Fermenting For Dummies

Description

Fermenting For Dummies (9781119594208) was previously published as Fermenting For Dummies (9781118615683). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product. Want to ferment at home? Easy. Fermentation is what makes foods like beer, pickles, and sauerkraut delicious—and nutritious. Fermented foods are chock-full of probiotics that aid in digestive and overall health. In addition, the fermentation process also has been shown to add nutrients to food, making already nutritious food even better! Fermenting For Dummies provides step-by-step information for cooks, homesteaders, farmers, and food lovers of any kind who want to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for arguably the oldest form of food preservation. Fermenting For Dummies gives you the scoop on the fermenting process, the tools and ingredients you’ll need to get started, and 100+ recipes for fermenting at home. So what are you waiting for? • Shows you how to ferment vegetables, including slaw-style, pickles, and kimchee • Covers how to ferment dairy into yogurt, kefir, cheese, and butter • Explains how to ferment fruits, from lemons to tomatoes, and how to serve them • Details how to ferment beverages, including mead, beer, kombucha, vinegar, and more If you're interested in preserving food using this ancient method, Fermenting For Dummies has everything you need to get started. Title Page......Page 3 Copyright Page......Page 4 Table of Contents......Page 11 Introduction......Page 19 Foolish Assumptions......Page 20 Beyond the Book......Page 21 Where to Go from Here......Page 22 Part 1 Getting Started with Fermenting......Page 23 Chapter 1 In the Beginning: Fermenting Roots......Page 25 Fermentation throughout History......Page 26 Asia: Thirst-quenching and candied culture......Page 27 Japan: The sensational soybean......Page 28 How Can Something Rotten Be Good for Me?......Page 29 Fermenting Essentials......Page 30 Pickling (and How It Differs from Fermenting)......Page 31 A Quick and Easy Intro to Fermenting: Making Sauerkraut......Page 32 Why Ferment?......Page 35 Mold......Page 36 Enzymes......Page 37 Salt curing and drying versus fermenting......Page 38 Vinegar and acids versus fermenting......Page 39 Refrigerating fermented food......Page 40 Fermenting foods and drinks......Page 41 Avoiding spoilage......Page 42 The Lowdown on Lacto-Fermentation and How It Helps Your Body......Page 43 Loading up on enzymes......Page 44 Aiding pre-digestion......Page 45 Activating your foods......Page 46 Strengthening your immunity......Page 47 Following the seasons......Page 48 Figuring Out How Much and How Often......Page 49 Assembling Your Equipment and Tools......Page 51 Basic containers......Page 52 Essential tools and utensils......Page 53 Special equipment for meat fermenting......Page 56 Special brewing equipment and tools......Page 57 Keeping Everything Clean......Page 59 Cleaning, sanitizing, and sterilizing: Three different and important procedures......Page 60 Getting Familiar with Common Ingredients......Page 61 Water......Page 62 Sweeteners......Page 63 Considerations for meat and dairy......Page 64 Part 2 Vegetables, Fruits, Condiments, and Salsas......Page 67 Chapter 5 Vegetables......Page 69 Finding your garden delights......Page 70 Sourcing the healthiest produce......Page 71 Selecting Starters for Vegetable Ferments......Page 72 Salting......Page 73 Waiting and tasting (and waiting some more!)......Page 74 Fermenting Fruit for Long-Term Storage......Page 87 Selecting Ideal Fruits......Page 88 Nondairy Starters for Fruit Fermentation......Page 90 How do I know what amount of sugar to replace?......Page 91 Chapter 7 Spreads, Dips, Condiments, and Salsas......Page 101 Experimenting with Flavor......Page 102 The process......Page 103 It’s all about your mother......Page 104 Part 3 Grains, Seeds, Nuts, and Beans......Page 113 Getting to Know Your Grains......Page 115 Ancient grains......Page 116 Pseudo-grains (seeds)......Page 117 Soaking and Sprouting Grains......Page 119 Feeding your sourdough starter with tender loving care......Page 120 Choosing the type of sourdough starter to use......Page 121 Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit......Page 135 Cooking beans......Page 136 Sprouting beans......Page 137 Soy and Fermented Soy Foods......Page 138 Comparing tofu and tempeh......Page 139 Making the most of miso......Page 140 Nuts and Seeds: Great Nutrition in Small Packages......Page 153 Getting nutty......Page 154 Sprouting Nuts and Seeds......Page 155 Learning how to sprout......Page 156 Making Nondairy Ferments......Page 157 Cracking into Coconuts......Page 158 Fermenting Potatoes and Other Roots......Page 159 Talking about taro......Page 160 Part 4 Meat, Dairy, and Eggs......Page 169 Chapter 11 Got Milk?......Page 171 Making lactose tolerable by fermenting......Page 172 Choosing pasteurized or raw milk......Page 173 Separating milk......Page 174 Sourcing Your Starter Cultures......Page 175 Serving and Storing Fermented Dairy Products......Page 176 Chapter 12 Making Cheese......Page 187 Turning milk to cheese......Page 188 Colorings......Page 189 Storage......Page 190 Making Hard Cheeses......Page 191 Serving Cheese......Page 192 Chapter 13 Meat, Fish, and Eggs......Page 203 Selecting spices, herbs, and flavorings......Page 204 Selecting starters......Page 205 Choosing Casings......Page 206 Meat Fermentation Techniques......Page 207 Grinding and mixing meat......Page 208 Curing......Page 210 Making Food Safety a Priority......Page 211 Controlling the environment......Page 212 Storing Fermented Meats......Page 213 Part 5 Beer, Wine, and Other Beverages......Page 223 Chapter 14 Healing Beverages......Page 225 Finding starter cultures......Page 226 Understanding the differences between alcoholic and nonalcoholic brews......Page 227 Making Natural Carbonated Drinks......Page 228 Kefir......Page 229 Kombucha......Page 230 Chapter 15 Making Wine from Water and Fruit......Page 247 Getting Yourself Ready to Make Wine......Page 248 Choosing grapes......Page 249 Primary fermentation: From juice to wine......Page 251 Knowing when it’s done and what to do then......Page 252 Storing and Aging Your Wine......Page 253 Finishing and Bottling......Page 255 Tasting and Talking about Wine......Page 256 Gathering Your Ingredients......Page 261 Hops heaven......Page 262 Yeast: The key to fermentation......Page 263 Cleaning Up Your Act: Sanitation......Page 264 Practicing safe sanitation......Page 266 Assembling your tools......Page 267 Brewing your first batch......Page 268 Taking hydrometer readings......Page 271 A Primer on Priming......Page 272 Making primer decisions......Page 273 Preparing to bottle......Page 274 Pouring a cold one: Getting your beer into bottles......Page 277 Conditioning for better beer with secondary fermentation......Page 280 Ales......Page 283 Mixed beers......Page 284 Irish red ale......Page 285 Brown porter......Page 286 American premium lager......Page 287 Traditional bock......Page 288 Herb, spice, and vegetable beer......Page 289 Trying a Few Beer Recipes......Page 290 Part 6 The Part of Tens......Page 301 Chapter 18 More Than Ten Troubleshooting Tips for Fermented Creations......Page 303 Why Are My Fermented Creations Different throughout the Year?......Page 304 Why Isn’t My Ferment Working?......Page 305 What Should I Do about a Ferment Jar That’s Bulging?......Page 306 Why Is My Ferment Leaking or Overflowing?......Page 307 Why Does It Stink?......Page 308 Digestion, Enzymes, and Probiotics......Page 309 Time Savings......Page 310 The Satisfaction of Doing Something Good for Yourself......Page 311 Cultures for Health......Page 313 Miso Master......Page 314 The Sausage Maker......Page 315 Adventures in Homebrewing......Page 316 Food Is Medicine, So Eat to Enhance Your Health......Page 317 Get to Know Your Farmer......Page 318 Eat Whole Grains......Page 319 Learn to Love Water......Page 320 Index......Page 321 Supplemental Images......Page 339 EULA......Page 347