Rich, warming notes of vanilla bean, the subtle sweetness of wild honey and a creamy, velvety texture. Vanilla Bean and Honey Kefir Panna Cotta is simple to make, but decadent in taste. It looks elaborate, but is easy to prepare. Its my birthday month. I am a Valentine’s Day baby and one of my favorite desserts is panna cotta. As a gift to you I revised this Italian recipe to be full of gut healthy probiotics and gelatin. I worked in a fine Italian restaurant through college waiting tables and during my time there I would ask the chef questions about how he prepared the food. I would observe ..read more

Are your lacto-fermented foods slow to ferment this time of year? During cold weather lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles take much longer than usual. Sometimes it seems like they’re not fermenting at all. The cooler weather can be bad if it’s too cold, but it can be great for making a more flavorful kimchi too. Here’s why and here’s my tips for making lacto-fermented foods in cold weather. Winter is the best time to make sauerkraut and kimchi Better Flavor This is the best time of year to make sauerkraut and kimchi, because the cooler temperatures cause it to ferment sl ..read more

It’s no wonder that fermented foods have been growing in popularity over the years. More and more people have discovered their health benefits and how tasty they are too. There is a large variety of foods that can be transformed by lacto-fermentation to turn a simple vegetable into a probiotic, nutrient dense superfood. Here I explain what lacto-fermentation is, how safe it is, the health benefits, and how to use lacto-fermentation to turn vegetables into a probiotic superfood. WHAT IS LACTO-FERMENTATION? All the vegetable recipes on this blog use lacto-fermentation. The “lacto” stands for la ..read more

Habanero peppers, bell peppers and garlic are fermented in saltwater to create a spicy, Habanero Hot Sauce that’s rich in flavor and delicious put on top of anything you want to add some heat to. Fermentation brings out all the flavor in peppers. The heat, the rich umami flavor and tanginess develops the longer they ferment. Nothing compares to aged fermented hot sauce. Ferment some hot sauce and then stash a bottle in the back of the fridge, forget about it for awhile and then discover it again months later and you’ll be in for a treat. I get excited when I find hot pepper sauce in the back ..read more

There’s the obvious ways to eat sauerkraut like with hot dogs or reuben sandwiches, but there’s many more ways to eat sauerkraut to flavor your daily meals. We’re talking about lacto-fermented sauerkraut here. Not the vinegar and salt preserved sauerkraut found in most grocery stores. Lacto-fermented sauerkraut is cabbage fermented with salt and its alive, teeming with probiotic, lactic-acid bacteria. It’s an easy and cheap fermented food to make, has a rich umami flavor and makes a fantastic addition to salads, dips, sandwiches or as a side to any meal. 20 ways to eat sauerkraut 1. Plain as ..read more

Today’s article, “9 Tips To Get Your Child Happily Eating Probiotic Rich Foods”, is written by our special guest, Wal Herring.   Think fermented food is just for adults? Think again. Use one or a combination of these 9 tips to get your child happily eating probiotic rich foods and they’ll be devouring it in no time. Imagine your kids happily devouring probiotic rich food such as sauerkraut, or asking for a pickle as their snack. Kids happily eating fermented foods could seem like a far-off dream, especially if they are refusing broccoli. But you can make that dream a reality. How do I know ..read more

Have your ferments been getting moldy or developing a white film on the surface lately? Do they seem to be lacking that zingy flavor or getting mushy and soft? If so, it might be the warm temperatures. These issues may be avoided if you follow my tips for fermenting in hot weather.  Hello Summer! It’s getting hot, hot, hot. Summer is my favorite time of year. My most precious memories have taken place in the Summer. It conjures up memories of camping on the lake with my family, boogie boarding, night swims, eating Cheez-its, egg sandwiches and Grape Safeway Select soda.  The only time my mom ..read more

Making delicious pickles and sauerkraut starts with the quality of your ingredients. Fresh produce will make a ferment that tastes better, has higher nutrient value and will help prevent mold and other issues that can happen when fermenting. Once picked from your garden or grocery store… What is the best way to wash them? What do you do if you’re worried about germs or can only buy conventional produce that’s been sprayed with pesticides? Will washing my veggies wash off all the good bacteria too? These are valid concerns and questions I get asked all the time. Below are my tips on how to cho ..read more

Bursting with sweet, herby, garlic flavor, this Fermented Basil and Garlic Paste recipe is the perfect base for dressings and sauces. One of the best ways to preserve herbs and spices is making them into a fermented paste.  It saves time and it’s super convenient. Instead of mincing garlic and basil when I need it for a recipe, I can pop open the fridge, grab the fermented paste and scoop it out. I have several different pastes ready to go for flavoring. Pastes are trickier to make than other ferments, because they Have very little brine.  Need to be carefully packed and weighted so ..read more