Fermented Foods: 50+ Recipes to Get You Started

In case you’ve yet to delve into fermenting, these tips and easy fermentation recipes for beginners will get you started! These fermenting recipes are an easy way to extend the life of fresh produce while adding flavor and probiotics to the food.

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

We Love 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?

• Naturally fermented foods recipes are host to natural probiotics and promote a healthy digestive system.
• It’s a great way to preserve your garden goodness.
• Fermented foods are delicious.
• Getting started is easy. 
• Read this to find out more about the difference between pickling and fermenting.

Getting Started with Fermented Foods:

• What are Fermented Foods, Anyway? [Schneiderpeeps]
• Pickling vs. Fermenting [Fermentools]
• Fermenting in Hot Weather [Fermentools]
• What Foods Can I Ferment? [Fermentools]
• The Benefits of Fermenting Food [The Homestead Garden]
• Long-Term Storage and Care of Ferments [Homestead Honey]

50+ Delicious Fermenting Recipes to 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.

Ready to DIY your pantry with more wholesome ingredients? Check out my new book from National Geographic! Attainable Sustainable Pantry is filled with delicious recipes for some of your favorite condiments, snacks, and toppings, along with an entire section on home food preservation. It’s the guide you need to start skipping packaged products and embrace homemade.

Fermented Vegetable Recipes

Vegetables are probably the most well-known of the fermented food recipes. Everybody knows about sauerkraut, right? Other vegetable ferments make great snacks and add flavor to salads, sandwiches, and a simple cheese plate. My fermented carrots are a hit around here and an easy way to add fresh veggies to fried rice or potato salad (and even soups!). 

• Classic Sauerkraut [Attainable Sustainable]
• Banana Pepper Hot Sauce [Attainable Sustainable]
• Fermented Carrots [Attainable Sustainable]
• Lacto-Fermented Radishes and Turnips [Attainable Sustainable]
• Purple Sauerkraut [Attainable Sustainable]
• Beet Green Sauerkraut Recipe [Attainable Sustainable]
• Fermented Jalapeños [Mommypotamus]
• Lacto-Fermented Dilly Beans [Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment]
• Spicy Pickled Snap Peas [Attainable Sustainable]
• Fermented Green Tomatoes [Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment]
• Lacto-Fermented Cauliflower [Attainable Sustainable]
• Spicy Green Beans [Fermentools]
• Lacto-Fermented Onions [Delicious Obsessions]
• Fermented Mushrooms [And Here We Are]
• Beet and Red Cabbage Kraut [Attainable Sustainable]
• Beet and Kohlrabi Sauerkraut [Oh Lardy]
• Fermented Sweet Potato [Fermentista]
• Kimchi [Attainable Sustainable]
• Heirloom Sauerkraut [Full of Days]
• Lacto-Fermented Zucchini Sticks [Learning and Yearning]
• Kimchi [Full of Days]
• Fermented Pumpkin Spears with Cardamom [Attainable Sustainable]

Fermented Condiments

Spread on the fermented food goodness with these easy recipes.

• Poor Man’s Pickled Capers [Attainable Sustainable]
• Fermented Honey with Meyer Lemons [Attainable Sustainable]
• Garlic Dill Pickles [Attainable Sustainable]
• Fermented Salsa [Tasty Yummies]
• Fermented Chili Paste [Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment]
• Fermented Ketchup [Little Owl, Crunchy Momma]
• DIY Tabasco-Style Hot Sauce [Homestead Honey]
• Lacto-Fermented Horseradish [Learning and Yearning]
• Lacto-Fermented Roasted Red Pepper Hummus [Traditional Cooking School]
• Fermented Salsa Verde [Yogi Mami]

Fermented Fruit

Adding fermented foods to your diet — like these fruit ferments — offers up a whole new way to preserve the harvest in jars. Fermented fruit salsa is excellent served with grilled chicken or tuna. 

• Lacto-Fermented Pineapple Salsa [Attainable Sustainable]
• Easy fermented blueberries [Learning and Yearning]
• Cinnamon Apple Chutney [Raia’s Recipes]
• Fermented cranberries [Grow, Forage, Cook Ferment]
• Lacto-Fermented Pear Butter [Little Owl, Crunch Momma]
• Fermented Orange Rind [Hybrid Rasta Mama]
• Cranberry Chutney [Raia’s Recipes]
• Apple & Daikon Radish Sauerkraut [Pixie’s Pocket]
• Spicy Fermented Pineapple [Oh Lardy]
• Cultured Apricot Fruit Leather [Mommypotamus]
• Spicy Pineapple Salsa [Full of Days]

Fermented Drinks

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

• Pineapple Water Kefir [Attainable Sustainable]
• How to Make a Gallon of Mead [Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment]
• Strawberry Mead [Attainable Sustainable]
• Fermented Lemonade [Raising Generation Nourished]
• Winter Herb Kvass [Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment]
• Black Raspberry Kvass [Fearless Eating]
• Carrot Kanji [Veg Recipes of India]
• Homemade Strawberry Soda [Grow, Forage, Cook, Ferment]
• Turmeric Lime Soda [It Takes Time]
• Elderberry Honey Soda [Empowered Sustenance]
• Fermented Plum Brandy [Fresh Bites Daily]
• Jun Tea [Nourished Kitchen]

Fermented Dairy Products

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

• Creme Fraiche [Attainable Sustainable]
• Sour Cream [Attainable Sustainable]
• Milk Kefir [Attainable Sustainable]
• No-Measure Yogurt [Attainable Sustainable]

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