7 best fermentation cookbooks: Perfect the preserving process

Among the sourdough and banana bread crazes that took over social media during lockdown, some people have been braver with their culinary experiments.

Anyone who has dabbled in fermentation (and has a “fermentation station”, a term popularised by chef Brad Leone of American magazine and YouTube channel, Bon Appetit) knows the excitement of finding new things to dunk in brine or cover in mould, collecting jars with things in various stages of controlled rotting and watch as they transform into umami, delicious goodness.

Fermenting has been a way of preserving and adding flavour to food since ancient times – the earliest record of fermentation dates as far back as 6,000 BC, according to historians.

In some ways, the pandemic has given us a wealth of time to dedicate to time-consuming hobbies and practices that most people would’ve never considered pre-lockdown.

After working our way through these books, testing recipes and getting sucked into the world of fermentation, we have chosen a variety of books for all levels – whether you are just beginning your journey into the practice or you’re already knee-deep in sauerkraut and hungry for more.

Some include an encyclopaedic amount of information on the art and chemistry of fermentation, while others are more straightforward, and full of recipes to be recreated at home.

Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge about fermentation or you’re just curious about the processes that go into your sauerkraut, miso, gochujang and more, here are the best books to get your fermentation fun started.

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