Fermentation Exploration Series #1: Vegetable Ferments

This summer, join other Seacoast Permaculture members for a learn-and-try exploration of simple fermentation projects. For this our first session, please get the book “Wild Fermentation” by Sandor Ellix Katz and read through ch. 4. The initial chapters provide fascinating background on the art of fermentation, and ch. 4 focuses on vegetable ferments. Feel free to explore other fermentation resources, as well. We will discuss the reading and plan our first vegetable fermentation!

About the Fermentation Exploration Series:
Join in to read/research and then try what you are most interested in. At each of the four sessions, we will all share what we learned and describe how our projects turned out. And we will facilitate an informal email group so that we can stay connected about our projects in between sessions.

COST: Sliding scale of $10-25. A nonrefundable $10 deposit will hold your place. You can use PayPal to pay here or else send a check to Seacoast Permaculture, 219 France Rd, Barrington NH 03825. If price is a barrier, contact Amy A.

Series Dates: The warm summer weather is perfect for fermentation experiments. We will meet on Zoom on four Wednesdays from 7-8 p.m:
June 19: Vegetable ferments (like sauerkraut, sour pickles, kimchee, etc.)
July 10: Lightly Fermented Beverages (like Kombucha, Kvas, etc.)
July 31: Grain Ferments (like sourdough starters, sour rye for soup, porridges, soft drinks)
August 14: Wildcard—You choose (like bean ferments, wines, vinegars, dairy)

Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz is a great beginner’s guide and will anchor our learning and efforts. We also encourage the sharing of favorite fermentation blogs, books, and so on. This is a great series for the fermentation-curious beginner, and we also welcome experienced fermenters who would like to try new things and share their knowledge. This is not a class but rather a small collaborative group for learning, trying, and sharing results and knowledge.

THE BOOK: Wild Fermentation By Sandor Ellix Katz
Sandor Ellix Katz is a fermentation revivalist. A self-taught experimentalist who lives in rural Tennessee, his explorations in fermentation developed out of his overlapping interests in cooking, nutrition, and gardening. He is the author of four previous books: Wild Fermentation, The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, The Art of Fermentation—which won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2013—and Fermentation as Metaphor. The hundreds of fermentation workshops he has taught around the world have helped catalyze a broad revival of the fermentation arts. The New York Times calls Sandor “one of the unlikely rock stars of the American food scene.” For more information, check out his website: www.wildfermentation.com.

YOUR HOSTS:

Warren Sanford has been a member of Seacoast Permaculture since 2011. He is passionate about living lightly on the earth by living and working locally, purchasing local produce, and bringing permaculture principles to his condo community. In addition to composting his food waste he is now asking for approval from his community to have raised garden beds installed on the lawns for vegetable, herb, and flower growing. He enjoys the self-sufficiency and using less food packaging by making sourdough bread and pancakes, brewing kombucha, and home cooking. He values community and realizes the need for support in order to keep these principles active in his life. He is excited to have support in fermenting vegetables and learning from other members about their success and challenges in this upcoming fermentation meetup.

Jennifer Montgomery is a member of the Seacoast Permaculture group, and she enjoys exploring various permaculture practices and engaging in stewardship of natural resources in New Hampshire. She has been experimenting with hügelkultur garden beds, the protecting and planting of native perennials, and the planting of pollinator gardens. Her interests in at-home fermentation—especially fermented beverages, dairy, and vegetables—have motivated her to explore Wild Fermentation and other resources. Her favorite projects so far include sauerkraut, kefir, berry kvas, and sour pickles. Figuring out kombucha has proven a challenge—ongoing...