People hear “fermentation” and think of two things: complicated science and potential stomach disasters. Both fears are overblown. Fermentation is one of the oldest food preservation techniques on Earth, and if you follow basic principles, it’s safer than a lot of other cooking methods.

I’ve been fermenting at home for about six years now. I’ve made sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, miso, hot sauce, and a few things that didn’t work out. Here’s what I wish someone had told me at the start.

Why ferment at all

The practical reasons are strong. Fermented foods last longer. They develop complex flavours you can’t achieve any other way. And the science on gut health, while still evolving, consistently suggests that naturally fermented foods support a healthy microbiome.

But honestly? I ferment because it’s satisfying. You put cabbage and salt in a jar, and biology turns it into something better. There’s a magic to it that never gets old.

The golden rules

Before we get into specific projects, here are the principles that apply to almost everything:

Salt is your friend. In vegetable fermentation, salt creates an environment where beneficial lactobacillus bacteria thrive and harmful bacteria can’t survive. Don’t reduce the salt. The recipes have it right.

Keep it submerged. Anything above the brine can grow mould. Weight your vegetables down. This is the number one cause of failed ferments.

Clean, not sterile. Wash your equipment well, but you don’t need to sterilise everything like you’re canning. Fermentation relies on bacteria that are already present on the vegetables.

Temperature matters. Fermentation happens faster in warm conditions and slower in cold. Australian summer kitchens can be too warm — if your house regularly exceeds 30 degrees, find a cooler spot or slow things down in the fridge.

Trust your senses. Good fermentation smells sour, tangy, and alive. Bad fermentation smells rotten. Your nose knows the difference, even if you’re a beginner.

Project 1: Sauerkraut

This is where everyone should start. It’s nearly impossible to mess up.

What you need: One head of cabbage (about 1kg), 20g fine sea salt (that’s 2% of the cabbage weight).

Method: Shred the cabbage finely. Sprinkle with salt and massage it firmly for 5-10 minutes until the cabbage releases liquid and goes limp. Pack tightly into a clean jar, pressing down so the liquid rises above the cabbage. Weight it down — a smaller jar filled with water sitting inside works. Cover with a cloth.

Timeline: Taste it after 5 days. In a warm Australian kitchen, it might be ready in a week. In cooler conditions, two to three weeks. When it tastes tangy and pleasantly sour, move it to the fridge. It’ll keep for months.

Project 2: Quick pickles (lacto-fermented)

Different from vinegar pickles. These are alive and probiotic.

What you need: Cucumbers (Lebanese are best), garlic, dill, and a 3% brine solution (30g salt per litre of water).

Method: Pack cucumbers, garlic cloves, and dill sprigs into a jar. Pour the brine over them until everything is submerged. Weight down. Cover.

Timeline: 3-5 days in summer, 5-7 in winter. They should taste like pickles — sour, garlicky, crunchy. If the cucumbers go soft, the fermentation went too long or too warm.

Project 3: Hot sauce

This one’s fun and gives you a condiment you’ll use on everything.

What you need: 500g fresh chillies (any variety — I use a mix of long red and bird’s eye), 3-4 garlic cloves, 15g salt, splash of water or vinegar.

Method: Roughly chop the chillies and garlic. Blend with salt until you have a rough paste. Transfer to a jar, press down to remove air pockets. Cover loosely and leave for 5-7 days, stirring daily. The paste will bubble and develop a complex, funky heat. After fermentation, blend smooth with a splash of vinegar and strain if you want.

Timeline: 5-7 days for fermentation, then it keeps in the fridge for months.

Project 4: Kombucha

Slightly more involved because you need a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). Get one from a friend, buy one online, or grow one from a bottle of unflavoured, unpasteurised commercial kombucha.

What you need: 1 litre of cooled black or green tea (with 70g sugar dissolved), SCOBY, 100ml starter liquid from previous batch or store-bought kombucha.

Method: Combine everything in a wide-mouthed jar. Cover with a cloth secured with a rubber band. Leave for 7-14 days, tasting periodically. It should go from sweet to tangy. When it’s where you like it, bottle it (second ferment with fruit for fizz if you want).

Important Australian note: Kombucha ferments very fast in summer heat. Start tasting at day 5. If your kitchen is above 28 degrees, it can go from pleasant to vinegar in a couple of days.

The safety question

I know it’s the thing on your mind. Is this safe? Yes. Lacto-fermentation is one of the safest food preservation methods. The acidic environment created by beneficial bacteria prevents the growth of harmful pathogens. Botulism, the big fear, requires an anaerobic, low-acid environment — the opposite of what proper fermentation creates.

That said, use common sense. If it smells genuinely foul, looks mouldy throughout (surface mould can sometimes be scraped off), or makes you feel uneasy, throw it out. Trust your instincts and start again.

Fermentation is a conversation with biology. Once you start, you won’t want to stop.