Fermenting: Expert Guides and Resources

Fermenting foods requires a little bit of planning, research, and preparation before you can begin. Understanding the terms used in fermenting recipes is vitally important. And once you're ready to start fermenting your own food, you must make sure that your tools and equipment are completely clean.Glossary of fermenting termsFermenting foods and beverages requires a little bit of know-how.

Vegetable fermenting is an easy process that involves a few basic steps and a bit of time. By fermenting fresh veggies from your garden — or from your local farmer's market — you can enjoy produce that lasts longer and keeps your body feeling better! Preparing your vegetables for fermenting You can chop, shred, or leave your veggies whole, depending on the vegetable you're using and the end result you want to achieve.

Pickling is the process of preserving food using a brine (saltwater) solution. The salt in pickling acts on the food by drawing out the water from its cells and kills any bad bacteria that may spoil the food. The process that occurs inside the brine is called fermentation, but the act of making brine and placing food into the saltwater solution is called pickling.

Fermented dairy products are cultured at room temperature or above. After they reach the desired fermentation, you chill them to slow the fermentation. For fermented dairy recipes, follow the recipe to the letter, taste it, and decide whether to stick with the same storage time based on how well you like the flavor.

Fermenting is a glamorous term for decaying your food in a controlled method. But fermentation is not the only method of food preservation. Salt curing and drying are commonly heard terms that may be confusing to sort out from the fermenting process. Salt curing: This method of preservation is easily recognized in the cured favorite: bacon.

The fundamental things you need to ferment foods are often the same, but there are many variations of those ingredients that can change your results. Fermenting containers: Fermented foods must be made without the presence of oxygen or spoilage will occur. A good fermenting container is essential to your success.

When you begin exploring the world of fermentations, you'll hear people talking about sourdough, sourdough starters, and wild yeasts. A sourdough starter is really just another name for any fermented grain. It's a grain that starts to predigest during the fermentation process, which ultimately makes the flavor more sour.

True vinegar is more than the flavor behind a dill pickle. Vinegar in its raw form is actually a living food, containing the beneficial bacteria you need to digest your food properly. Several types of vinegars are used in cooking. Some of them are commonly found in a well-stocked pantry, while others are usually found in a specialty store or the specific country where they're used.