On the homestead, there are so many ways to bring healthy, flavorful, nutritious food to the table for your family.

And one method that many people overlook is fermentation!

The benefits are great, but for most people, the idea of fermenting your own foods at home can be daunting. It goes against most of our conventional food handling practices and it makes many people nervous to get started.

But the truth is that fermentation is a time honored tradition that has allowed people to safely preserve food for the long term, stop food spoilage, add tons of flavor, and even make the vitamins and minerals in the food more bioavailable by imparting millions of probiotics into the food.

It’s easier to get started fermenting than you might think!

In the common American diet, we rarely encounter fermented foods (except when you’re adding sauerkraut to a hot dog).

But for our ancestors, fermenting foods was a common staple for preserving food, a necessary tool to keep fresh vegetables and fruits for longer periods of time without spoiling.

Fermentation goes against all the modern rules for food handling – keep it clean, keep it in the fridge, don’t leave it out on the counter too long!

Yet we’re encouraged by holistic and modern doctors alike to get our probiotics to help with our gut health. But most probiotic pills and powders contain precious few live active probiotics by the time they reach your home. A grocery store yogurt may promise to help you stay regular, but that is rarely enough to support your whole health.

What if it was possible to add lots of probiotic-rich foods to your diet without buying expensive supplements, investing in lots of equipment, or having to eat really weird foods? It’s possible!

Since the earliest civilizations, humans have had the challenge of preserving fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to enjoy for longer. Before refrigeration, finding ways to keep fresh foods from spoiling was a big challenge.

One of the simplest ways to preserve food was with salt. A salty brine was found to create a perfect environment for foods to become preserved without going bad.

Another is with a starter culture, like a yogurt culture or kefir grains. These little colonies of existing good bacteria can allow a whole lot of dairy or sugar water to become fermented and last much longer than they would otherwise.

While our ancestors may not have known about bacteria or so-called probiotics, they certainly knew about the nutritional benefits of cultured foods that tasted great and kept them feeling healthy and strong all year long!

And as more people are discovering, there are just as many benefits to fermenting today!

💰 Learning to ferment can save you money

Compared to costly probiotic pills and supplements, and even grocery store yogurts and kefirs, learning to make your own really saves you so much money in the long run. You can take high quality dairy – including raw milk! – and fruits and veggies picked at their prime and turned into an abundance of probiotics to boost your immune system and feed your whole family.

🍞 Fermented foods and beverages are delicious

There is nothing like the rich, complex flavor of a fermented pickle, a tangy sauerkraut, or a creamy yogurt or milk kefir! My kids rave for water kefir, and with so many delicious fruits and veggies that you can ferment, there is sure to be something you’ll love serving regularly. And when you know you’re feeding your gut biome too, every bite is extra tasty!

👩‍🌾 Fermenting is a valuable skill

There is a reason why many homesteaders learn to ferment foods and drinks. It recalls a slower lifestyle, and it reflects the pride that people used to put into the foods they ate and served their families every day. Plus, when supply chains can make healthy, wholesome options hard to access, being able to make it yourself helps you build food independence as well!

🥒 Fermenting foods can be an easy addition to your routine

Unlike some food preservation methods that require a lot of specialized equipment, countertop space, and storage, fermenting foods can be easier to add to your routine than you think. With just a few tools, and a bit of counter space, you can easily add a variety of fresh ferments to your diet. And fermentation is fairly hands off, so you’ll be able to set it and forget it between steps while it does its magic!

Whatever inspires you to want to learn how to start fermenting foods and beverages, I hope you’ll join me inside Fresh Ferments!