Looking to add more fermented food and drinks to your diet in the new year?
Fermented food and drinks can provide your body with a wealth of nutrition. And it’s not just a fad. In fact, fermentation has been around since the Neolithic Era. This ancient art has been used to preserve foods for literally thousands of years.
From nutrient-dense fermented veggies to probiotic-rich kombucha, there are so many tasty ways to add fermented food and drinks to your weekly meal plans. You can even add fermented condiments to meals you’re already making!
The best part?
Making fermented food and drinks is fun. You can experiment with flavorings, length of time, salt ratios, etc. It really is an art that allows you be as creative as you want. You can even get the kids involved. They’ll love coming up with new flavor ideas and being able to check in with their ferments daily!
Don’t know where to start?
These 25 fermented food and drinks recipes from around the blogosphere will have you on your way to being a home fermenter in no time. The recipes below feature a couple of my favorites from my own blog, as well as favorites from fellow bloggers.
25 Ways to Add Fermented Food and Drinks to Your Diet
Kombucha
By now, there is good chance you’ve seen kombucha in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. But what is it exactly? Kombucha is simply fermented tea. It’s made by adding a symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria (commonly referred to as a SCOBY) to sweet tea. Let sit for 7-14 days and you’ll have an effervescent and slightly tart beverage. Our favorite part is experimenting with different flavorings. Here are five to get you started!
Strawberry Basil Kombucha – The Roasted Root
Homemade Berry Lemonade Kombucha – Live Simply
Ginger and Turmeric Kombucha – Today in Dietzville
Lavender Kombucha – Shalom Mama
Raspberry Lime Homemade Kombucha – Paleo Running Momma
Other Fermented Drinks
Besides kombucha, there are many other types of fermented drinks. You’re probably familiar with wine and beer, but what about some non-alcoholic options? Here are a few of our personal favorites!
Naturally Fermented, Probiotic Lemonade Soda – Nourished Kitchen
Ginger Honey Switchel – Wellness Mama
Fermented Coconut Water – Make Sauerkraut
Cultured Strawberry Soda – Holistic Squid
Fire Cider – Whole-Fed Homestead
Sauerkraut
Until recently, we had sworn off ever eating sauerkraut, mostly due to its smell! As it turns out, once you step away from the canned kind from the grocery store, sauerkraut is actually totally delicious. It’s also chock full of beneficial bacteria. We personally eat it with our breakfast almost every day. It’s incredibly easy to make at home, so get started with these yummy versions!
Thai Chili Sauerkraut – The Wild Gut
Dill Pickle Raw Sauerkraut – The Organic Dietician
Red Cabbage Sauerkraut – Real Food Kosher
DIY Turmeric Jalapeño Sauerkraut – Wicked Spatula
Easy Sauerkraut (AIP/Vegan) – Food to Heal Ourselves
Veggie Ferments
If you’re anything like us, you’re always looking for ways to add in extra veggies throughout the day. Fermented veggies make it easy to grab and go. They’re already peeled, chopped and ready to eat. Plus, fermented veggies make perfect additions to salads, often providing a little crunch or unexpected taste. Here are five fermented vegetable recipes to get you started.
Fermented Ginger Carrots – Savory Lotus
Fermented Jalapeños – Mommypotamus
Fermented Honey Garlic Pickles – Well Preserved
Mom’s Kimchi – Local Adventurer
Crisp & Crunchy Lacto-Fermented Pickled Asparagus – Nourishing Joy
Condiments
Quite possibly the easiest way to add fermented foods to your diet is with fermented condiments!
Spicy Lacto-Fermented Mustard – The Wild Gut
Kefir Ranch Dressing – Phickle
Fermented Ketchup – Grow Forage Cook Ferment
Chipotle Pepper Hot Sauce – Pickle Me Too
Kefir Sour Cream – Fermented Food Lab
And finally, how refreshing do these Mango Mint Water Kefir Popsicles from Cultures for Health sound? I think they’ll be a staple in our house once summer comes around!
Want more fermentation inspiration?
Be sure to follow our Fermentation is Fun Pinterest Board and we’ll keep the fermented fun coming all year long!
Thanks so much for including my fire cider recipe!
I see you’re in Wisconsin- us too! (west central!). Hi neighbors! 🙂
Hi Crystal! Thanks for creating such a great recipe! Yes, Wisconsinites here… we both grew up in central Wisconsin and now live in Madison! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
What a great selection of recipes! I can see you took the time to find the greats out there. Thank you for including my Fermented Coconut Water recipe. May all your readers find a new favorite.
This is a cool compilation. Will definitely do some of the recipes. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Great list! There’s definitely some things on here that I’ve never tried, but totally want to! I’m super interested in trying the fermented asparagus- that sounds amazing!