Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey came in the mail to me, thanks to Storey Publishing, at a perfect time. The ferments I made in late summer are almost finished and I have room for new batches. Fermenting vegetables is such an easy thing, right? Add salt and let it sit! Well, even simple things are complicated, just more subtly so. So many little questions pop up that it’s nice to have someone there who’s done all the experimenting for you, which is just what the Shockeys have done. Many years of experimenting with their own business selling local vegetable ferments led to the making of this book. You can check out their website and hear more at The Fermentista’s Kitchen.
The book is laid out in an orderly fashion: the basics and mastering techniques followed by recipes according to vegetables alphabetically, then recipes that use up those ferments. I’m particularly interested in the flavor-packed fermented pastes, like Thai basil paste. I also like that the authors note vegetables you really don’t want to ferment. The tone is always informed and never condescending. The book is seasoned with great quotes, personal stories and sidebars about admirable fellow fermenting peers who run small businesses. The section on recipes that incorporate ferments is very creative and well thought out. There are several things I already have bookmarked, among them a savory sauerkraut quiche. One of my first experiments using this book as a guideline is a sunchoke ferment that I have started. We’ll see how it goes–I’ll keep you posted!
(Disclosure: I received this book from Storey Publishing to review. All of the opinions here are my own.)
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