Easy Fermented Foods to Start Making Now

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Making fermented foods is really not as difficult as we think it might be. Today I’m going to share with you some of our favorite easy fermented foods that you can start making right away!

Table of Contents

Why Fermented Foods?

Fermenting doesn’t have to be complicated, intimidating, or time-consuming. In fact, some of the healthiest traditional foods are also the simplest to make at home. These easy fermented foods are perfect for beginners who want to add more nourishing, old-fashioned goodness to their kitchen without feeling overwhelmed—and many of them can be started with ingredients you already have.

Making Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a relatively easy thing to make with a few basic supplies. It does have to ferment for a little longer (especially if you want it to be really tangy like we like it!) so it’s good to plan ahead and have several batches going at once.

I have a full tutorial on How to Make Sauerkraut here.

Making Sourdough

I always thought that sourdough was complex until I got into a rhythm with it and learned that it didn’t have to be. Now We are making sourdough every 3 days and I don’t make other kinds of bread because our family loves this!

I’ll be sharing my high elevation sourdough recipe and process very soon here, but until then, here are some other sourdough starting blog posts I have.

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

Using a Sourdough Starter Kit

Making Kombucha

We love kombucha in our home because it’s a really nice probiotic boost (as well as a boost of B12 which is helpful for busy days!). Kombucha is easy to make and has very little hands on time but you do have to keep to a schedule and one batch takes a total of 15 days to be ready (plus some time cooling in the fridge, unless you like it warm!).

I have a full tutorial on How to Make Kombucha here.

Making Yogurt

I make yogurt at least once a week, as long as we have some whole milk in the house! It’s so incredibly easy to make your own yogurt, especially since you can simply use other yogurt or buy a starter to get it going. I make my yogurt now in my little EuroCuisine Yogurt Maker since it requires very little wattage to run (I don’t have a light in my oven and can’t use a slow cooker or instant pot here). I make the yogurt in the morning and put it in the fridge by supper, ready for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Here are some articles I have on making yogurt in various ways:

Making Yogurt in the Dehydrator

Homemade Yogurt in the Crockpot

Making Yogurt in a Yogurt Maker

Sour Pickles

These are so easy to make and only need up to a week to ferment. You can either use whole or sliced pickles. Wash them and place them in a brine made with 1 tablespoon of salt to every 4 cups of water. I like to make these in a half gallon jar but you can do different sizes.

Put a pickle pebble in the jar to keep the cucumbers down and use a pickle pipe on top of the jar to let the gases escape (see links below). Place them in a cool, dark area for up to a week (you can taste test to see if they are sour enough for you!). Once they are ready, store them in the fridge and enjoy!

Fermenting Calendar Printable

Want to make your life much easier? I’ve made a free printable calendar where you can keep track of what you need to be doing with your fermented foods and when!

Click here to get the free printable fermenting calendar.

Fermenting Supplies I Recommend

Here are some basic supplies and books I recommend to get started with fermenting the foods I listed above. I own all of these items. 🙂

I hope that this inspires you to start making some fermented foods in your kitchen!

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.