52 Fermented Foods To Make This Year
Introduction
Fermentation transforms everyday ingredients into nutrient-rich powerhouses, amplifying flavor and introducing beneficial probiotics into your diet. Whether you’re searching for new ways to preserve your garden harvest, boost your gut health, or explore global culinary traditions, creating fermented foods at home is a tasty, rewarding adventure. This comprehensive guide highlights 52 fermented foods—one for every week of the year—so you can enjoy a different homemade specialty every time.
Unleashing the Power of Fermented Foods
Fermented foods offer an abundance of health benefits and vibrant flavors. From tangy krauts and pickles to hearty sourdough breads and spicy kimchis, fermentation adds depth and complexity to your meals while increasing shelf stability. Ready to fill your kitchen with irresistible aromas and your fridge with jars of goodness? Let’s dive into a world of fermentation!
Dive Into a Year of Fermentation: 52 Must-Try Fermented Food Recipes
Here’s a diverse list of delicious, classic, and experimental ferments you can make at home, each designed to inspire your creativity and expand your culinary palate:
1. Sauerkraut
2. Classic Dill Pickles
3. Sourdough Bread
4. Kimchi
5. Kombucha
6. Water Kefir
7. Milk Kefir
8. Fermented Garlic Honey
9. Lacto-Fermented Hot Sauce
10. Fermented Salsa
11. Kvass
12. Yogurt
13. Natto
14. Tempeh
15. Miso
16. Fermented Beet Kvass
17. Ginger Bug (starter for homemade sodas)
18. Tepache (fermented pineapple drink)
19. Lassi
20. Curtido (Latin American kraut)
21. Pickled Onions
22. Pickled Carrots
23. Fermented Green Beans
24. Fermented Radishes
25. Fermented Jalapeños
26. Fermented Lemons
27. Fermented Tomato Sauce
28. Shio Koji (Japanese seasoning)
29. Fermented Soy Sauce
30. Fermented Sriracha
31. Rejuvelac (sprouted grain drink)
32. Beet Relish
33. Fermented Apple Chutney
34. Fermented Mango Pickle
35. Fermented Red Cabbage Slaw
36. Fermented Mustard
37. Sourdough Pancakes
38. Sourdough Pizza Dough
39. Kimchi Jjigae (stew using aged kimchi)
40. Fermented Hummus
41. Lacto-Fermented Mayonnaise
42. Fermented Cashew Cheese
43. Pickled Eggs
44. Fermented Plums (Umeboshi-style)
45. Fruit Vinegar
46. Rice Bran Pickles (Nukazuke)
47. Fermented Coconut Yogurt
48. Fermented Turnips
49. Sima (Finnish lemon mead)
50. Fermented Black Garlic
51. Fermented Banana Peppers
52. Fermented Cranberry Relish
Ingredients
💡Meal Planning Tip: Save these recipes with CookifyAI to generate a dynamic shopping list for all your fermentation projects. The app organizes every ingredient by grocery store section, streamlining your trips and helping you plan which ferments to start each week.
Instructions
- Pick Your Recipe: Select one ferment from the list above to focus on for the week.
- Gather Ingredients/Supplies: Use the ingredient guide and recipe instructions (often requiring mason jars, weights, or fermentation lids).
- Prep Produce and Brine: Wash and cut your vegetables or fruits as needed. Dissolve sea salt in filtered water for brines or prepare doughs and batters for breads.
- Combine and Pack: Submerge produce in brine (ensuring they remain below the liquid), or mix grains/flours and start fermentation with the appropriate starter.
- Ferment: Store at room temperature, away from sunlight, for the recommended period—ranging from a couple of days to several weeks, depending on the ferment.
- Taste and Store: Sample your ferment for flavor and texture. Once it reaches the desired stage, store it in the refrigerator to slow further fermentation.
- Repeat and Explore: Move on to the next fermented delight each week!
Weekly Meal Planning
Fermented foods are perfect for meal prep and long-term storage, making planning a breeze. Save and schedule these recipes in CookifyAI to align your shopping and meal plans, whether rotating ferments weekly or prepping several at once.
Planning Benefits:
- Generates a comprehensive, organized shopping list based on all scheduled ferments
- Prevents running out of staples like salt, jars, or starter cultures
- Maps out which ingredients overlap, saving you money and reducing waste
- Makes it easy to track when each ferment will be ready so nothing gets forgotten
Pro tip: By scheduling a new ferment each week and tracking ingredient needs with CookifyAI, you’ll always have diverse, homemade probiotics on hand, all while simplifying your grocery shopping routine.
Cook and Prep Times
Prep time for most ferments: 20–45 minutes per batch
Active fermenting time: 2 days to 4 weeks, depending on recipe
Total time per ferment: Varies (plan a new project each week for the year)
