Can anyone ferment?

Keith Webster and his mum, Diane, make some ferments together

Keith (my husband) and Diane made two ferments together when Diane visited recently. They made Janice Clyne’s (World Ferment Day ambassador for Scotland) simple pineapple, turmeric and ginger kraut and my fennel blush kraut.

This is the first time Diane has made a ferment. She is a resourceful cook and she is absolutely brilliant at avoiding food waste. She also grows her own vegetables and fruit. It was time, in my mind, to see if she might like to learn how to ferment, since fermenting fruit and veg enables us to make delicious, health-giving food, while reducing food waste and preserving the Summer bounty from the garden. We also know that our gut microbiota shift as we age, so complex, diverse and plant-rich foods that also contain lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites may be protective.

Diane loves pineapple. She wasn’t sure whether, if she bought a pineapple, she would choose to eat it in a sauerkraut, but she was prepared to give it a try. Luckily for Diane, you only use half the pineapple in the sauerkraut so you can eat the other half any way you like!

Really, this fantastic food process can be done by anyone. And it results in delicious, enlivening foods that are great for your health.

Check out our new to ferments page for more information and resources.

For Janice’s pineapple, turmeric and ginger kraut recipe and for more back story on Diane’s ferment session, head over to my Substack and check out 1 August 2026 edition.