Join us for our much anticipated seasonal vegetable fermentation workshop! If you've ever wondered about making your own sauerkraut, kimchi, and other vegetable ferments, this is the class for you!
A little bit of education on why this stuff is so good for you, with a lot of hands on demonstrations where YOU will chop, salt, brine and pack your own tasty ferments! You'll take home several jars of tasty, bubbly ferments good for the belly, good for soul, and perfect for sharing!

PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY ALL THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE REGISTERING AND ATTENDING!

Because this is a hands-on workshop and we intend for you all to make several ferments in class, we ask that you bring as much of your own stuff as possible. Please plan to head out to the farmers market and grocery store to pick up most of what you will need in class. Below is a list of items to consider, followed by some FAQs.

It's OK if you don't have everything, we always bring extra produce and utensils, and everyone tends to share their extra stuff with others.

Supplies to bring:

-1-2 cabbage heads, having both red and green is nice (this one is a MUST please bring at least one cabbage head!). regular cabbage is used for saurkraut, while Chinese cabbage is used for traditional kimchi. 

-assortment of any veggies that strike your fancy such as:

carrots, beets, onions, garlic, ginger, daikon and other radishes, horseradish, turnips, rutabagas, celery, kohlrabi, leeks, okra, beans, fennel, winter squash, lemons, mustard greens, onions, cauliflower, turmeric,  and probably more.  Also some fruits like apples can be used – explore and experiment!

-Herbs fresh or dried,  any kind will do so bring what you like or what you have on hand. Some common ones are dill (fresh and seed), caraway seed, celery seed, hot pepper flakes, cumin, curry, mustard seed. 

-sea salt, celtic salt, real salt (NO refined salt)         

-muddlers or pounders  (not necessary but nice)

-4 or more large quart sized glass jars or larger, with tight fitting lids (wide mouth preferable but not necessary, plastic lids are best, but not necessary). 

-large bowl or two (bigger is better!)

-large sharp knife (optional: mandolin slicer)

-large cutting board

-canning funnel (not necessary but nice)

-apron

FAQ

1. Can I ferment greens?

Although our answer is usually “Sure, why not, you can ferment nearly everything!”, it doesn’t really apply to some winter greens unfortunately. Kale, collards and broccoli for example don’t hold their texture well in a ferment, and may produce some very strong smelling ferments. So if you’re looking for a way to preserve all those abundant greens from your garden or CSA, fermenting probably isn’t it. You can add some to a mixture of traditionally fermented veggies but don’t plan on using a lot.

2. How much vegetable stuff should I bring?

Most people go home with 2-4 large mason jars of ferments. So if you bring yourself one or two heads of cabbage (red and green is a nice mix), a small bunch or two of root veggies you like and some herbs and spices you’ll be fine. Don't forget we’ll have extra stuff as well to supplement your recipes and people tend to share with one another. There has never been a shortage. If you have an abundance of something, bring it to share!

3. Is it OK to buy non-organic?

We highly recommend using organic vegetables whenever possible, but understand if you can’t have all organic. There tends to be less pesticide residue, and if grown in good soil, will ferment better. Fresh, local veggies also tend to ferment better, and are not as dried out as grocery store veggies. Get to the farmers market or Ward's and you’ll have plenty of options for the freshest organic produce around!

4. What kind of salt should I bring and how much?

Preferably no refined salt, only good quality sea salt, coarseness does not matter. Wards often has it in bulk. If you brought a small pint sized mason jar full that would probably be plenty. We’re very liberal with salt in fermenting, so if you’re going to continue fermenting at home it doesn’t hurt to have more on hand. Again, we'll have salt if you forget, or need more.

5. Should I wash and pre-prep my veggies?

NO! While you don’t want outright dirty veggies like carrots straight from the earth, the naturally occurring organisms on the veggies actually help with the fermentation process. Don’t start chopping or scrubbing your veggies just yet, we’ll guide you through the process and have plenty of time to do it in class. The only exception is if you want to ferment a hard squash like butternut or Seminole pumpkin in which case you could save time by peeling it. Just don’t start chopping yet!

6. Are regular mouth sized jars OK and do I need tight lids?

Wide mouth is much easier to work with, but regular is OK. The tight lids are mostly just to get you home without making a mess in your car, as you’ll loosen the lids at home when they settle. Once the ferments are done and you refrigerate them, its good to have a proper fitting lid. Plastic lids are best, because the salt brine rusts the metal rings and lids. You can find canning jars at Wards, Big Lots, WalMart, the Feed Store, Ace Hardware and probably many more places. Call first if you're not sure.

7. Should I sanitize my jars?

Not necessary, just make sure they are clean.

8. If I can’t bring all my own equipment is that OK?

Yes, we’ll have extra equipment and there tends to be a lot of sharing of veggies, herbs and tools. If you have extra stuff to share feel free to bring it. Try to be as self-sufficient as possible, but if you forget to bring something you’ll be OK!

9. Is there a cost to attend?

Yes. This is a resource intensive workshop with skilled instructors and costs associated. It's a small donation, on a sliding scale of $30-40. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a few scholarships available. Just ask!