Yogurt is one of those quiet miracles of the kitchen, a jar of milk transformed by time, and the presence of unseen companions. Most of us meet yogurt in its thermophilic form, coaxed by heat into a thick, tangy cream. But there’s another slower and more subtle lineage of soured milks that thicken at room…
As the season shifts toward autumn, the farmer’s market fills with hearty root vegetables that are perfect for fermenting. Curtido, a Latin American-inspired kraut, brings a savory, herbal brightness to tacos, beans, and grain bowls. It’s simple to prepare and transforms the cool-weather staples of cabbage, carrots, and onions into something vibrant and tangy. About…
Summer While late-summer onions can be stored through the colder months, fermenting them softens their bite and transforms them into a bright, tangy garnish. They’re delicious on their own or paired with carrots or jalapeños, and they add depth to everything from salads to stews. Recipe Ingredients Instructions Equipment Notes & Variations Serving Suggestions Fermented…
Summer Late summer brings an abundance to the farmer’s market: deep red tomatoes, bell peppers, bright green chiles and tomatillos, heavy cabbages, crisp heads of lettuce, and the perennial presence of kale and other leafy greens. It’s the perfect season to gather the harvest and prepare your pantry for the cooler months ahead. While salsas…
Spring As the days lengthen and the pasture grasses return, it’s a time for the birth of calves and the return of fresh milk. For those of us living close to the rhythms of our kitchens, this is the time to begin again, to invite culture and time to do their slow work. Making yogurt…
There’s a subtle magic in leaving a jar of milk on your countertop and waking up to yogurt. Mesophilic yogurt is a cooler-temperature ferment that thrives between 70°F and 80°F, making it a low-effort way to keep a nutritious batch of yogurt in your kitchen without special equipment. With a few spoonfuls of active culture…
Summer A rare sight at my local farmer’s market: a box of bright, curling green garlic scapes, ready for pickling. I’d been curious to try preserving scapes, and the market offered me the perfect opportunity. These whimsical stalks are the flowering stems of the garlic plant, trimmed in early summer to help the bulbs grow…
Winter There’s something deeply satisfying about preserving food you have in abundance, especially when it comes from just beyond your doorstep. Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a bounty of Meyer lemons from my neighbor’s tree, so many, in fact, that I filled two jars with fruit and salt and still had lemons to…
Autumn A Simple Guide to Making Sauerkraut at Home Start your fermentation journey with something simple, ancient, and deeply satisfying: a jar of kraut made from just cabbage and salt. The first time I made sauerkraut, I was struck by the simplicity of it all, and how much better it tasted than the expensive varieties…