Jeanroy Amy - Fermenting For Dummies

Fermenting For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013946294

ISBN 978-1-118-61568-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-80458-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-80469-8 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Introduction

F ermenting your own food may seem like a daunting and unattainable process to take on at home. We have to admit, we were there one day too. But after you wrap your head around it, understand fermentings history and methods, and know why fermented foods are so beneficial to your health, you may just reconsider. And because youre reading this book now, youre likely there already.

Coauthor Marni: As someone whose philosophy is rooted in natural nutrition and plant-based eating, each step of my journey with food has been a true evolution. Ive taken on each layer with true determination. When I first made the choice to mostly eat plant-based food, it only became natural to take on all the things that came with eating a more wholesome, natural way. These include sprouting, juicing, blending, and the most intimidating of the bunch fermenting.

I resisted fermenting for years, thinking it was too difficult, but when I started with my first batch of sauerkraut, I had reached new levels. The concept of it was a true novelty. It was so simple and so rewarding to preserve your own food. Of course, experimenting with all the different plant-based foods was my true mission, so it was only natural to start taking some of my existing recipes and altering them to become more nutritionally active and alive.

Coauthor Amy: I cant remember a time when food wasnt an activity in my family. Sauerkraut, corned venison, pickled eggs these were the foods of my people. It wasnt until I became a teenager that I realized no one else knew what in the world I was eating! From this upbringing, I developed a taste for fermented foods.

Theres something intriguing about taking a single food and completely changing the taste and texture in a simple way. The smells and tingle of good fermented nourishment always remind me of being loved and cared for. I bring that same sense of self-reliance and health to this book. Each time I teach someone about the benefits of fermenting foods, I know that it opens up a whole new world of delicious taste that can come from their own backyard. Theres no need to travel to exotic locations to experience delightfully tasty, nutritious food. You can create a wide variety of recipes with the simple ingredients you have on hand and a little time.

About This Book

This book breaks down the whole process of fermenting, from how to get started to what equipment and ingredients you need to discovering all the different foods that you can ferment. Youll be quite amazed at what takes place during the process of fermentation.

Here are a few of the topics that we explore:

The basics of fermentation

How to get started

The benefits of fermented foods

All the different types of foods that you can ferment: vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, meat, dairy, and beverages

On a technical note, you may notice that some web addresses in this book break across two lines of text. If youre reading this book in print and want to visit one of these websites, simply key in the web address exactly as its written in the text, pretending as though the line break doesnt exist. If youre reading this as an e-book, youve got it easy just click the web address to be taken directly to the website.

Foolish Assumptions

This book is for anyone interested in exploring the world of fermented foods. Theyre fascinating to learn about and healthy to boot. So if youre looking to take your health up a notch and take your foods to the next level, then this book is for you!

We expect that you have an interest in the topic and that you probably fall into one of these categories:

You want to learn the basics of fermentation.

You want to preserve your foods using natural methods that dont involve cans, vinegar, or other methods of food preservation.

Your digestion is weak and youre looking for a natural solution through foods to heal your gut.

Youre interested in getting back to your roots and into the kitchen.