9 Recipes For Our Favorite Fermented Foods

The process of fermentation is the secret behind some of the world's most delicious foods

By October 10, 2011

Quick Basic Kimchi
Matt Taylor-Gross

The process of fermentation is the secret behind some of the world’s most delicious foods.

Quick Basic Kimchi

Getting tired of your plain winter root vegetables? Throw some homemade kimchi on there to spice up a standard dish. Get the recipe for Quick Basic Kimchi »

Spicy Sauerkraut

This spicy slaw is a riff on Latin America’s curtido; it’s sweet but not too funky, and perfect alongside grilled fish or as a condiment for tacos.

Cabbage Kimchi

This cabbage kimchi, packed out in pint-size mason jars, makes a unique gift. Tie a tag around the jar lid with hand-written suggestions such as Kimchi Stew or Kimchi Pancakes, as well as a reminder to keep the kimchi refrigerated. See the recipe for Cabbage Kimchi»

Sprout Kraut

For a twist on traditional sauerkraut, cookbook author Karen Solomon likes to soak Brussels sprouts in a briny mixture of peppercorn, dill, garlic, and chiles.

Mixed Baby Vegetable Pickles

Mixed Baby Vegetable Pickles

Fermented Beets with Orange and Ginger

This recipe is inspired by rosl, a Jewish specialty from the Ukraine that calls for pickling beets in brine.

Radish Kimchi

Very large, firm daikon radishes are the best for making this classic kimchi.

Sour Pickles

Most commercial pickles are preserved with vinegar, which is the product of one kind of fermentation. But sour pickles develop their complex flavor thanks to lactic fermentation, the process by which the naturally occurring bacteria Lactobacillus transforms and preserves foods, usually in a brine. The balance of salinity is key: You want enough salt to get a nice, crisp pickle and to prevent the growth of pathogens or mold, but not so much that the pickles are unpleasant to eat.
While vinegar-making microflora will spontaneously gather on your wine, you may choose to kick-start the process with a mother of vinegar culture. This red wine vinegar is flavored with star anise and cloves, and makes an excellent all-purpose seasoning for everything from salad dressings to marinades.

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