The last article was on 10 fermented foods that can boost your immune and digestive systems naturally. By adding these foods to your diet, you are getting probiotics and prebiotics. There are plenty of pre-packaged probiotics you can buy. But, for those who want to save some money, here are some ideas for homemade fermented foods.
This post will be shorter than my normal ones, so you can use this post as a quick reference when needed.
Where to Start
To jump-start you on your path to making homemade fermented foods, here are some things you may need…
First, if you’re new to fermentation, you may want to check out this Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit. The kit has everything you need plus a recipe e-book. All you need are the jars and the ingredients.
Beginner’s Books on Fermentation
- The Nourished Kitchen: Farm-to-Table Recipes for the Traditional Foods Lifestyle Featuring Bone Broths, Fermented Vegetables, Grass-Fed Meats, Wholesome Fats, Raw Dairy, and Kombuchas
- Home Fermentation: A Starter Guide
- Fermented Vegetables
- Fermented Foods at Every Meal
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods
- Fermentation for Beginners
- Cultured Food for Life
More In-Depth Books on Fermentation
Kits for Making Homemade Fermented Foods
For making homemade fermented foods, you’ll need wide-mouth mason jars like these Ball Wide Mouth Half Gallon 64 Oz Jars.
You’ll also need a way to seal the lids to allow the food to ferment in the jars. You can either use a cloth and rubber bands like me, or you can buy a lid kit to seal the jars like this Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit or this Complete Mason Jar Fermentation Kit. Here are a few other highly-reviewed options you can use to seal your jars: Fermentation Lids with Extractor Pump for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids for Wide Mouth Mason Jars, or the Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit (3 Lids + 3 Weights + Pump).
Another great, but not necessary, tool is the Fermentation Glass Weights with Easy Grip Handle for Wide Mouth Mason Jars. Weights help keep your fermented food submerged in the fluid in your jar. If your food does not stay submerged, mold can easily spoil your food.
Ingredients for Fermenting
I just use store-bought salt for fermenting, but many prefer using Himalayan or Sea salt instead. If that tickles your fancy, then here are some highly-rated salts you can buy.
- The Spice Lab’s Pink Himalayan Salt, Coarse
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
- Sherpa Pink Gourmet Himalayan Salt
- Redmond Real Sea Salt – Natural, Unrefined, Organic
Dairy and Non-Dairy Yogurt
For all you dairy-based yogurt lovers out there, Yogourmet Freeze Dried Yogurt Starter is a highly-reviewed yogurt starter.
Melissa Norris has a great recipe on how to make homemade yogurt using milk from the store and a yogurt starter.
Also, One Good Thing by Jillee has a great recipe and explanation on how to make foolproof Greek yogurt in a crockpot.
Non-dairy milk does not have the natural probiotics like raw milk does. To make yogurt with non-dairy milk, you have to add cultures to it. Here are two sites on how to make almond milk yogurt and coconut milk yogurt.
Sidenote: If you are not eating dairy-based yogurt because you are lactose intolerant, the lactic acid bacteria naturally in cow or goat’s milk breaks down the lactose. So, someone who is lactose intolerant is highly likely to be able to eat yogurt from cow or goat’s milk. If you have symptoms after eating dairy-based yogurt, don’t continue eating it.
Dairy and Non-Dairy Kefir
I have been looking to make kefir myself, and these Active Organic Milk Kefir Grains are the best on the market that I have found.
For those who can’t tolerate dairy kefir, here are Organic Water Kefir Grains that is highly reviewed.
Note: to make kefir, you have to use kefir grains. You can buy plain, unsweetened kefir at the store to make kefir from, but it’s not likely to work as well. So, it’s best (and cheaper) to buy kefir grains and make kefir from them at home.
Here are two websites with step-by-step instructions on how to make dairy kefir and water kefir.
Sidenote: if you get kefir grains for water, be sure to use filtered water. DO NOT USE TAP WATER. Tap water can have high levels of chlorine and fluoride that could kill the bacteria in the kefir grains.
Sauerkraut
If you don’t have time to make sauerkraut yourself, here is an Organic & Kosher, Raw, Fermented, Unpasteurized Sauerkraut you can buy.
On the other hand, if you want homemade sauerkraut, A Cultivated Nest has a good step-by-step guide (with pictures) on making regular sauerkraut.
If you want to spice things up, Green Kitchen Stories has a recipe for Sauerkraut flavored with carrots and turmeric.
Kimchi
If you don’t have time to make kimchi yourself, here is an Organic, Fresh, Raw Kimchi Juice that you can add to your meals.
As for those who want to make their own sauerkraut, the Online Grill has a recipe for making spicy Kimchi. And In Sonnet’s Kitchen has a recipe for making Kimchi with Bok Choy.
Fermented Pickles
Don’t have time to make fermented pickles? Here is a jar of Raw, Fermented Garlic Dill Pickles that you can buy.
For those who want to make their own, here
Sidenote: Fermented cucumbers (sometimes called fermented pickles) do not taste the same as the typical pickles found in the store. A major ingredient of pickles is vinegar, which is excluded from fermented ones to prevent killing the bacteria. No bacteria means no probiotics.
Fermented Veggies
MAJOR NOTE: Pickled vegetables are not always fermented! If the recipe has vinegar in it, then the vinegar kills the natural bacteria in the vegetables. So, look for recipes or pickles without vinegar.
Here is a jar of Raw, Fermented Golden Beets with Carrot & Ginger that you can buy if you don’t have time to make your own.
For those who want to make their own, there are tons of different vegetables and combinations you can ferment yourself. Here is a quick list of recipes…
Also, you can find several additional recipes on Pinterest. Or you can experiment yourself to find the flavors and seasonings you like best.
Homemade Fermented Foods is Great for Families
For parents out there, you may be interested in making homemade fermented foods with your kids. It’s great for hands-on learning, and they can eat the product of their labor.
Start with something easy like sauerkraut. Then you can spice it up and try making fermented cucumbers (AKA pickles) or kombucha even. As you practice fermentation, you’ll get better and more familiar with making homemade fermented foods. Who knows, you may be able to come write for me on fermented foods one day. (I’d love that!)
That’s all I have for you! Did you find this helpful? Do you have other great tools or recipes you use for fermenting? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!