Fermented Foods: 50+ Recipes to Get You Started

In case you’ve yet to delve into fermenting, here’s a collection of fermented foods recipes and tips to get you started. You’ll be so glad you did!

New to fermenting foods? Be sure to read this compilation of frequently asked questions before you get started!

 

variety of fermented foods recipes on display in glass jars

We’re hooked on fermented foods.

And we’ve expanded our repertoire: No longer limited to fermenting vegetables, we’ve tried our hands at fermenting fruit, sauces, and seeds, too! The beneficial bacteria in fermented foods is easy to encourage in a wide variety of foods.

Why ferment?

Municipal tap water contains chlorine, which can inhibit fermentation, so be sure to use filtered water or distilled water instead. A Berkey water filter provides clean water that’s free of toxins. Great for making your drinking water free of chemicals, but perfect for fermentation, too.

 

Getting started with fermented foods:

orange pumpkin spears in canning jar

50+ Fermented foods — recipes you should try

The toughest part of fermenting? Taking the first step to try something different. Once you clear that (mental) hurdle, it’s easy. These recipes for fermented foods bring together garden fresh veggies and probiotics for your digestive system.

The Handcrafted Pantry

Ready to DIY your pantry with more wholesome ingredients? Check out my ebook, The Handcrafted Pantry! Filled with delicious recipes for some of your favorite condiments, snacks, and toppings, it’s the guide you need to start skipping packaged products and embrace homemade.

Fermented vegetables

Vegetables are probably the most well-known of the fermented food recipes. Everybody knows about sauerkraut, right?

banana pepper puree in measuring cup

Fermented condiments

Spread on the fermented food goodness with these easy recipes.

bowl of pineapple salsa with halved lime.

Fermented fruit

Adding fermented foods to your diet — like these fruit ferments — is good for your gut!

strawberry mead in a glass bottle.

Fermented drinks

Drink up with these delicious recipes for making liquid fermented foods.

fermented veggies in glass jars

Fermented dairy products

Yep, dairy can be fermented, too! Check out these recipes.

Originally published in August 2015; this post has been updated. 

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

10 comments… add one
  • Maryis Jan 14, 2022 @ 12:02

    I love fermented foods but am always hesitant to make them at home because of my fear of botulism.

    • AttainableSustainable Jan 18, 2022 @ 8:23

      The risk of botulism in lacto-fermented foods is usually very low to none. Often times you can check the acidity levels with a ph strip, you could look into that to ease your mind and make sure you are at the right levels of acidity to prevent botulism risk.

  • Rachelle MacDonald Sep 16, 2020 @ 1:33

    Healthy ideas thanks

    • Attainable Sustainable Feb 21, 2021 @ 11:24

      Thank you for joining in!

  • Cheryl Garrison Feb 16, 2018 @ 7:40

    Please add me to your email list. Love your ideas

  • Patrick Bair May 24, 2016 @ 6:25

    Man, what a fantastic list! Thank you so much for adding me to it! Anybody that needs to know anything about fermenting has found it here!! 😀

  • Chris Aug 25, 2015 @ 6:30

    Thanks so much for including my recipes, Kris. I’m sharing this. And I’m going back into the posts and linking back to this great resources, too. My readers are going to love this virtual recipe book.

  • Amber, Head Pixie (@PixiesPocket) Aug 24, 2015 @ 5:42

    Thanks for including Pixie’s Pocket in your list – I wish I’d had a list like this to go off of when I first began fermenting. 🙂

    • Kris Bordessa Aug 24, 2015 @ 8:19

      Me too!

  • Cris Aug 21, 2015 @ 15:54

    Thanks for including me! 🙂 Great post! I will be sharing this tomorrow!

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