Re-trying fermentation

I just bought Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz.

Katz is an expert on the  fermentation of foods and his book was recommended to me ages ago. Fermentation is another method of preserving foods, by encouraging the right bacteria to grow at the expense of the ones that cause food to rot. We’re all probably familiar with yoghurt, cheese and beer as fermented foods, but there are many other foods that can be preserved by fermentation.

A couple of years ago I checked out Katz’s website and had a go at making sauerkraut by fermenting kale. I had lots of it in the garden at the time.

I chopped the kale and added grated carrot and caraway seeds, then followed his method. It worked well and I really enjoyed what was, to me, a new taste sensation. I’d never eaten sauerkraut before.

I ate my way through 2 batches, but something went wrong with the third. I think the wrong bugs got in and it eventually went off. The experience put me off a bit and last year I dried most of my excess kale.

This year I want to have another go, hence buying the book. I’ve put 3 varieties of kale in—Red Russian, Lacinato and Curly Kale. The chooks love it too, so I’m going to need lots.

Red Russian Kale

I also want to get yoghurt-making right. I’ve been making it in the Thermomix and some batches have worked and some haven’t. No doubt I’ll find out what I’m doing wrong when I read the book.

I’d also like to get a sourdough starter going and have a go at making apple cider. The book covers it all.