Now that you’ve gotten the buzz on raising bees and chickens in your garden, why not learn to use fermentation in the processing of your backyard crops? What exactly is fermentation? It’s the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide, or organic acids, using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination of the two, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation has been used in the production of food and beverages since Neolithic times, and is still used today in the following ways. It’s used in the leavening of bread (CO2 produced by the activity of yeast). It’s used in a process that produces lactic acid in sour foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi and yoghurt. It’s used in the pickling of foods with vinegar (acetic acid). Last but not least fermentation is used in the production of alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer. A local source of information on fermentation is Wild West Ferments. To find books on fermentation, type that term into the Search Encore Catalog box of the Marin County Free Library.
If you’re interested in home brewing, you can search for information under the following subjects in the Marinet Classic Catalog: Brewing, Beer, and Ale. To find local classes and supplies for home brewers try the following websites: San Francisco Brewcraft, and OakBarrel Winecraft.