Fermentation Recipes
Fermentation Recipes
Simple starts; steady hands; confident ferments: begin here and sidestep the usual kitchen casualties.
When I found myself with two frozen shoulders (yes, both shoulders at the same time), I had no bandwidth, physical or emotional for anything elaborate. Ferments had to be easy, forgiving, and quietly dependable; jars that behaved without fuss and delivered every time. As it turned out, simplicity isn’t a compromise, it’s the whole point. Better flavour, better rhythm, and ferments I actually kept making - successfully.
The recipes in this page are exactly that; straightforward, reliable, and designed to get you from zero to “oh, I can actually do this” without drama. They’re the same foundations I've been teaching in my workshops for the last 15+ years: simple methods, properly understood, so your ferments work with you, not against you.
If you’d like the ratios, rescue tricks, and the small details that make the difference between “meh” and magnificent, you’ll find them in my Fermentation Cheat Sheet below.
Sauerkraut: Your Basic Brineless Ferment
Salt, cabbage, patience; that’s the whole story
Ingredients
White or red cabbage 1 medium (≈1kg)
Sea salt 1–1.5 tbsp
Optional garlic cloves 3-6
Optional cumin seeds 1tsp
Optional juniper berries crushed ½ tsp
Instructions
Finely slice cabbage.
Add salt; massage until it releases juice.
Pack tightly into a jar; liquid should cover the cabbage.
Weigh down if needed; keep everything submerged.
Cover loosely.
Leave 5–10 days; taste from day 5.
Summary
Ready: 5–10 days
Flavour: Starts mild, deepens over time
Keeps: Weeks in the fridge
Get the Recipe
Fermentation Cheat Sheet
Small details change everything: ratios, timing shortcuts, rescue fixes, and my hard-won failsafes:
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Troubleshooting (“why it failed”)
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Timing by temperature
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Grain care / mould spotting
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Salt % cheat table
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and more...
You can now get these here:
Water Kefir 1st Fermentation
Your gentle, sparkling initiation
Ingredients
Filtered water 1litre
Water kefir grains 2–3 tbsp (buy here)
Organic sugar (cane/panela) 2–3 tbsp
Dried raisins 1 tsp
Fresh unwaxed lemon 2–3 slices
Optional mineral salt small pinch
Instructions
Dissolve sugar in a little warm water; top up to room temperature.
Add grains.
Add washed dried raisins and lemon slices.
Cover loosely.
Leave 24–48 hours at room temperature.
Taste; lightly sweet with a gentle tang = ready.
Strain; reserve grains to start a new batch.
Summary
Ready: 24–48 hours
Next: Bottle for second ferment if you want fizz
Keeps: 2–3 days chilled
Get the Recipe
BONUS Recipe download:
Water Kefir 2nd Ferment: Flavour & Fizz
Quick-Fermented Carrots:
Crunchy and Bright
Fast, forgiving and utterly addictive: this is your CONFIDENCE BUILDER ferment!
Ingredients
Carrots (sticks or slices) 2–3 large
Filtered water 500 ml
Sea salt 1 tsp
Optional garlic1–2 cloves
Optional fresh chillies 1-2
Optional spices (dill, coriander seed, peppercorns, cloves, ginger root) pinch
Instructions
Dissolve salt in water to make a simple brine.
Pack carrots tightly into a jar.
Add garlic/spices if using.
Pour over brine; ensure everything is submerged.
Cover loosely.
Leave 2–4 days at room temperature.
Taste; when lightly tangy but still crisp, move to fridge.
Summary
Ready: 2–4 days
Texture: Crisp, not soft
Keeps: 2–3 weeks chilled
Get the Recipe
WORK WITH ME
Fermentation is a living process. Your kitchen, your ingredients, and your rhythm will shape the outcome. I can show you how to make it failsafe every time! Hands-on guidance, real-time troubleshooting and the confidence to trust what you're doing.
Take it from jar to instinct: book a fermentation class.
I run small monthly fermentation classes from Tablehurst Farm, an award winning biodynamic farm in Forest Row, East Sussex. Places are very limited so please book early. I keep my classes small to make sure you get all the individual attention you need for maximum results.
The link below opens in the Tablehurst Farm Events page where you can book one or more of my workshops. I very much look forward to seeing you!
What you say:
"Elle, thank you for another excellent workshop!!!
We learn so much from you... not only about fermentation but also about other health matters, and you are so knowledgeable about geopolitical issues, which you then kindly share with us!
I mentioned it before: you are an excellent teacher and I think part of that is because you are very patient as a teacher and you graciously go over things until the attendees understand it, because you understand that not everybody is on the same level and so sometimes some key information has to be repeated a number of times throughout the workshop and you seem to have an instinctual knowing when to do so... amazing!
Thanks once again!"
Dr R DS, Surrey
