scientific information which is presented in a way that makes you feel like you've learned something without making your brain ache. Each section of the book is introduced with information about the foods in that section and some tips, as well as each recipe. The recipes are divided into different categories: Vegetables, Fruits, Dairy, Grains & Breads, Legumes, Meat & Fish, Vinegars & Condiments, Brews, and how to cook with fermented foods. Along with each recipe is an experience level indicator, along with size of the product and times to prep and ferment. This is good because you can prepare accordingly. Also, the cost of making your own products at hove vs store bought can be a huge difference. A recipe like crème fraîche only has 2 ingredients, cultured buttermilk and heavy cream. The amount you'll be making is a lot less than buying crème fraîche. Just be sure you'll need it ahead of time as it takes up to 36 hours to ferment. I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of recipes and finding out what actually is created using fermentation. This is a good book to have, especially if you live in an area where some of the products are not always available in the store, but the ingredients are, so you can make your own. Just remember that you're making enough for a small supply, and not just to add ingredients to a recipe that calls for the product.

Finally, like most cook books, there are plenty of charts to reference. You can find tables to quickly look up fermentation times, measurement conversions, US vs Metric conversions, and a list of foods to choose whether or not you should consider purchasing an organic version of the fruit/vegetable due to pesticide levels based on USDA and FDA data.

[Kurry Swigert · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want some good basic info including everything from gravlax to combucha, this is your book. It is a quicker read than the massive tome of Sandor Katz - The Art of Fermentation. That book is a long and thorough read and probably more info than a person who is just getting into fermentation. This DIY book is full of good basic info.

[Pat Beard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only one problem with this book, they talk about how this was done through the ages as a food preservation technique - then they turn around with the recipes/instructions and the parameters that they give you are impossible unless you have a climate controlled space, oodles of time, and a degree in chemistry. Leaves me rather discouraged. Guess I'll just buy stuff at the store.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent introduction to fermentation. Not only does it discuss the scientific processes that occur with various fermentation methods, it categorizes recipes into levels of difficulty and provides important tips (such as not using homemade vinegar for the recipes due to pH considerations) and information about substitutions. It also talks about the health benefits of fermentation and probiotics and the improved vitamin content and digestibility of fermented foods.

The recipes are ones that actually seem desirable to make, and clear instructions take the mystery out of the processes. They go beyond sauerkraut and show the reader how to make their fermentations interesting, flavorful, and unique. Each recipe is labeled with the yield, preparation time and fermentation period required, making it possible to sort them according to time required and allowing the fermentation fanatic to accurately calculate the number of vessels and counter space needed.

Furthermore, while beginners and those on a budget (or geographically challenged) will likely stick to the vegetable and fruit fermentations, for those who want or are able to be more adventurous, this book provides the necessary information to do so, along with resources for starter cultures and equipment. Rather than feeling intimidating, the book makes the recipes sound possible for those with a will and enough kitchen space.

An excellent guide, references, and resource!

[Nathalie Gedrich- porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO worth the read for this book! The main purpose of fermentation is to preserve food, or was, back before modern day technology. There are a decent amount of health benefits but really seems too complex for me to start. There is enough info here to start your own experimenting if you would like. Very well written book, with a lot of great ideas, only problem I had is that I don't think too many of these sound appetizing at first, except I love sauerkraut. I will be canning this season and I am looking forward to trying some of them. The book has great step by step instructions and is easy to read. This book is very throughout from what utensils to use and explains the process in detail.. this even goes into detail for troubleshooting. The author is very inclusive, from cheeses, to breads, vinegar, and other liquids and drinks, this book really has it all. It begins with the basics, and where to begin. Then eventually moves on to the long list of recipes on such foods just mentioned. It's very easy to learn from the beginning to advanced fermenting with this book. Thankfully I was given this book to review for an honest review and I am very happily surprised at how great this book was! Worth the read if you want to learn everything about fermentation!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions in this review are 100% my own.

I never really gave any thought to how the food my family consumes is made. I know that I should pay more attention to that. I didn't realize how many foods are made by fermentation. There are a few of our favorites listed.

This book is great for a beginner. You get the history behind fermentation. The recipes are easy to follow and listed by how difficult they are to complete.

There is nothing more satisfying than growing your own food or making anything yourself from scratch. This is a great cookbook for any home gardener or anyone that is interested in making their own food without the chemical preservatives.