Fermented foods have been eaten all around the world for thousands of years, but recently they’ve experienced a bit of a comeback. Kimchi, kombucha, and kefir are hugely popular right now, and this is good news for health.
Because they contain probiotics, fermented foods can help to improve gut health and maintain the gut microbiome (the microorganisms that live in your intestines).
But apart from being healthy, fermented foods and drinks are also delicious – and if you like getting creative in the kitchen, you might like to think about making your own. Not only will this save you money (fermented foods are often very expensive to buy), it’ll also mean you’ll always have some health-boosting foods in the house.
So, here are six of the best fermented foods you can make at home.
1. Sauerkraut
One of the best known fermented foods is sauerkraut: a food that’s eaten widely all over Eastern Europe and is one of Germany’s national dishes. But despite this – and the German-sounding name – it’s believed that sauerkraut actually originated in China thousands of years ago.
Sauerkraut is one of the simplest fermented foods to make. It only contains two ingredients – cabbage and salt – although sometimes caraway seeds are added too. To make sauerkraut, all you have to do is shred your cabbage, cover it with salt, and mix around. Then, pop it into a jar and allow it to ferment for 3-10 days.
Sauerkraut will keep for months in the fridge, and it’s delicious in sandwiches (especially the famous Reuben), added to soups or stews, or just eaten straight from the jar! It’s often used as a condiment too, and added to hot dogs, burgers, salted meats, or smoked fish.
If you prefer a stronger-tasting sauerkraut, you can leave it to ferment for a couple of weeks. If the sauerkraut comes out tasting a little too strong, you can always give it a rinse before eating.
For more on making sauerkraut, check out this guide by The Kitchn – or watch the video below.
2. Tempeh
If you’re veggie, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with tempeh – and if you’re not, now’s the perfect time to try this superfood! Originating in Indonesia, tempeh is made from fermented soya beans, just like tofu – but unlike tofu, where the soya beans are blended, tempeh uses whole beans, which gives it a chunkier, firmer texture.
Tempeh has a lovely mild, nutty flavour, and aside from being packed with gut health-boosting probiotics, it’s a great source of protein, iron, magnesium, and calcium. It’s also very versatile; you can marinate it, fry it, bake it; add it to salads, sandwiches, sauces; and much more.
To make tempeh, you just need soya beans, tempeh starter (you can buy this online), vinegar, and a container (zip-lock food bags are ideal). While you can buy tempeh in shops, making your own is definitely worth it from a taste perspective – and watching the mycelium (the healthy fungus) form and bind the beans together is fascinating!
After you’ve soaked the soya beans, de-hull and cook them, then dry and allow to cool. Prick holes in your food bags, then add the vinegar and tempeh starter to the beans, and pack into the bags. Seal and flatten the bags, then leave in a warm place. After 48 hours, the mycelium will have formed and bound the beans into a firm cake!
To learn more about making tempeh, have a read of this guide by Alpha Foodie – or check out the video below.
3. Sourdough bread
Sourdough bread is probably the most popular bread around these days – and no wonder. With its crisp crust, chewy texture, and deliciously tangy flavour, it’s perfect in sandwiches, underneath eggs, or topped with avocado. Luckily, because it’s fermented, it can also help to boost gut health!
If you regularly buy sourdough bread, why not have a go at making your own? Compared to other breads, sourdough isn’t the easiest to make from scratch. But once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll probably be making it for years to come.
There’s something wonderful about serving homemade sourdough bread to loved ones. Plus, it’ll make your home smell delicious!
To make sourdough, you need a sourdough starter, which is made from flour and water that contains a live fermented culture. You can buy sourdough starters online and often from bakeries, but making your own is easy – it just requires a little patience (it takes around six days to ferment). To make your own starter, check out this helpful guide by Feasting from Home.
Once your starter is ready, you make the sourdough just as you would any other bread, though it requires a longer resting period to rise – anything from three to 12 hours, depending on the weather.
For more information on making perfect sourdough bread, check out this informative guide by The Clever Carrot – or watch the video below.
4. Kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish that’s been eaten for thousands of years. It’s usually eaten as a side dish. Though it can also be used more as a seasoning, to add flavour, and it’s packed with probiotics and vitamins.
Kimchi is essentially just salted, fermented vegetables – rather like a spicy version of sauerkraut! It usually contains napa cabbage (sometimes called Chinese cabbage), radishes, garlic, ginger, spring onions, and Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) for lots of flavour. Fish sauce or miso paste is also often added for a umami kick.
There are many kimchi recipes, some much more complex than others, and some that are much spicier! Having a jar of it in the fridge is a great way to add flavour to your food – and it also makes a wonderful homemade gift.
To make kimchi, you might need to visit an Asian supermarket to get all the ingredients you need. Then, you simply squish them all together, making sure the vegetables release their juices, and then put it in a jar for a few days to ferment – opening now and then so the gas can escape. That’s it!
For more guidance on making your own kimchi, why not try this recipe by My Korean Kitchen? Or have a watch of the video below.
5. Kefir
If you love yoghurt and creamy drinks, you might want to have a go at making kefir. Originating in the North Caucasus area, kefir first became popular in Russia, and today it’s drunk in many parts of Eastern Europe as well as the US, and has become increasingly popular over here too.
Kefir is a fermented dairy product – it’s like a thinner version of yoghurt – but what makes it unique is the way it’s cultured. Rather than heating milk, adding a culture, and keeping it warm, which is what you do with yoghurt, kefir is made with kefir ‘grains’. These are tiny cell structures that contain yeast and bacteria, which is what causes the fermentation.
Making kefir is simple: just add a spoon of kefir grains to a glass of milk, cover, and allow to sit for around one day. The yeast and bacteria in the grains will turn the milk into kefir, thickening it, and giving it that signature tangy taste that fermented food has. Once you strain the grains, you can drink your kefir right away.
More good news is that kefir grains can be reused indefinitely, and the grains will slowly multiply with each use, so you can even give away the extra grains to friends. If you don’t eat dairy, you’ll be pleased to know that you can make vegan kefir using coconut milk!
To make kefir, check out this guide by Live Eat Learn – or watch the video below.
6. Kombucha
One of the most popular fermented products around these days is kombucha, and if you like this sweet-yet-sour fizzy drink, learning to make your own will save you plenty of money – because kombucha doesn’t come cheap! Plus, you can have fun experimenting with different flavours.
Kombucha is a sweetened black or green tea that becomes fizzy when fermented, and though it’s believed to have originated in China, it’s now drunk all around the world. Kombucha is packed with probiotics, and while making your own can seem daunting, it’s far more straightforward than you might think. But there are a few things to know.
The first is that kombucha contains alcohol – only around 1%, but if you have alcohol sensitivities or avoid alcohol for personal reasons, this is worth bearing in mind. The second is that kombucha is fermented by what’s called a ‘scoby’ – a ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast’. You can buy a scoby online, or you can make your own.
If you’ve never seen a scoby before, it can be alarming to see it floating around in your kombucha jar! They look alien and rather organ-like – certainly not appetising! But this jelly-like layer of cells is what causes the kombucha to ferment, and once you’ve made your first batch of kombucha, you can reuse the scoby for your next batch!
All you need to make your own kombucha is tea, sugar, and shop-bought kombucha to kick off the fermentation process. Once you’ve made your tea and put it in a jar, allow it to sit for six to 10 days, after which your scoby will have formed and you’ll be ready to make the next batch!
You can follow this recipe by Brew Bunch to find out more – or watch the video below.
Final thoughts…
Fermented foods aren’t only delicious, they’re also seriously good for you. All the foods above are great dietary sources of probiotics, and multiple studies show they can have a positive effect on gut microbiome, and can be a great way to improve gut health.
Plus, making fermented foods is fun! There’s something really satisfying about seeing ingredients evolve and change, and whether it’s a jar of kombucha, kimchi, or sauerkraut; homemade fermented produce makes a lovely personalised gift too.
But of course, you don’t have to make your own fermented food to enjoy its health benefits. To find out more about different fermented foods, you might want to read our article; 8 fermented foods for gut health.