5 Shortcuts to Ferment Almost Anything at Home

5 Ways to Ferment Almost Anything with These Unique Shortcuts

If you’re stuck getting a particular ferment started, you don’t need to throw in the towel. This guide explains five simple shortcuts for using one active fermentation to kickstart another. With a few creative swaps and a little know-how, you can jumpstart sourdough starters, fermented vegetables, beverages, condiments, and cultured dairy with cultures you already have on hand.

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Are You Having Trouble Fermenting?

Home fermentation covers a wide range of foods and drinks, including:

Cultured dairy (yogurt, kefir, labneh)
Sourdough starter
Fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles)
Condiments and relishes
Fermented beverages (kombucha, kvass, water kefir)

When one of these processes won’t take off, the fastest solution is often already in your kitchen. In my fermentation video I demonstrate practical swaps that use a thriving culture to give another fermentation the boost it needs. Below are the core ideas and examples so you can apply them right away.

When One Fermentation Is Thriving

First, look around for any fermentation that’s bubbling, tangy, or otherwise healthy. That active liquid or starter can often be used in place of plain water or part of the inoculant when feeding something that’s struggling.

Example: If your kombucha is bubbling along but your sourdough starter is sluggish, try using a bit of kombucha in place of some of the water when you feed the starter. The kombucha’s acidity and microbes can help the wild yeasts and bacteria find traction faster.

Conversely, if your ginger bug or water culture isn’t fizzing but your sourdough starter is lively, dilute a small spoonful of the sourdough starter in water and use that to feed the ginger bug. The microbes from the starter can encourage fermentation in other preparations until the native organisms re-establish themselves.

Mary holding a jar with a Kombucha SCOBY.

But What If You Don’t Have a Thriving Fermentation?

If there are no active ferments in your kitchen yet, buying one simple product can save the day: plain yogurt that lists live cultures on the label. Strain that yogurt and collect the liquid whey that drains off. Whey is rich in lactic bacteria and can be used to jumpstart sourdough starters, vegetable ferments, condiments, and various probiotic beverages.

How to use the whey: add a small amount (a tablespoon or two depending on batch size) into the liquid portion of your new ferment, or dilute and use it for feeding a struggling culture. The extra microbes and acidity create a favorable environment for beneficial fermenters to take hold.

One handy tip: before you strain the yogurt, reserve a tablespoon to use as a starter for making your own yogurt at home. Once you can reliably make yogurt, you’ll always have a steady supply of whey to assist other ferments.

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Favorite Fermentation Supplies

Half-gallon canning jars or similar wide-mouth jars
Small 4-ounce jars for samples or starters
pH test strips for monitoring acidity
Plastic or glass storage lids
Complete fermentation kits (airlocks, lids, seals)
Silicone pickle pipes or airlock tubing
Glass fermentation weights
Wooden kraut pounder or vegetable tamper

Favorite Aprons

Comfortable, durable aprons for kitchen work and fermenting