Wild Fermentation
Sandor Ellix Katz’s Wild Fermentation includes classic fermenting recipes, cultural context, and scientific research about the benefits of fermenting foods. Katz is like the guru of fermentation, for his book helped spur the modern fermentation revolution. After reading Wild Fermentation, you will be surprised at how easy it is to make your own delicious, fermented foods.
Katz celebrates the microscopic bacteria and fungi that are responsible for creating the diverse and complex flavors within fermented foods. He views fermentation as a magical process in which we reconnect with our ancestors and their traditional eating practices. The fundamental process of fermentation includes creating the appropriate conditions for microorganisms to thrive and multiply. The process is simple, low-tech, and can be accomplished in a jar on your kitchen counter. Not only do these foods feed our microbiome, but they also increase the nutritional value of the original ingredients, such as veggies and grains, and make them easier to digest.
Follow along with Katz’s fermentation journey by trying the various recipes and techniques he includes in this book. Katz tells the cultural stories behind each recipe and describes the flavor profile so that you better understand your fermentation creation. From sauerkrauts, fruit kimchis, kombuchas and alcohols, dairy ferments, and grain ferments, this book will keep you busy and your kitchen crowded with new fermentation concoctions.
At the Eastern Shore Food Lab, we have specific fermentation chambers (temperature specific) for meats, veggies, and cheeses. We also bake sourdough bread using a long, grain fermenting process. We encourage people to include fermented foods in their diet, for fermented foods promote microbiome diversity, detoxify foods, and prolong nutrition.
