The art of fermentation

What Hacker News says

1. ljfJan 2026
   If you are looking for a fermented foods guide/cookboard/potted history - I really recommend 'Of Cabbages and Kimchi': https://fermentingchange.substack.com/p/on-my-bookshelf-of-c...

   I enjoyed 'The Art of Fermentation' by Sandor Katz, but is wasn't guide/cookery book enough for me - 'Of Cabbages' hit the right note, and I've been working my way thorough it all.

   I'm a little obsessed with fermented chilli sauces, and have been using the brine to make an excellent hot ketchup, than friends keep asking for more of.

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2. runemadsenOct 2023
   I'm just rereading Katz' The Art of Fermentation, and it's an amazing book and encyclopedia about how fermentation is and has been used throughout the world. I highly recommend it.
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3. galleywest200Apr 2023
   If anybody wants to get into making fermented foods at home I 100% recommend _The Art Of Fermentation by Dr. Sandor Katz_. Be warned, it is thorough enough to be a text book.
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4. mssundaramDec 2020
   I have this perspective too in large part due to the book "The Art of Fermentation" by Sandor Katz and the other resources/books that that book cites.
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5. pmoriartyNov 2020
   On the subject of lids, at least for fermentation, a search for "fido lids"[1] will lead you to all sorts of options. You don't even need a lid as such for some fermentation methods.

   I'd also recommend Sandor Katz's work, like The Art of Fermentation[2] for getting a thorough understanding of the subject.

   [1] - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fido+lids

   [2] - https://www.wildfermentation.com/the-art-of-fermentation/

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6. cproctorJan 2019
   It's pretty flexible, but I'll usually cut up a dozen jalapeños, half a head of garlic, some coriander and cumin, pack it down in a jar, and cover it with water and somewhere around 3% salt by weight. If you don't have a scale, just mix up some water that's saltier than you would really want to drink, but not so salty that you'd be unable to drink a few cups of it.

   Ideally nobody is sticking up out of the water, as that's where mold will form. You can use a plate or some kind of weight, or stir it all once a day, or just let it sit and throw out anything that starts getting moldy.

   Let this sit on the counter for a week or two until the brine and the peppers get sour from lactobacillic fermentation. It's up to you. When you like the taste, blend it all smooth and put it in a jar in the fridge. You'll get the same sour spiciness you're used to in hot sauce, but much more umami and depth in the flavors. Vinegar-based hot sauce is quite one-noted in comparison.

   Note: I really recommend Katz's "Art of Fermentation" as a source of inspiration. I used to get annoyed by the fact that he doesn't actually give recipes, but have come to realize that you don't really need them. There are really only a few core processes with infinite variations, and precise measurements would most likely just lead you astray because you'll invariably need to respond to different produce and different temperatures.

   Troubleshooting: Sometimes the brine starts to get cloudy, or a thin layer of surface yeasts forms. It's harmless but can lend a funk to the flavor. If you don't like this, change the conditions to select for the desired bacteria: make the brine saltier and/or keep it somewhere cooler. You can even keep it in the fridge, but then fermentation will be much slower. Also, sometimes the garlic turns blue. Also harmless.

   Bonus: Sauerkraut couldn't be easier: Shred a bunch of cabbage (it's such a pleasure to use a mandoline for this) and add 1.5% salt by weight. Squeeze and knead the cabbage until it feels like wet laundry. Pack it into a jar; there should be enough liquid to submerge the cabbage. Again, find a way to keep it covered and wait 7-10 days. If you keep the brine from an old batch, you can dramatically speed up the next batch by mixing some in.

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