Cheese: from fresh curds to ripened wheels
Separate culturing, setting the milk and ripening, then explore three ways to enjoy cheese.
Articles for curious cooks
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Historical articles are labelled and have not yet been revised. Their older health or food-safety claims are not current guidance.
35 articles
Ryazhenka: meet cultured baked milk
Baking the milk before culturing gives this dairy food its distinctive starting point.
Eight cultured dairy foods, side by side
Skyr, yogurt, kefir, labneh, quark, sour cream, tvorog and ryazhenka: compare what starts each food and what ends up on the spoon.
Choose your first fermentation project
Start with something you already enjoy eating, then match the method to your kitchen and routine.
The equipment you actually need
Start with the recipe. Choose a suitable container and the tools that help you measure what matters.
Fermentation and pickling: what is the difference?
Two jars can taste sour for different reasons. Follow where the acid comes from.
Live cultures in homemade ferments: what survives and what a jar can promise
Which of your ferments still hold live cultures when you eat them, what kills them, and why “fermented” and “probiotic” are not the same claim.
How to make skyr-style strained yogurt at home
Skim milk, a live culture and a cloth: how to culture and strain milk into a thick, skyr-style result, with temperatures, times and the yield to expect.
How to make yogurt at home
Milk, a little live yogurt and a steady warm place: a tested home method with temperatures, times, starter amounts and the signs that it is ready.
How to make tvorog or quark at home
Pasteurised milk, a mesophilic culture, a cool room and a cloth: how to sour milk overnight into a fresh curd and drain it into tvorog or quark.
How to make kefir with grains
Kefir grains, milk and a day at room temperature: how much grain to use, how long to ferment, how to strain and how to look after the grains.
How to make sauerkraut at home
Cabbage, salt and a weight: the tested home method for sauerkraut, with salt by weight, fermenting temperatures and times, and the signs that it is done.
How to make kombucha at home
Sweet tea, a SCOBY and starter liquid: the tested home kombucha recipe, with temperatures, timing, flavouring and the cautions that matter.
How to make a sourdough starter
Flour, water, a jar and daily feeding: how to start a sourdough starter, tell when it is ready and keep it going.
How to make tempeh at home
Soak, cook, acidify, dry, inoculate and incubate: a careful home tempeh method, with the acidity and temperature that matter.
How to make vinegar at home
Wine or hard cider, a vinegar culture, air and warmth: how to make vinegar at home, how to finish it, and why homemade vinegar is not for canning.
Skyr and strained yogurt problems and fixes
Runny, grainy, too sour or too little of it: causes and fixes for home skyr and strained yogurt, and when the batch must be thrown out.
Yogurt problems and fixes
Yogurt that did not set, came out runny, grainy, too sour or full of whey: likely causes, what to change, and when to throw the batch out.
Tvorog and fresh cheese problems and fixes
Milk that will not set, a curd too sour, too wet or too dry: likely causes and fixes for home tvorog and quark, and when to discard.
Kefir problems and fixes
Kefir that separates, tastes too sour or yeasty, or will not thicken: likely causes, what to change, and when to discard grains and batch.
Sauerkraut and fermented vegetable problems: mould, film, soft or pink
Mould, white film, soft, slimy, pink or dark sauerkraut and fermented vegetables: what each sign means, how to prevent it and when the batch must go.
Kombucha problems: mould, no fizz, too sour and exploding bottles
The real risks of homemade kombucha and how to handle them: mould, a weak starter, over-carbonated bottles, alcohol and who should not drink it.
Sourdough starter problems and fixes
No bubbles, no rise, grey liquid on top or bread that is too sour: likely causes, what to change, and when to throw the starter out.
Tempeh problems and fixes
Loose beans, slime, ammonia, black spots or an overheating batch: what each sign means and when tempeh must be thrown out.
Vinegar problems and fixes
Vinegar that will not sour, turns weak, grows mould or shows small worms: likely causes, what to change and when to throw it out.
11 Most Potent Fermented Foods In Your Healer’s Toolkit
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
Why our ancestors didn’t need probiotic pills...
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
Take the Mystery Out of Latin Names of Probiotics and Other Microorganisms
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
Better Beauty Products Buying Guide
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
What to do Before Fermenting at Home
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
MODULE Injera
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
Not All Fermented Foods are Probiotic, But Are They Still Good For You??
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
Lacto-fermented Foods 101
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
Why can’t anyone agree on what the microbiome is?
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
Miso Magic: Probiotics & Benefits of this Ancient Ferment
From the original Fermentationist archive. Awaiting editorial revision.
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Original archive destinations are preserved separately from this reading list.