Rediscovering the Art of Fermenting with Fern Green
The book Fermenting by Fern Green instantly transported me back to my childhood — to those Saturday mornings spent with my grandparents at the local fruit and veggie market.
They’d fill the boot of their car to the brim with boxes of fresh, carefully chosen produce. Everyone became an instant fruit expert at those markets, squeezing and sniffing until they found the perfect peach or tomato. Once home, the real magic began — the kitchen transformed into a place of creation. If plums were in season, we’d make jam. If tomatoes were ripe, we’d make pasta sauce. Every weekend was an opportunity to turn fresh produce into something special.
That’s exactly the kind of joy Fermenting celebrates — a return to slow, mindful, and healthy food. It’s not about adding sugar or carbs to make things tasty; it’s about using nature’s ingredients and letting your taste buds explore.
Coming from a Northern Italian family, sauerkraut was a regular feature on our table — though my grandmother’s version was always drenched in olive oil! Fern Green’s recipes show how to make it raw, simple, and bursting with probiotic goodness. It’s delicious and great for digestion too.
The book also inspires you to rethink the ordinary — teaching you how to ferment spinach, beetroot, and even create your own tangy, colourful accompaniments. My grandparents always had a pantry lined with homemade sauces and pickles that made every dish unique and impossible to replicate. This book taps into that same spirit of creativity — showing how a few jars and a little patience can transform everyday meals into something extraordinary.
Now that it’s summer, I’m inspired to make my own natural cordials — using lemons, ginger, strawberries, or pineapple. Just imagine: sitting in the sun, feet up, with a glass of homemade fruit cordial clinking with ice cubes. A healthy, refreshing treat packed with natural vitamins — and maybe even a cure for those long summer nights!
So after reading Fermenting, I’m off to the market — ready to stock up on fresh produce and start my own batch of marinated capsicums. Perfect for drizzling over sourdough bread on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Women Love Health would like to thank Sacha Kaluri for her book review. Sacha is the co-founder of The Australian Teenage Expo — for more information, click here.