8 Ideas for Home Fermentation Projects – GWC Mag

The benefits of making fermented foods are numerous. Not only is it a great way to preserve food, but it also comes with several health benefits, too.

If you know a little about probiotics and how good they are for our guts, you might already be on the fermentation bandwagon.

If you are, and want more ideas, or if you are new to the game and looking for tips on how to ferment your food at home, look no further.

Here is a whole list of OGP articles that show you how to easily ferment everything from apples and cabbage to beets and ginger.

Bonus- Fermentation Basics

In this article-Explain It Like I’m Five Years Old: What Exactly Is Fermentation- we are going to dare to delve deeper. We are going to look at what fermentation is. We are going to link fermentation to humans, noting its historical uses. We are going to distill a long list of foods, stuff we regularly consume, that require fermentation. And we’ll note why fermentation is worth such effort. Let’s go!

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar, cooly referred to as ACV, is beyond wonderful. Not only is it a flavorful addition to recipes, the likes of beans, salads, and sauces, but it has medicinal qualities so respected that some folks simply ingest it by the spoonful to make sure not to miss a daily dose. And, that’s not even getting into the household uses and hacks that ACV can make a reality. It’s good stuff. It’s powerful stuff. It’s something we should all have in the cabinet. Amazingly, DIY organic apple cider vinegar only takes three ingredients: organic apples (obviously), raw organic sugar, and filtered water. Check out this guide and learn How to Make Your Own Apple Cider Vinegar.

2. Tempeh

While tofu has long been part of the mainstream vernacular, tempeh, its Indonesian cousin, has been slower on the uptake. Nevertheless, tempeh has arrived now, and while it won’t soon replace tofu as the plant-based protein mainstay, tempeh certainly brings its distinct qualities to the plate. For many, it is the preferential choice. This article- How to Make Tempeh at Home– will take you from making your tempeh starter out of store-bought tempeh, to making it from soybeans (traditional), and into creating contemporary tempeh with blends of grains, seeds, and pulses. By the end, you’ll be well on your way to becoming the neighborhood tempeh master.

3. Ginger Beer

Ginger beer is easy to make, and it involves few ingredients. It delivers a natural explosion of flavor as well as a bevy of medicinal benefits, brought on by both the ginger and the (short) fermentation process. It may even sneak in a little negligible alcohol to the mix. Mostly though, ginger beer is a damned fine something special to sup on a sweltering afternoon, a drink worthy of shared memories and quiet moments, a real reason to stop and enjoy a beverage. Read on to learn How to Make Organic Ginger Beer.

4. Sauerkraut

The benefit of making sauerkraut at home is that it doesn’t have to be pasteurized, as supermarket products usually do. Pasteurization kills some of the quality bacteria the fermentation process produces and enzymes within raw foods. With homespun sauerkraut, we can get all of the good stuff, as well as tailor the flavors to our preferences. Plus, it’s fun and easy to do. Check out this simple guide that shows you How to Make Sauerkraut at Home.

5. Souped-Up Sauerkraut

Making sauerkraut is an age-old process of preserving cabbage. Translating to “sour cabbage,” this fermented food is packed with wellness superpowers, such as probiotics for glowing gut health, vitamin C, iron, manganese, and potassium, and is also a great source of fiber. For those of you who are an old hand at the art of fermenting and sauerkraut creating, it might be time to get adventurous. Don’t worry, it is still great if you are new to this venture, too. Take a look at How to Spice Up Your Sauerkraut.

6. Sourdough Starter

For those of us loosely in the know, who have been in the bread-making game for a while but not necessarily fully immersed in sourdough, we’ve heard about the starter. Many of us even have a small fear of it, this weird lump of living matter that gurgles and smells and sometimes even dies. We know that it must be fed. We know that it grows, that it can “mother” other starters, and that it is something that requires some sense of devotion. It’s serious business. Check out this article to learn How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter and Why You Should

7. Sourdough Suggestions

Those of you who take care of a healthy sourdough starter know that if you feed it regularly, it grows and grows.  Then, if you do not keep on top of things and use the starter (or discard portions of it), you end up with more of it than you can handle, and at times, sourdough starter escaping from its crock onto your kitchen counter.  Thank goodness there are lots of things you can use your sourdough starter for that go beyond the loaf of bread.  As tasty as the loaves are, you can get that sour flavor and all of the health benefits by using the starter in other recipes.  Let’s get imaginative with these Ways to Use Your Sourdough Starter Beyond Bread.

8. Kvass

For those who are new to home fermentation (or prized Muscovite fare), kvass might seem like a made-up word, some strange pairing of the consonants k and v that could only occur in renderings of Baltic languages. That’s fine and true. It’s not as if kvass is a feature in convenience store fridges, but now is a good time to become acquainted. As fermentation has been making a fierce comeback in the health food movement, other incarnations of “kvass” have arisen, with beet kvass being the most popular. Pulling together the nutritive value of beets and the probiotic benefits of fermented foods, beet kvass is a wellness powerhouse, as well as a unique beverage. Check out How to Make Your Own Kvass Out of Beets.

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