How I Fell In Love With Fermentation

My ferment cabinet, super full in 2018

I’m an avid home fermenter, though I will be the first to admit that it took me awhile to get to this point. I was scared of the prospect of fermenting for several years, convinced that I would kill myself with my own creations. I attribute much of this fear from having industrial food safety rules and regulations drilled into me between food safety and food microbiology classes, followed by the ServeSafe certification program. Such classes are very focused on preventing the growth of ‘bad’ microbes and public health (as they should be). As a byproduct,  it made me weary of accidentally harboring bad characters while trying to encourage the good ones. 

Industrial level food safety focuses on creating obstacles that prevent microbial growth. This can be through proper sanitation practices, cooking and proper food handling, and food formulation itself. The common food service mnemonic device used to remember the major factors that encourage microbial growth is FAT TOM:

Food

Acid

Time

Temperature

Oxygen

Moisture

When creating a food on an industrial level, the idea is to build two or three barriers in the food or its processing that limit microbial growth. For example, a canned tomato sauce is formulated to have a pH lower than 4.6, oxygen flow is prevented by the aluminum can, and it’s cooked under pressure during the canning process to sterilize the environment. That’s three barriers to prevent dangerous microbes like botulism from growing in that food while protecting flavor quality. 

Modern and traditional notions around ‘best’ practices and food safety have often clashed, especially around traditionally fermented foods that are also considered the most susceptible to spoilage - dairy and meats. I cannot tell you how much we talked about raw milk cheeses and listeria, the same case studies and cautionary tales over and over in my food science classes. 

It took a timely gift from my mother in 2016 for me to finally set aside my fears and finally ferment. Without any prompting, she bought me Fermented Vegetables by Kristen K. Shockey and Christopher Shockey, and their clear directions and calming mantra of “Submerge in brine and all will be fine” gave me the courage to make my first kraut, their Hungarian Celeriac (p. 158, Fermented Vegetables). 

I haven’t looked back since. Once I started fermenting vegetables and reading more on fermentation, I realized that all of the various obstacles to bacterial growth are inherent in proper fermentation techniques. The creation of brine in fermented vegetables creates an oxygen barrier that discourages the growth of harmful microbes. Salt limits water activity, which limits microbial growth while also creating a favorable environment for lactobacillus. The byproducts of lactobacillus growth is acid, which further prevents the growth of other non-lactobacillus microbes. If done properly, fermentation is really no more scary or complex than industrial food processing. In fact, it’s quite amazing to think of how our ancestors bred and used microbes for millenia to preserve their food without evening knowing what a microbe was!

I’ve tried a number of different fermentation styles over the years with varying levels of success and satisfaction. I can’t seem to make a sauerkraut that I genuinely like even though I love Kauts made by other local ferment companies. And I loved the process of having a nuka pot, but had to stop when I couldn’t think of how to get us to eat the pickles it produced. My kombucha culture, however, has been thriving for 4 years, even surviving my abandonment during my two week honeymoon. I’ve discovered that fermentation is a meeting of science and culinary art with elements of pet ownership more in line with a Tamagachi than a dog/cat (i.e. low stakes) that really appeals to me. Every project is a new friend to nurture and technique to master, and I’ve driven to learn more.

1st batch of kombucha!

Cooking with my homemade tempeh!

I wanted to share this story because I can’t be the only one who was scared of killing herself with her own ferments. And I’m still here to tell you four years after starting this journey I’m still alive and doing fine! I’m rooting for you, the person who wants to try but hasn’t, for whatever reason that might be! And I want to build a community around food and fermentation because learning is easier and just plain fun with other people.

I was originally going to attach this post to a recipe, but it’s actually turned into that I’d like to let stand on its own. I’d love to hear from you about your thoughts on fermentation. What was your first fermentation project? Do you want to try fermentation but haven’t yet?  Leave a comment below or send me a message on social media (Instagram or soon to come, Twitter)!

For anyone who wants to start fermenting or is looking for an easy project, next week I’ll have a post with recipe (just 2 ingredients!) for my first sort-of ferment that I didn’t realize I could ferment. It’s seasonal, bright, and zesty, so look forward to it!