The Complete Guide to Fermenting Foods

Chapter 1: What Is Fermenting Foods and Why People Love It

Imagine a Tuesday evening in your kitchen. You've got a head of cabbage on the cutting board, a tablespoon of salt in a small bowl, and a clean glass jar waiting on the counter. You shred the cabbage into thin ribbons, toss it in a big bowl with the salt, and start squeezing and massaging the mixture with your hands. At first, it feels dry and crunchy. But after a few minutes, something happens - the cabbage starts releasing its own water, pooling at the bottom of the bowl. You pack it into the jar, pushing it down until the liquid rises above the cabbage, and then you weigh it down with a clean rock or a smaller jar filled with water. You put a cloth over the top, secure it with a rubber band, and set it on the counter. You wash your hands, wipe down the counter, and go about your evening.

That's it. That's the whole project for today. Tomorrow, you'll check the jar, maybe press the cabbage down again if it's floated up. In three days, you might see a few tiny bubbles collecting at the top. In a week, you'll taste it - probably a little more tangy than the raw cabbage, but not quite there yet. In two weeks, you'll pull out a forkful, taste it again, and suddenly understand why people have been doing this for thousands of years. You made something.