Real food fermentation

Preserving food through fermentation is a lost art in our modern society, but there has been a resurgence in the craft in recent years. People are looking for ways to improve their health through better food choices. You can find fermented foods in grocery stores but selection and quality will vary. Most likely the traditionally fermented foods found on grocery store shelves have been pasteurized rendering their health benefits null and void. This is especially true of sauerkraut and pickles. If you can find fermented, unpasteurized foods at the grocery store in the refrigerated section, the cost will shock you.

That is where books like Real Food Fermentationby Alex Lewin step in. Lewin provides recipes and step-by-step directions on how to ferment food on your own. It's always best to start with a proven recipe and method before experimenting because of food safety. Lewin does give guidelines on food safety and equipment. Thankfully, most equipment is pretty basic.

I did try my hand at making my own sauerkraut. Despite the instructions in the book, I also viewed YouTube videos and researched other recipes before trying it on my own. It was easier than I expected and also much tastier than any version purchased at the grocery store. The cost was significantly less, but then again there is a two week delay (minimum) before you can taste test.

The book is a handy guide for anyone wanting to try food fermentation. I will admit I only tried the sauerkraut. The other recipes didn't interest me and Kombucha seemed a bit scary - only because of the risk of brewing alcohol. The book is heavily illustrated with lots of full color pictures. All in all, a good book for beginners.

Book rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.