Fermentation
Fermentation is happening all around us, whether we can see/smell it or not. With the right materials (namely a vessel and salt), we can harness this natural transformative process to create something delicious, funky, and nourishing. Through the magic of brine and time, we can preserve what is important to us. Fermentation connects humans with their own life cycle - it reminds us that decay is a part of our story and that with the right mindset, we can make delicious rot.
I’m particularly drawn to lacto-fermenting, where unlike pasteurized cider-making or vinegar-based pickling, we don’t add commercial yeast to organic goods. We rely on the vast colonies of bacteria and yeast that can be found on all materials. It is the millions of different microbes that we can thank for the uniqueness of each ferment batch. The temperature outside, microbes from the farm field, and even the human skin that presses the soon-to-be-fermented vegetables underneath the salt brine: all of these impact the eventual flavor and tang of the finished, fermented product.
I’ve taught fermentation classes to students from ages 12 to 65 and can teach fermentation techniques to anyone interested to learn! My regular practice involves fermenting anything I can pull from my garden, kombucha and hard-cider brewing, sourdough starter feeding, and yogurt making.
