Traditionally Fermented Foods: Innovative Recipes and Old-Fashioned Techniques for Sustainable Eating

Beautifully written, great information. The book is nicely bound so that it lays flat, which I appreciate when trying to read a recipe while following the instructions. I purchased this as a pre-order so just received it this week and haven't yet consumed any of the ferments (have two of her recipes from the book going at present), but having tried numerous recipes from her blog I have no doubt they will be delicious. She provides more detailed information on fermenting, the process and the whys, etc., than many books. If you enjoy her blog, you will love her book. If you want to get a taste of her book, read her blog "Nourishing Days". Update 12/16/17--I have now tried enough recipes to highly recommend this book. Her "Taco Kraut" recipe has become my favorite sauerkraut recipe hands down and I have made it numerous times. I like it so much that I try to make it frequently enough to have a batch in rotation. I find it's best when fermented for three weeks (except in very hot weather) and then put in the fridge for another 3-4 weeks. It's great after the initial fermentation, but keeps getting better and better as it sits. Another favorite is her "Homestead 'Chi". I love a good spicy kimchi, but this recipe is great for any meal of the day and also for tender palates. Her "Pizza Green Beans" is another favorite and a great use for an abundance of garden green beans. Her sourdough is very good although I have a hard time keeping it going--I tend to forget about keeping the starter going. Love her simple Feta recipe; it's so easy and tasty. Note: on her website, she has corrected the salt amount in her "Squash Cortido" recipe. It should be in teaspoons, not tablespoons. When made with the correct amount of salt, it is a delicious and different ferment. Another great way to use up an abundance from the summer garden. Although I have quite a few books on fermentation, I find I have learned the most from this book and am using it more than all of my other books put together. She explains concepts very well so that one has a much better understanding of the various aspects of the fermentation process--without getting bogged down in too much detail. Like her blog, it is beautifully written and a pleasure to read.

I’ll give this book 5 stars because it is well written and provides very clear information for a novice in fermenting to get going and have success. I almost didn’t buy this book based on another reviewer who said the book was mostly bread and dairy recipes. I was delighted when I found she uses raw goats milk and ferments her grains! I was born with a intolerance to cow dairy, so growing up I was given raw goats milk. I never have been one to consume a lot of dairy, and raw goats milk runs $7-8 per half gallon where we live! So as much as I’d like to experiment with making fermented goat milk products, I think I’d have to go get my own milking goat! I’ve tried drinking store bought goat milk kefir and I’m not sure it would be fit for our dogs beside it’s so bad tasting. I have clabered raw goats milk and eaten the clabber with organic smashed strawberries. Yum! I also do not tolerate grains, beans and other legumes. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat them, they just don’t like me! So I suffer whenever I decided to eat them. I do best on a meat, vegetable and fruit diet. The exception is Ezekiel 4:9 bread which doesn’t seem to bother me. I have recently started learning how to use Einkorn wheat flour. I made a sourdough start but I’m not sure at this point if I need to throw it out, it’s been in our frindge about 4 months! It about broke my bank account feeding it! I can’t make the sourdough baked goods in this book because Einkorn flour just won’t behave the same as standard commercial wheat flours. It’s like working with gluten free flours rather than regular wheat flour. What I have made so far with the Einkorn flour ( sourdough or plain) hasn’t bothered me either. I have gleaned several useful tips from this book so far and I’m anxious to try many of the recipes in it. I especially love the information on gluten free baking and it has cleared up a lot of issues I’ve had trying to bake gluten free in the past. I’m very happy I bought the book. Now I want to go check out her website. Thank you Shannon for all of your hard work, time, and effort in sharing your gleaned, trial and error wisdom in this book. Kudos to you! We too live Off Grid in Eastern Wa.

I have been reading Shannon's blog posts (Nourishing Days) for quite some time. I enjoy her writing style and reading about her family's life that is much different from mine. I live in a house in a suburb, rather than on a homestead. However, I have been practicing nourishing food practices for quite a while, including fermenting vegetables, milk, grains etc. I know and have experienced how these practices provide considerably more nourishment from food and I have read much about this. However, I am learning even more from Shannon's book. I appreciate that she explains the background and reasoning for ferments, as well as providing many delicious recipes across the broad spectrum of ferments. The beautiful pictures just add to the package. If you have never tried fermenting various foods, this is a good starting place. And if you are an old hand at fermenting, this book will still provide insights, not to mention good recipes.

I love the book, it’s exactly what I was looking for. Very informative and great recipes. The shipping department would be my only issue. It was shipped in a plastic bag but the bag leaked apparently, because it arrived with water damage. The book was dry when it arrived, so I can’t rule out that it came from the warehouse like this but I would hope not. See attached pictures.

I have several books on Fermentation. Each book has it's own share of intriguing & helpful information. For me, what sets this books apart is the way that it's written. The author shares her experience over several years of being cautious along the way, with trial & error. She shares those experiences of what worked & what didn't. Fermenting food is an interesting & beautiful process that has unfortunately not been passed down like it was traditionally for many years. Reading this book is as close as you can get to an experience of living the old-fashioned way in today's world. For instance, I've often wondered why I am refrigerating my fermented sauerkraut when the whole point is the very preservation of the food. Obviously, there is a time limit if you don't have a cellar but I never thought of the option mentioned in this book. Getting back to nature & the simple life, this book is well written & very refreshing to read.

Typically for me, when I follow a recipe something goes wrong. Either I misunderstand a step or a don’t have some universally understood technique that’s too obvious to explain... and I don’t achieve the desired results. But that has NOT been my experience with this book. The author writes in a beautiful, yet easy to follow manner. The pictures are breathtaking and I appreciate the explanations on WHY certain things work how they do. So far, I’ve made Kimchi and spicy carrots. Both turned out perfect. I would strongly recommend this book to both new and seasoned fermenters.

I rarely buy books, preferring to borrow from the library or just get the same info online for free, but I made an exception for this one and I am not disappointed! It is a beautiful book full of wisdom from years and years of Shannon's off-grid fermentation practice and it shows how to incorporate fermenting and fermented foods into a family lifestyle where simplicity and nourishment are of paramount importance. I have been fermenting quite a bit for several years and eat fermented foods everyday, but I still learned many useful ideas from this book. The advice is down to earth, the explanations are very worth the read, and the pictures are gorgeous and realistic! For me, this book plus Wild Fermentation will probably be all I will ever need. I'm definitely a cook book minimalist, but this one makes the cut.

I'v amassed quite a collection of books about fermenting, cheese making, bread making, and while they've all been very informative they all require that I have either complicated equipment (cheese caves) or spend more money than I'm comfortable doing. Because so many books are made from people who work in the food industry, there's a push to make things the way they do. It's not realistic for the family cook to have a hundred plus steps, equipment, and ingredients. Everything in this book is practical. For instance, using cultures that are self perpetuating; that culture at room temperature, just makes sense. All the recipes are seasonal; using what you have, and promote self-sufficiency. This book has been incredibly helpful to me. I only wish that Amazon had her other seasonal cookbooks so that I could purchase them too.

The book is very useful, I read a lot of good advice in it.

Great info great recipes

I have lots of books on gluten free cooking and fermentation but this is the one I go to again and again. After lots of failed attempts at gluten free sourdough. I finally managed to get a starter that works and made bread that looks like real wholemeal sourdough! Thanks to this book I have made sauerkraut and kefir cheese! If you only buy one book buy this one it's practical and clearly written and Shannon knows what she is talking about. A little gem!

I am a beginner and the book talks you through everything you need. I am very pleased with it.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes to the amazing knowledge contained in this book! Yes to the simplicity of traditional ways to keep this alive! (Like the foods themselves, lol) Yes to the way this book is written, the book’s ability to lay open and inspiration to self creativity to further exploration and learning! Thank you !