wild fermentation is it worth getting?

[bluebell]

just wondering if it has recipes for all different kinds of fermented vegetables? i'm making saurkraut but would like to make other kinds and don't know where to start. also does it include recipes that don't just involve lacto fermentation because i'm not using lacto to make the saurkraut i'm just making it with salt and water. thanks for any help.

[stilllearning85]

Wild fermentation is all about making things the "wild" way so they don't use any whey at all. There are some really good vegetable fermentation recipes... but there aren't THAT many! But once you sort of get the drift you can pretty much do anything!
I think lacto-fermentation is just the name of ferementing with salt and water and if you want, then whey... I may be wrong, but I think it is called lacto fermentation because of the lactobacilli in the fermentation process, not because of the whey. (Don't quote me on that )

P.S: The book is DEFINITELY on my Christmas list!!!

[spughy]

Just salt and water IS lactofermentation. The lactobacillus occur naturally, and thrive in a saline environment which kills other bacteria. They consume sugars in the vegetables and produce the lactic acid which creates the sour taste.

And Wild Fermentation is TOTALLY worth it. I love the book. Looooove it. However, if you hold conservative views on issues related to gender and relationships, you may not enjoy it so much, as the author lives (or lived? I'm not sure if he's still there) on a gay commune in Tennessee and relates a number of stories about his fellow commune members and his lifestyle in general. He is also HIV-positive so a lot of the information relates to how fermented veg etc. help a lot with his immune issues. So, depends on your political views - if "alternative" lifestyles are attractive to you or just don't bother you, you'll probably like the book. If you're on the conservative end of the social spectrum, probably not so much. But it does contain a lot of fantastic recipes - I've yet to encounter a dud.

[bluebell]

thank to you both for clarifying this i thought lacto was using whey - which i can't use so i was getting a bit confused. ii'm definitly not on the conservative end - i'd like to read about how it helps his immune system so think i'll order the book then, sounds good.

[Metasequoia]

WF is SUCH an AMAZING book!!! I love it - the tranny talk caught me off guard the first time I read it but now I don't bat an eyelash.

[MamaMonica]

I love that book, too. Definitely worth it. (You might be able to find it at your library- I checked it out at ours before buying it).

[Leilalu]

I got our library to order it, so I can check it out at leisure. Totally worth it. Every tax-dollar penny

[guestmama9904]

its one of the best "cookbooks" i have ever read, very inspiring and simply a good read, even if you were never to make a single resipe from it. im a total foodie and just really enjoyed this book, i have never made anything from it though.