Fermenting For Dummies

Marni Wasserman is passionate about real food. She inspires people to eat well and live well everyday. She shares many of her recipes and tips at www.marniwasserman.com. Amy Jeanroy is passionate about healthy, homemade foods and has been making and eating fermented food for 20 years. She shares daily recipes on her site, www.thefarmingwife.com.

• Introduction 1About This Book 2Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Getting Started with Fermenting 5Chapter 1: In the Beginning: Fermenting Roots 7Getting Familiar with Fermentation 8Fermentation throughout History 8Mesoamerica: Calling all chocolate lovers! 9Africa: Turning toxins into edible tubers 9Asia: Thirst-quenching and candied culture 9Eastern Europe and Russia: Bubbly fruit kvass 10Japan: The sensational soybean 10North Africa and Morocco: When life gives you lemons 11How Can Something Rotten Be Good for Me? 11Fermenting Essentials 12Pickling (and How it Differs from Fermenting) 13A Quick and Easy Intro to Fermenting: Making Sauerkraut 14Chapter 2: The 4-1-1 on Fermenting 17Why Ferment? 17Getting Acquainted with the Good and Bad Guys 18Mold 18Yeast 19Bacteria 19Enzymes 19The Mechanics of Fermenting 20Salt curing and drying versus fermenting 20Vinegar and acids versus fermenting 21Canning versus fermenting 22Refrigerating fermented food 22Freezing fermented food 23Fermenting foods and drinks 23Avoiding spoilage 24Chapter 3: The Benefits of Fermenting 25The Lowdown on Lacto-Fermentation and How it Helps Your Body 25Boosting your health with vitamins and minerals 26Loading up on enzymes 26Aiding pre-digestion 27Activating your foods 28Promoting probiotics 29Strengthening your immunity 29How Fermentation Can Make You a Better Cook 30Keeping it simple and easy 30Following the seasons 30Figuring Out How Much and How Often 31Chapter 4: Getting it All Together 33Assembling Your Equipment and Tools 33Basic containers 34Essential tools and utensils 35Special equipment for meat fermenting 38Special brewing equipment and tools 39Keeping Everything Clean 41Cleaning, sanitizing, and sterilizing: Three different and important procedures 42Developing a cleaning work flow 43Getting Familiar with Common Ingredients 43Water 44Salt 45Sweeteners 45Sourcing the Best Foods for Fermentation 46Whole, organic, and local 46Considerations for meat and dairy 46Part 2: Vegetables, Fruits, Condiments, and Salsas 49Chapter 5: Vegetables 51Picking Produce for Fermenting 52Identifying ideal veggie choices 52Finding your garden delights 52Sourcing the healthiest produce 53Selecting Starters for Vegetable Ferments 54Mastering the Basics 55Preparing your vegetables 55Salting 55Packing the jars 56Waiting and tasting (and waiting some more!) 56Chapter 6: Fun with Fruits 69Fermenting Fruit for Long-Term Storage 69Selecting Ideal Fruits 70Nondairy Starters for Fruit Fermentation 72To Add Sugar or Not to Add Sugar? That is the Question 73White sugar versus alternative sugars 73How do I know what amount of sugar to replace? 73Chapter 7: Spreads, Dips, Condiments, and Salsas 83Reaping the Health Benefits of Homemade Condiments 84Experimenting with Flavor 84Exploring Vinegars 85The process 85It’s all about your mother 86Part 3: Grains, Seeds, Nuts, and Beans 95Chapter 8: Grains 97Getting to Know Your Grains 97Ancient grains 98Pseudo-grains (seeds) 99Soaking and Sprouting Grains 101Infamous Sourdough and Its Starter 102Feeding your sourdough starter with tender loving care 102Choosing the type of sourdough starter to use 103Chapter 9: Beans 117Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit 117Buying and storing beans 118Preparing beans 118Cooking beans 118Sprouting beans 119Fermenting beans 120Soy and Fermented Soy Foods 120Comparing tofu and tempeh 121Making the most of miso 122Chapter 10: Nuts, Seeds, Coconuts, and Tubers 135Nuts and Seeds: Great Nutrition in Small Packages 135Selecting seeds 136Getting nutty 136Sprouting Nuts and Seeds 137Learning how to sprout 138Drying or storing your sprouts 139Using sprouted nuts and seeds 139Making Nondairy Ferments 139Making yogurt without the moo 140Culturing nondairy cheese 140Cracking into Coconuts 140Fermenting Potatoes and Other Roots 141Preparing cassava 142Talking about taro 142Part 4: Meat, Dairy, and Eggs 151Chapter 11: Got Milk? 153The Basics of Fermenting Milk 154Making lactose tolerable by fermenting 154Choosing pasteurized or raw milk 155Separating milk 156Sourcing Your Starter Cultures 157Serving and Storing Fermented Dairy Products 158Chapter 12: Making Cheese 169Understanding Cheese Making Ingredients and Techniques 170Choosing milk 170All about rennet 170Turning milk to cheese 170Fermenting 171Colorings 171Salting 172Ripening 172Storage 172Making Soft and Semisoft Cheeses 173Making Hard Cheeses 173Serving Cheese 174Chapter 13: Meat, Fish, and Eggs 185Choosing Meat and Ingredients for Fermentation 186Selecting spices, herbs, and flavorings 186Selecting starters 187Nitrates or not? 188Choosing Casings 188Natural casings 189Artificial casings 189Meat Fermentation Techniques 189Grinding and mixing meat 190Stuffing sausages 192Brining 192Curing 192Smoking 193Making Food Safety a Priority 193Choosing a Spot to Ferment Meat 194Determining space needs 194Controlling the environment 194Storing Fermented Meats 195Part 5: Beer, Wine, and Other Beverages 205Chapter 14: Healing Beverages 207Choosing Starters 208Finding starter cultures 208Using starter cultures 209Understanding the differences between alcoholic and nonalcoholic brews 209Making Natural Carbonated Drinks 210Ginger soda 211Lacto-lemonade 211Beet, apple, and ginger kvass 211Root beer 211Kefir 211Amasake 212Kombucha 212Chapter 15: Making Wine from Water and Fruit 229Getting Yourself Ready to Make Wine 230Getting supplies 231Choosing grapes 231Understanding Wine Fermentation 233Primary fermentation: From juice to wine 233Knowing when it’s done and what to do then 234Post fermentation: Completing the process 235Storing and Aging Your Wine 235Finishing and Bottling 237Tasting and Talking about Wine 238Chapter 16: Brewing Basics 243Gathering Your Ingredients 243Malt: Going with grain 244Hops heaven 244Yeast: The key to fermentation 245Don’t forget the water 246Cleaning Up Your Act: Sanitation 246Practicing safe sanitation 248Bottle cleanliness is a virtue 249Ready, Set, Brew: Beginners 249Assembling your tools 249Brewing your first batch 250Taking hydrometer readings 253A Primer on Priming 254Getting ready to prime 255Making primer decisions 255Bottling Your Brew 256Picking out bottles 256Preparing to bottle 256Pouring a cold one: Getting your beer into bottles 259Intermediate Homebrewing 262Using better ingredients 262Conditioning for better beer with secondary fermentation 262Chapter 17: Brewing Beer 265Looking at Beer Types 265Ales 265Lagers 266Mixed beers 266Exploring Specific Types of Ales, Lagers, and More 267Irish red ale 267American pale ale 268Brown porter 268Stout 269English India pale ale 269American premium lager 269Märzen/Oktoberfest 270Traditional bock 270Herb, spice, and vegetable beer 271Christmas/winter/spiced beer 272Trying a Few Beer Recipes 272Part 6: The Part of Tens 283Chapter 18: More Than Ten Troubleshooting Tips for Fermented Creations 285My Fermented Food is Too Salty What Do I Do? 286Why is the Fermentation Taking So Long? 286Why are My Fermented Creations Different throughout the Year? 286Why is My Ferment Too Soft or Mushy? 287Why Isn’t My Ferment Working? 287Why is My Fermented Creation Too Dry? 288What Do I Do about Yeast or Mold on the Surface of the Ferment? 288What Should I Do about a Ferment Jar That’s Bulging? 288Why Did the Color Change? 289Why is My Ferment Leaking or Overflowing? 289Why Does it Stink? 290Chapter 19: Top Ten Benefits of Eating Fermented Foods 291A Much-Needed Nutritional Boost 291Digestion, Enzymes, and Probiotics 291Immunity Boost 292Unique Flavor 292Money Savings 292Time Savings 292Ecological Impact 293Slow Food Movement 293Control over Your Food 293The Satisfaction of Doing Something Good for Yourself 293Chapter 20: More Than Ten Food and Equipment Resources 295Cultures for Health 295Yolife 296Water Kefir Grains 296Wildwood Foods 296Miso Master 296Leeners 297Homesteader’s Supply 297The Sausage Maker 297New England Cheesemaking Supply 298The Sausage Source 298Adventures in Homebrewing 298Chapter 21: More Than Ten Tips for a Long and Healthy Life 299Food is Medicine, So Eat to Enhance Your Health 299Use Alternative Sugar 300Reduce Plastic Use and Go BPA-Free 300Choose Organic 300Get to Know Your Farmer 300Be Conscious about Your Condiments 301Eat Whole Grains 301Choose GMO-Free Foods 302Get Protein from Plants 302Find Vegan Milk, Butter, and Dairy Options 302Learn to Love Water 302Index 303